Herbal teas can be greatly beneficial to your overall health and hibiscus tea is no exception. This delicious tea is super easy to make and has a number of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure naturally and supporting heart health. I love having hibiscus tea over ice for a refreshing beverage in the warmer months!
Hibiscus Tea Benefits
Hibiscus tea contains the antioxidant, anthocyanin, which may play a role in lowering mild-moderate blood pressure. It’s thought that this antioxidant may help blood vessels resist damage that can cause them to narrow.
A study done in 2019 showed that participants who drank 2 cups of hibiscus tea every morning for one month resulted in a significant reduction in blood pressure compared to the control group who did not drink the tea. [11]
Other foods high in anthocyanins:
- Blueberries
- Pomegranate
- Raspberries
- Red Grapes
- Purple Corn
- Elderberry
But, hibiscus has far more health benefits than just improving blood pressure. It’s also very high in Vitamin C, polyphenols, and phytochemicals. It contains anti-inflammatory properties, may help to reduce blood lipid levels, and help to control blood sugar levels. [12, 13] Of course, more research needs to be done to further establish these connections and understand the correlations.
Hibiscus Tea Recipe – Ingredients
Homemade hibiscus tea is very easy to make and so refreshing served over ice in the summer time. All you need is…
- High Quality Dried Hibiscus – 1 C. will yield 8 cups of tea
- Natural Sweetener – sweetener is optional, but I prefer to add it to help balance the tartness from the tea. You can use raw honey, monk fruit, birch xylitol, stevia, etc.
- Limes – this is optional for extra tanginess and flavor
How To Make Hibiscus Tea
- Step 1: Add 4 C. of water plus the sweetener to a saucepan over high heat. Right before it breaks a boil, remove it from the heat and pour it into a bowl or pitcher with the dried hibiscus.
- Step 2: Cover the bowl or pitcher with a lid and let it steep for 20 minutes.
- Step 3: Strain the tea using a mesh strainer. Top it off with 4 more cups of room temperature or cold water. Place it in the fridge to chill.
- Step 4: Serve chilled or over ice and ENJOY!
How Much Hibiscus Tea Should You Drink Per Day?
Drinking 1-2 Cups of hibiscus tea per day is the ideal to reap the many health benefits.
How To Store Hibiscus Tea?
I like to keep mine stored in the fridge, and it usually doesn’t last longer than a week in our house because it’s so delicious! It’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to one week and in the freezer for up to one month.
3 Healthy Drink Recipes to Lower High Blood Pressure and Support Heart Health (recipe video)
Homemade Hibiscus Tea Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 C. Water, divided in half
- 1 C. Dried Hibiscus Flower (brand I use)
- 1/2 C. Natural Sweetener (raw honey, birch xylitol, monk fruit, stevia, etc.)
- Juice from 1-2 Limes (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pitcher or a bowl with a spout, add in the dried hibiscus. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over high heat, add 4 C. of water. If using a granulated sweetener, such as birch xylitol, monk fruit, coconut palm sugar, etc., go ahead and add it to the water now. Right before the water breaks into a boil, remove it from the heat.
- Pour hot water over the dried hibiscus, cover with a lid, and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Once it’s done steeping, strain the liquid through a mesh strainer into a large pitcher to separate the liquid from the hibiscus. **If using raw honey to sweeten, you’ll want to add it to the liquid now and stir continuously until it fully dissolves into the liquid.
- Add 4 C. of room temperature or cold water to the hibiscus tea mixture. Squeeze in the juice of 1-2 limes. Stir and place in the fridge until chilled. When ready to serve, pour it over ice and enjoy!
- Drink 1-2 cups per day!
Notes
- The hibiscus flowers I buy in bulk.
- My favorite glass pitcher.
- Large glass measuring bowl with spout.
Looking for More Healthy Drink Recipes?
If you’re on the search for more healthy drink recipes, here’s a few of my favorites.
- Homemade Pomegranate Juice (great for heart health and high blood pressure)
- Blueberry Beet Juice (can help to improve blood flow and boost energy)
- My Go-To Hormone Balancing Smoothie (support hormone health)
- Meal Replacement Superfood Smoothie (great for boosting weight loss)
I love this tea! I didn’t realize how many benefits there are! So Thank you for the information! I like the lime juice addition to this as well! So refreshing!