When the kidneys are in pain, the whole organism is out of balance. Hibiscus helps remove excess water from the body. It also solves the problems of tissue swelling in the legs, feet and ankles. We tell you more about all the benefits of hibiscus.
The hibiscus is an annual flowering plant that has about a hundred species . It is part of the Malvaceae family. Its color varies from red to purple with monochrome or two-tone flowers.
The best known is the hibiscus sabdariffa (also called guinea sorrel) often used to prepare herbal teas. It is an African medicinal plant that contains organic acids, flavonoids, mucilage, vitamin C, and anthocyanoside (the compound that gives hibiscus flowers the red tint). All these constituents obviously confer multiple benefits to the hibiscus.
The benefits of hibiscus
Among the benefits of hibiscus, it has been shown to be an excellent diuretic. It activates the functioning of the kidneys and promotes their purification. Hibiscus juice will act as a stimulant on the body’s urinary elimination functions.
This process also helps eliminate toxins from the body, which helps prevent certain diseases. Hibiscus, thanks to its diuretic properties, helps fight against compounds that promote the formation of kidney stones.
The other benefits of hibiscus are multiple:
- Hibiscus is a real remedy against fatigue and effectively fights against bad cholesterol.
- It is a powerful anti-inflammatory for the respiratory tract and a good urinary antiseptic.
- Hibiscus flowers remedy menstrual pain.
- It is used to solve the problems of hypertension, because its flowers have the ability to lower blood pressure. Hibiscus therefore prevents cardiovascular disease.
- It acts on gastrointestinal spasms and relieves stomach pain. It facilitates digestion and soothes dysentery disorders.
- Hibiscus can be used on the skin to alleviate the problems of edema, eczema, dermatosis and also abscesses.
- On the hair, it treats dandruff.
How to get the benefits of hibiscus?
We can consume hibiscus in herbal tea:
- Heat the water until it boils then add it to the hibiscus,
- Leave to infuse for about 30 minutes,
- Filter with a colander.
You can drink a cup three times a day in case of hypertension for 4 weeks. For other types of treatment, we recommend that you seek direct advice from a pharmacist. There are also food supplements based on the active ingredients of hibiscus, in liquid version or in capsules.
Precautions for use and side effects
There are many varieties of hibiscus, however only hibiscus sabdariffa is non-toxic to the body. It is recommended to regularly check your blood pressure in case of hypertension treatment, so as not to cause the opposite effect.
If the hibiscus infusion is taken in very large amounts, it can be harmful to the liver . It is not recommended for pregnant women because it can cause the onset of menstruation and can even cause premature births.
Hibiscus syrup recipe
Ingredients for 75 cl of syrup :
- 700 g sugar
- 70 cl of water
- the juice of a lemon
- 50 g of hibiscus flowers
Preparation :
Rinse the hibiscus flowers, squeeze the lemon and put everything in the saucepan with the sugar and water. Place the saucepan on the heat at minimum stirring slowly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture begins to boil, continue stirring constantly for about ten minutes.
Turn off the heat and let stand 10 minutes while stirring. Filter then put in bottles. You can decorate desserts and cocktails with this really delicious syrup, it will work wonders in cottage cheese or yogurt, but also in apple sauce.
