Roselle Tea: Health benefits, refreshing ways to enjoy
MANILA, Philippines — The first time I got to taste Roselle Tea (it was in iced tea form) was in Thailand, while on a media familiarization trip.
It was a naturally red iced tea, a bit tart, a bit sweet because of the sweetener that was added to it. It was good and I would have more if available. But I never saw or heard about Roselle Tea again. Until about a week ago when I saw one of the regular online sellers in our community post about it. Fresh Roselle Flowers were available for sale for P110 per kilo. I just had to order half a kilo. It was freshly picked from the farm when it arrived, and I made a good batch of tea, which I tried hot and then iced. Both good.
I got a big bunch, washed the flowers, picked out the buds in the middle, which were hard and dry, washed them again, and boiled them in a pot filled with water. The red-colored tea that came out was refreshing when taken hot. I poured Roselle Tea into a tall glass pitcher, waited until it was room temperature before refrigerating it, and then had it cold (with added ice after adding stevia sweetener into it) later.
Before enjoying it, I researched about Roselle Tea, as I always do when encountering something new, and found out the health benefits it offered.
- Roselle is a Hibiscus packed with powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body against harmful free radicals that can cause damage on the cells and lead to diseases such as cancer. Hibiscus contains anti-cancer compounds. Aside from antioxidants, it is also high in polyphenols, which have powerful anti-cancer properties.
- It may also help lower blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic. Several studies have been conducted on the Hibiscus, specifically on its effects on high blood pressure, and they showed the same findings: It decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure when consumed in normal amounts.
- Some studies have also found Roselle tea to help improve blood fat levels. One, a 2009 study on 60 people with diabetes, showed that drinking Hibiscus Tea for a month increased HDL or good cholesterol while at the same time decreasing levels of LDL or bad cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.
- Hibiscus may help keep your liver healthy. A 2014 study on overweight individuals found that taking hibiscus extract for 12 weeks significantly improved liver steatosis condition or the accumulation of fat in the liver. When left unchecked, this condition may lead to liver failure.
- Hibiscus may help protect against obesity and even aid in weight loss. According to a study, continuous intake of hibiscus extract helps reduce body weight, body fat, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio.
While most of these studies involved hibiscus extract, which are concentrated, and not hibiscus tea, these already put a good light on hibiscus tea. Apart from these health benefits, Roselle tea, just like other herbal teas and infusions, refresh the body, keep temperature down, and keep the body properly hydrated — with positive energies to boot.
