Hibiscus is a flowering plant that grows only in tropical and subtropical regions. Which produces edible fruit and leaves. The dried flower of the hibiscus is the core ingredient in making the hibiscus tea. Both the seeds and flower of the hibiscus can also serve as medicinal properties.
Rosalle, popularly known as Hibiscus can be used to make a red tea (generally called Zobo in Nigeria), the botanical name of Hibiscus is sabdariffa. The herb from the red calyces is what is used in preparing zobo drink.
Health Benefits of Hibiscus Tea (Zobo)
The edible parts used to make the “juice” or tea are often dried-up to be reused again. Rosalle are not flowers nor fruits but calyces. The calyx is packed with high content of niacin, riboflavin, iron, calcium, Vitamin C, while having no caffeine content in it.
Zobo are often used in entertaining your family and friends, but what you don’t know is that you are contributing to the healthy state of your family and friends. Zobo drink comes with lots of nutritional benefits.
Read also: Health Benefits of Eating Ginger; Everything You Need To Know
Hibiscus Tea (Zobo) & Pregnancy:
The bright pink flowers of the hibiscus plant got that colour from the plant’s very high level of antioxidants. These antioxidants provide some benefits for pregnant women, but don’t consume hibiscus tea during your first trimester due to the hormonal activity the plant can influence.
There has never been any definite clinical evidence to promote medicinal use of hibiscus, so it should never be replaced with the normal medical treatment. Make sure you discuss with your doctor about the risks before drinking the hibiscus tea.
Hibiscus Tea (Zobo) For Traditional Use:
Traditional uses of hibiscus tea ranges from the treatment of various digestive disorders or cancer. An immersion of hibiscus flowers may help fight several infectious organisms and cleanses the blood.
In some cases, it may help resolve coughs, high blood pressure, heart problems and scurvy. Despite the frequent traditional medicinal use, there is no definite clinical evidence to back up the use of hibiscus for these conditions.
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Hibiscus Tea For Cough:
Traditional lots if people use the tea to cure cough because of the extremely high amount of the Vitamin C. The tea also helps boost your immune system and help cure the cough. The hot steam from the Hibiscus also helps open airways and loosen congestion.
Side Effects of Hibiscus Tea
Overdose of Vitamin C:
The Vitamin C in hibiscus tea is 20 times more higher than that in tomato, orange and chili combined. Hence, drinking hibiscus tea frequently will make you feel uncomfortable. Since hibiscus tea is often used as herbal medicine, it sometimes gives specific uncomfortable disturbance in our stomach area, like stomach aches, diarrhoea and vomit. These are typical reactions to individuals who often take herbal medication for their cleansing effect. It is generally called DOC (Direction of Cure).
Lowering Our Blood Pressure:
Low blood pressure individuals are emphatically advised not to drink hibiscus tea. According to research, the blood pressure of individuals who drink hibiscus tea on a daily basis dropped by 7.2 points. You are strongly advised to stay away from hibiscus tea, if you are under any medication for hypertension or low blood pressure.
Increasing the Risk of Heart Disease:
Hibiscus tea slowly expands our blood vessels. Therefore, the chances of suffering from various heart diseases increased.
Hallucination Effect:
Be careful before drinking the Hibiscus tea for the first time if you are going to drive a vehicle, since it can make you feel sleepy which can lead to serious and dangerous situation, quite the opposite of Caffeine. Hibiscus tea can decrease our concentration and focus, making you feel light headed and intoxicated. So be very careful especially before operating machines.
Influencing Our Estrogen:
Hibiscus tea levels down our estrogen. Individuals with low estrogen and those using birth control pills are emphatically advised never to drink hibiscus tea.
Effecting Pregnancy:
Since hibiscus tea can drastically reduce our estrogen levels, expectant mothers are strongly advised not to drink the hibiscus tea during the first trimester. Although not too many research can confirm if the hibiscus can affect the fetus. But boycotting hibiscus tea in general during your pregnancy might be a good idea for precaution sake.
Interfering Female Fertility:
Yes, excessive consumption of hibiscus tea can reduce women fertility and totally affect childbearing. Poly-cylic hydrocarbons found in hibiscus tea are associated with birth defects and cancer. Women who plan to have children in the future are strongly advised to stay away from hibiscus tea because its quality to lower estrogen may also lead to complications and affect your reproductive ability.
Elevating The Risk of Cancer:
According to the National Cancer Institute, Hibiscus tea should totally be avoided if you are going through radiation or chemotherapy because the tea can cause quite a lot of complications if it is taken together with the medication. Research also indicates that the hibiscus tea brings major impact to the skin and brain cancer cells.
Apart from the numerous side effects, Hibiscus tea is also very powerful to resolve various health problems and brings a lot of benefits to our body:
・Increasing our stamina and immunity system.
・Detoxify toxin in our body.
・Decreases blood pressure, cholesterol and uric acid.
・Resolving cough, mouth ulcer and sore throat.
・Reducing the pain because of migraine.
・Smoothing our skin and reducing wrinkles.
・Reducing our weight.
・Promoting the growth of our DHA.
・Helping the addicts to survive their life, the cigarette addicts and drug addicts.
・Prevents urinary tract inflammation and kidney inflammation.
・Fixing body metabolism and slowing down menopause.
・Eradicating TBC virus.
・Facilitating our digestive system.
The important content of hibiscus tea are.
In every 100 gr of hibiscus flower:
- Vitamin A, vitamin D, B1 and B2.
- Contains 244,4 mg of Vitamin C.
- Mineral.
- High calcium.
- Potassium.
- Iron.
Conclusion
Finally, we have to draw the line concerning this topic as we hope you have enough you need, concerning health benefits and effects of hibiscus tea (zobo), the help it renders to pregnant women, so if you had your hibiscus plant cut off its time you get it back.
In addition to that, we would be pleased to have you comment on these, and drop all queries and complaints as we are ready to get them answered.
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