Not only do they look beautiful, they are also the basis for a healthy soft drink: hibiscus blossoms. You can use them to make delicious hibiscus tea. You can find out how it works, how it is used and how it is prepared here.
Effect of hibiscus tea
The hibiscus, which belongs to the mallow family, originally comes from tropical areas. It is now also at home here and is particularly popular with gardeners because of its colorful flowers.
If the calyxes (not the whole blossoms) are dried and infused into tea, a thirst-quenching, slightly sour, tart drink is produced. In folk medicine, some health effects are attributed to hibiscus tea.
This is due to the valuable ingredients in the hibiscus flowers. Various fruit acids make up a large part of this: hibiscus acid, malic, tartaric and citric acid. These are involved in various metabolic processes in cell metabolism.
Other fabrics are:
Mucilage: they protect the mucous membranes and therefore have a soothing effect on inflammation of the mucous membranes.
Pectins: These dietary fibers are said to be able to lower blood cholesterol levels.
Anthocyanins and flavones: are responsible for the color.
Flavonols: have an antioxidant effect.
Phenolic acid: has an antibacterial effect.
Vitamin C: supports the immune system.
Application of hibiscus tea
Hibiscus tea for high blood pressure
Several studies have shown that hibiscus tea can have a positive effect on blood pressure. In particular, patients who also have an increased risk of high blood pressure due to other diseases can benefit from hibiscus tea. A study found that three cups of hibiscus tea can have a positive effect on diabetic patients with slightly elevated blood pressure.
Hibiscus tea for high cholesterol
People with high blood fat levels can also rely on hibiscus tea. It is said to help lower cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. A study shows that two cups of hibiscus tea can increase “good” HDL cholesterol and decrease “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Hibiscus tea is antioxidant and antibacterial
Hibiscus tea can support the body in detoxification processes. Thanks to its many antioxidants, hibiscus tea can help fight off free radicals that can weaken the body.
In combination with its secondary plant substances and vitamin C, hibiscus tea has an antibacterial effect and is therefore particularly useful for colds or bladder infections.
Hibiscus tea while losing weight
Hibiscus tea is said to stimulate the metabolism and drain the body. This makes it suitable for regulating the weight. In principle, however, it is always the case that drinking a lot helps you lose weight. If you want to use hibiscus tea, you can change up your drinking habits, because hibiscus tea is a delicious alternative to higher-calorie drinks such as spritzers or lemonades.
recommendations
To benefit from the positive effects of hibiscus tea, about three to four cups per day are recommended.
Consumption of hibiscus tea is not recommended for pregnant women, as it is suspected of having hormonal effects.
How to prepare hibiscus tea
You can get dried hibiscus leaves for a tea infusion in the organic market or the local pharmacy. You should definitely pay attention to organic quality when buying, so that there are no pesticide residues in your tea.
Collect and dry hibiscus flowers. Alternatively, you can simply pick and dry hibiscus flowers yourself. The right time to pick is when they begin to fade. However, not the whole flowers are used for the tea, only the fleshy calyxes. So remove the flowers around the calyces and place the calyxes in the sun or in the oven at a very low temperature to dry. When they are completely dry, you can transfer them to a tightly sealable container.
tea making
Boil a liter of water.
Put about 7 grams of dried hibiscus flowers in a tea strainer or infuser. That equates to about six heaped teaspoons.
Pour the hot water over the flowers and let the tea steep for 6 to 8 minutes.
You can now refine the tea: Lemon juice and honey are popular additions.
The tea tastes great both hot and cold.
Tip: For the perfect cool thirst quencher, you can freeze the tea in ice cube trays and then later add it to the already cooled tea. In this way, the drink is not watered down by normal ice cubes.
