HIBISCUS FLOWERS WHOLE - 1 lb., Health and Beauty products, Look-Best

HIBISCUS FLOWERS WHOLE - 1 lb. Botanicals & Bulk Herbs

Hibiscus sabdariffaA variety of names-hibiscus, roselle, Sudanese tea, red tea, and Jamaica sorrel-designate the flowers (actually calyces and bracts) of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. This red-flowered annual herb of the family Malvaceae is widely cultivated throughout the tropics, reaching a height of 4 to 5 feet or more. Its flower heads are collected when immature and are highly prized for making jams, jellies, sauces, and acid beverages.

The floral parts make a pleasant tea and are used by themselves or mixed with other herb teas. Fresh loaded with Vitamin C and caffeine-free! Hibiscus flowers have been grown for centuries in the rich silt of the Nile Valley, where people use the flowers to make a tart, vibrantly- colored beverage. An infusion of hibiscus flowers, hot or cold, is a healthful and refreshing beverage.100% pure hibiscus tea made with only hibiscus flowers. A popular, healthy drink enjoyed since ancient times.Ninety patients (aged 30-80 years; mean, 53 years) with untreated mild-to-moderate hypertension were randomly assigned to receive 500 ml of Hibiscus sabdariffa tea once a day before breakfast or 25 mg of captopril twice a day for 4 weeks. Hibiscus tea was prepared by adding 10 g of dry calyx from H. sabdariffa to 500 ml of boiling water and letting stand for 10 minutes.

Seventy patients completed the trial. In the hibiscus group, the mean systolic blood pressure (BP) decreased from 139.1 to 123.7 mm Hg (p 0.25). Hibiscus had a natriuretic effect: mean 24-hour urinary sodium excretion increased from 106 mEq to 125 mEq (p < 0.001). Both treatments were well tolerated

(Townsend Doctors and Patients 2005, Reference)

Hibiscus contains various anthocyanins and other pigments plus relatively large amounts of oxalic, malic, citric (12% to 17%), and tartaric acid, as well as up to 28% of hibiscic acid (the lactone of a hydroxycitric acid). These plant acids are responsible for the tart, refreshing taste of various hibiscus beverages and foods. They probably also account for the mild laxative and diuretic effects attributed to the plant. Appreciable quantities of water-soluble mucilaginous polysaccharides are also found in the herb. It is believed that they may be responsible for some of the numerous physiological effects postulated for hibiscus.