One of the problems, if you want to call it a problem, of trying new things is that it seems as if everything I try becomes my new favorite thing. Last fall, I signed up to sell Epicure products as an independent consultant, because the overall theme of the company (Good Food, Real Fast) and one product line in particular (Epic Life Collection) fit with my coaching philosophy. (Everyone can make one sustainable change a week, and eating fun, healthy food is one tool that will help!)
Epicure sells a collection of teas, and so far, they’re all delicious. One of my favorites is the Hibiscus Bliss herbal tea. It can be made hot or iced, of course, and it’s a lovely, refreshing drink.
I was talking about the tea with someone and they mentioned hibiscus as being good for digestion. We all know what that means…I had research to do!
First things second. I’ll be referring to it as hibiscus tea. Some people will take issue with this, as for the most part, hibiscus is used in herbal teas that don’t actually have tea leaves from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Well, that’s fine. It’s my blog post and I’m calling it tea.
Some research shows that hibiscus tea can decrease blood pressure. There is inadequate research supporting claims that it decreases cholesterol or helps with kidney or bladder infections, along with being good for colds or constipation or other issues. Research is also incomplete on whether hibiscus tea is beneficial for digestion. It does contain high levels of vitamin C, which can boost your immune system. Drinking it can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Drinking large quantities of it, however, can be problematic and cause liver damage. So don’t drink gallons of it and think you’ll be even better off if you take it in supplement form.
Here’s the thing: as long as you’re not adding sweetener – or at least not adding loads of sugar – any tea is beneficial, because you’re drinking more water! And water is definitely good for you!
Is there a clear consensus on what the benefits are? Not yet! Is it still going to be good for you? Potentially, yes! And it’s delicious!
How do you take your tea? Cheers!