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What’s the Health, Hibiscus?
A Bite-Size Read for Your Health and Waistline
There’s nothing better than an iced hibiscus tea in the dog days of summer. Not only is it delicious, but it offers a host of health benefits.
Hibiscus is a flowering plant of the mallow family; you’ve probably seen it and just not realized what it is. It’s that flower with a trumpet-like shape. A couple fun facts for you: research showing hibiscus benefits date back to the 1700s and every part of the flower is used in various hibiscus products (seeds, flower, leaves, and stem).
Just as the flower comes in many varieties, noted by their colors, you’ll see hibiscus products in a range of colors. This can help you find one you’re more likely to enjoy as the colors give us different flavors. The lighter colors are tarter, the darker colors more robust. Think about it in terms of tea. The longer you steep it, the darker the color and the richer the flavor.
Before I share some research and related health claims about hibiscus, let me preface it all by saying there are only a few studies with human subjects so we could definitely use more research and we’ll want to take the findings with a grain of salt. That being said, hibiscus is believed to help our bodies in many ways!
Hibiscus is rich in antioxidants, beta-carotene and vitamin C. One study on…
