Making tea is an opportunity to supercharge your water into an herbal infusion. With so many healthy herbs available today, your tea options are nearly limitless.
I’m always on the lookout for new healthy teas to add to my stash. Some of my current favourite teas include Longevity Tea, tulsi, yerba mate, and green tea. Most recently, hibiscus tea was added to the list.
Hibiscus tea was said to be the drink of choice by the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt. There are over 200 species of hibiscus plants but the one used medicinally is Hibiscus sabdariffa. It’s a tropical shrub with yellow flowers that are red in the centre. Hibiscus tea is made from the plant’s red calyx which is a cup-like structure that supports the flower. This tea is extremely good for you and makes for a great addition to your healthy routine.
Potential health benefits of hibiscus tea:
- Extremely high in vitamin C.
- Helps keep your blood pressure in a normal range.
- Helps normalize cholesterol levels.
- Loaded with antioxidants.
- Decreases uric acid levels in people suffering from gout.
- Helps keep your weight within a healthy range.
- Antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Relaxes the smooth muscle of the intestines. This can help relieve an upset stomach and other digestive issues.
- Supports cardiovascular health.
- Helps control inflammation in the body.
- It appears to inhibit the growth of human cancer cells in lab studies.
How to incorporate hibiscus tea into your routine
The easiest way to enjoy hibiscus tea is by steeping the hibiscus calyxes for 20 minutes until the water takes on a dark red colour. This prolonged steeping maximizes the health benefits although you can steep to your desired strength. When it comes to tea, I like to keep things simple and drink it plain. If you have more of a sweet tooth feel free to add a bit of honey, maple syrup or other healthy sweetener of your choice. Since hibiscus tea is naturally caffeine free you can enjoy it at any time of the day including right before bedtime.
Try refrigerating your hibiscus tea and drink it chilled as an alternative to water. You can even carry cold tea in your water bottle and drink it throughout the day – add in some chia seeds for additional fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. The tart, fruity taste and bright red colour of this drink make it enjoyable to sip on. Drinking chilled hibiscus tea is an easy way to keep hydrated.
Hibiscus tea is an excellent base for smoothies (cold and fruity) and elixirs (warm and herbal) – this will ramp up the nutrition of these drinks taking them to the next level.
Choosing your water
One of the most important factors when brewing any tea is water quality. I recommend using only spring (not in plastic bottles) or filtered water. Adults are made up of around 60% water and for children the percentage is even higher – don’t you want to replenish your body with the best water possible?!?
Consuming hibiscus tea is a healthy habit for you and your family to embrace… Drink up.
What is your favourite tea and why?
To your health!
Jesse
Awesome. As a child in Florida we would pull the flower from the stem and drink it’s nectar. I had no idea the Hibiscus had health benefits.
Thanks for sharing Shawanna! Make sure to give the tea a try 🙂