Hibiscus : Benefits, Precautions, and Interactions

Overview

What is Hibiscus?

Hibiscus is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the family Malvaceae. Hibiscus has over 300 species of plants, including shrubs, herbs, and trees.

Among them, Hibiscus sabdariffa (common name: Roselle) is the most widely cultivated shrub. It has a red stem and big yellow flowers that turn red or pink. It is a versatile plant with multiple health benefits and is native to Malaysia and India.

Facts of Hibiscus

• Hibiscus grows in regions with warmer climates, such as China, Nigeria, Sudan, Thailand, and Mexico.
• Hibiscus is cultivated for its flowers, leaves, seeds, stems, and roots
• Hibiscus seed oil and flowers are widely used in cosmetics, food, and medicinal preparations.
• The FDA (Food and drug administration, United States) approves using Hibiscus supplements, but they consider them food rather than medicines ¹Overview| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com ,²Overview| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov .

Nutritional Value

Nutritional Value of Hibiscus

Raw Hibiscus contains the following

• Carbohydrate
• Magnesium
• Vitamin B2(Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3(Niacin)
• Vitamin B1(Thiamine)
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Iron

Bioactives in Hibiscus

Flavonoids

• Flavonoids are responsible for the red color of the flower

Anthocyanins

• Anthocyanins are natural water-soluble pigment-containing phenolic compounds.

Phenolic acids

• Phenolic acids are natural compounds present in plants for defense purposes.

Organic acids

• Organic acids are natural compounds in plants for carrying out various cell processes.

The compounds mentioned above have antioxidant properties and protect our bodies from free radicals and cell damage ³Nutritional Value| Researched based study from Usda.gov

Properties of Hibiscus

• Antioxidant(reduces the oxidative stress in the body)
• Antibacterial (can prevent or stop the growth of bacteria)
• Anti-cancer(prevents abnormal cell growth)
• Anti-pyretic(brings down the body temperature)
• Anti-spasmodic (relieves muscle pain) ⁴Nutritional value| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com

Benefits

Benefits of Hibiscus

The health benefits of Hibiscus are as follows

• Lowers blood pressure
• Helps with weight loss
• Improves Liver health
• Lowers cholesterol
• Prevents cancer
• Decreases bacterial growth
• Promotes healthy hair
• Improves Kidney Health

Lowers blood pressure

• Hibiscus tea decreases both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure
• It decreases the risk of heart diseases ⁵Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Helps with weight loss

• Hibiscus tea reduces body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference
• It reduces the abdominal fat
• It decreased the appetite ⁶Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov
• However, more research is warranted to prove the effect of Hibiscus on weight loss.

Improves Liver health

• Hibiscus extract decreases the liver fat
• It reduces the risk of liver damage ⁷Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Lowers Cholesterol

• Hibiscus tea decreased the level of total cholesterol
• It decreases the risk of heart diseases ⁸Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Prevents cancer

• Hibiscus extract reduced the growth of mouth and plasma cancer cells
• It prevented the spreading of human prostate cancer cells ⁹Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov
• However, more research is warranted to prove the effect of Hibiscus on cancer.

Decreases bacterial growth

• Hibiscus extract prevents the growth of E.coli bacteria. E.coli causes gas and diarrhea in humans ¹⁰Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Promotes healthy hair

• Hibiscus leaf extract applied to the skin in animal studies enhances blood circulation.
• It affected the hair follicles, improving the hair growth ¹¹Benefits| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com
• However, more research is warranted in humans to prove the effects of Hibiscus leaf extract on hair health

Improves Kidney Health

• Hibiscus extract improves renal function in patients with mild to moderate hypertension.
• It increased the urine volume ¹²Benefits| Researched based study from Biomedcentral.com

Dosage

Dosage of Hibiscus

To date, there is no recommended dose for Hibiscus.

