Hibiscus Tea Lowers Blood Pressure

BOSTON—Drinking a cup of hibiscus tea can significantly help lower blood pressure in people with elevated risks of cardiovascular or kidney disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s annual conference.

As reported by Food Consumer, the study was conducted on 65 healthy men and women between the ages of 30 and 70 whose blood pressure levels placed them at increased risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, said researcher Dr. Diane L. McKay of Tufts University.

Participants, who were not taking any blood pressure medications, drank 8-ounce cups of hibiscus tea a day, brewed with one tea bag for six minutes or a placebo three times a day for six weeks. At the end six weeks, blood pressure levels dropped an average of 7.2 percent in the hibiscus tea drinkers as opposed to a 1.3 percent in the placebo group.