Hibiscus: A Heart-healthy Food
Hibiscus, like red wine and green tea, is an antioxidant that protects the heart.
Hibiscus sabdariffa, which is widely grown in China, India, Malaysia and Taiwan, has joined the ranks of heart-healthy red wine and green tea and gained recognition from the scientific community as an antioxidant that can keep in check the “bad” LDL cholesterol. The flower extracts are used to make jams, sauces, herbal teas and added to soft drinks in various countries across the world. Hibiscus is what gives Celestial Seasonings Tea its distinctive color and flavor.
One of the early studies of this beautiful tropical flower as reported in The Journal of the Science of Food Agriculture was done by scientists from Chung Shan University in Taiwan. When the hibiscus extract was administered to rats, the antioxidants in the flower could prevent the oxidation of the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. This effect is due to the presence of antioxidant compounds like flavonoids, polyphenols and anthocyanins in the heart-friendly Hibiscus extract. The anthocyanins have anticarcinogenic properties too.
Antihypertensive and Diuretic Action
The oxidation of LDL is what contributes to the build up of waxy plaque on the walls of arteries and to high blood pressure. Constant high blood pressure is the precursor to kidney disorders, heart failure and stroke. Hibiscus herbal extract is a natural ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor, which inhibits the contracting action of ACE, dilates the blood vessels and reduces the blood pressure.
Possibly, Hibiscus extract is anti-hyperlipidaemic as well, that is, it suppresses blood lipid levels including triglycerides and total cholesterol significantly.
Often, hypertensive patients are given diuretics along with Potassium supplements to offset the loss of Potassium through excretion. For the body to function correctly, the ratio of potassium to sodium in the body should be ideally 5:1. Potassium is an important electrolyte in the cellular biochemical reactions and, together with Sodium, regulates the movement of fluids in and out of body cells and maintains acid-alkaline balance in the blood. Too little potassium combined with too much sodium may contribute to the development of hypertension. An important property of the diuretic action of the hibiscus extract is that it increases sodium excretion without affecting potassium.
Traditional Eastern medicines have used the flowers, leaves and roots of various species of Hibiscus for treating liver disorders. For centuries, Indians have used the flowers for making hair oils for luxurious, lustrous and dandruff-free hair and its mucigenous leaves to shampoo the hair. Chinese have used the flowers to make tea and West Asian countries have used its syrup to flavor sweet dishes.
From adorning the hair of Hawaiian women and the prayer rooms of Indians, the humble red blossom has now set itself to invade the health stores in the West as a natural, heart-friendly food.
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