• Drinking Hibiscus in moderation is generally safe and well-tolerated by most people.
• Hibiscus tea has been used securely for up to 6 weeks at a dose of 24 ounces daily.
• For hypertension, the dose often used by most adults is 100 milligrams to 10 grams daily
• However, it is best to consult a healthcare professional to know the exact dose based on the health condition ¹³Dosage| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com

Side effects

Side effects of Hibiscus

Hibiscus is generally safe when consumed in small amounts. However, some people might experience the following side effects:

• Headache
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Skin rash
• Buzzing sound in the ears
• Stomach gas (flatulence)
• Stomach problem
• Constipation
• Hives
• Swelling
• Itching ¹⁴Side effects| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Overdose toxicity of Hibiscus

• Liver injury
• Increased blood pressure
• Cardiac arrest (sudden stoppage of heartbeat)

Precautions

Precautions

Who should not take Hibiscus?

• Nursing mothers and young children under 12 should avoid using Hibiscus due to the lack of information on safety and efficiency in these groups.
• People with kidney disease
• People with heart disease
• Who is allergic to the Malvaceae plant family
• One on blood pressure medication
• Who are pregnant
• People planning to have a surgical operation
• People within two weeks of surgical operation ¹⁵Precautions| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com

Consumption

Ways of Consuming Hibiscus

Hibiscus is available in the following forms

Tea form

• One can take Hibiscus as a tea by putting the dried buds in boiling water.
• Dried Hibiscus tea bags are also available to be purchased online.

Extract form

• It is the concentrated liquid form of the supplement.
• One can buy it online or from any herbal supplement retailers

Powder form

• Hibiscus powder is made from the dried plant parts
• It is finely ground, and hence one can mix it in water and take it as a beverage

Capsule form

• It is the solid oral form of the Hibiscus supplement.
• One can consume it after consulting a healthcare professional

Ways to use Hibiscus

• The raw leaves can be used as vegetables
• Hibiscus seeds can be used as an alternative to coffee
• Red calyces can be used as dyes and food colorants
• Hibiscus edible oil can be used as an alternative to castor oil
• One can use Hibiscus seed oil to produce soaps and scrubs

Some other ways of using Hibiscus

Dried or fresh calyces of Hibiscus are used in the following:

• Jam
• Jelly
• Chocolates
• Ice-cream
• Cakes
• Puddings
• Herbal drinks
• Fermented drinks
• Wine

Interactions

Interactions of Hibiscus

Chloroquine

• Chloroquine is the drug to treat or prevent malaria
• Taking Hibiscus and Chloroquine together might reduce the blood levels of Chloroquine and decreases the efficiency of the drug

Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive)

• Hibiscus might lower the blood pressure
• So taking Hibiscus and antihypertensive medication together might cause the blood pressure to go too low, causing lightheadedness and fainting.

Medications for high sugar (antidiabetic)

• Hibiscus might lower the body’s blood sugar level
• Hibiscus and antidiabetic medication might make the blood sugar go too low, causing sweating, confusion, dizziness, and fainting if consume together.

Losartan

• Losartan is a medication to treat high pressure.
• Taking Hibiscus and Losartan together might increase the blood levels of Losartan in the body.
• It might increase the drug’s side effect

Diclofenac

• Diclofenac is a medication to reduce pain and swelling
• Taking Hibiscus and Diclofenac together might alter the blood levels of diclofenac in the body and increase the side effect of the drug.

Simvastatin

• Simvastatin is a medication to lower the cholesterol in our body
• Hibiscus and Simvastatin might decrease the blood levels of Simvastatin in the body
• It might reduce the efficiency of the drug if consuming together.

Medications broken down by the liver

• Taking Hibiscus may increase the side effects of drugs metabolized by the liver factors (such as cytochrome P450) by altering the liver’s ability to break down the drug.

Acetaminophen

• Acetaminophen is a drug to treat pain and fever
• Taking Hibiscus and Acetaminophen together might decrease the blood levels of Acetaminophen in the body.
• It might decrease the effectiveness of the drug ¹⁶Interactions| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Storage

Storage of Hibiscus

• One should store Hibiscus in a cool and dry place
• Keep it away from direct sunlight
• One should store it in areas out of reach of young children and kids

Takeaway

Key takeaways

• Hibiscus is a flowering plant with multiple health benefits
• Hibiscus is available in various forms, such as tea, powder, extract, and capsule
• Research studies of Hibiscus on human is minimal, and more research is wanted to know its potential benefits
• One interested in including Hibiscus in the daily diet must consult a health care professional to know the exact dose and to avoid unwanted side effects.