Hibiscus tea benefits cannot be overlooked in recent times.
It is commonly known as zobo in Nigeria, and is a very healthy drink that is made from the dried leaves of the edible hibiscus sabdariffa.
It should be the edible one, and not those used for decorative purpose.
Hibiscus tea drink also known as Rozelle drink or Sorrel drink in other parts of the world is really quick to make and it’s one of the drinks consumed the most by Nigerians.
It can be made from the comfort of your own home or bought at a public place.
The disadvantage of buying it outside is that, you never really know how much hygiene the producers of the drink observed while making it.
Except it is a place that you can really vouch for.
Anyways, hibiscus tea drink has a lot of health benefits that you probably didn’t know about and that’s what we will be discussing in this post.
Apart from the zobo leaves, you could also add pineapple, ginger, garlic, orange and any other fruit you’d like to switch up the flavor of the drink.
All of these different ingredients are healthy on their own and together, they provide the drinker with lots of minerals, vitamins, and health benefits.
The Zobo leaves on their own contain nutrients like Vitamin A and Vitamin C which strengthens the immune system. And helps the body fight against disease.
It also contains Vitamin B3 which helps to keep the body organs functioning properly, alongside Sodium, Potassium, and Vitamin B2.
Get Hibiscus Tea: Health Benefits of Zobo Drink (Hibiscus Tea)
Hibiscus Tea May Boost Fertility in Men
In Nigeria, it is popular belief that women are the ones with infertility issues.
People rarely ever point the accusing finger at the man. But the truth is that men too could be responsible for infertility.
Hibiscus tea drink combats this issue by improving the quality of sperm that a man produces.
If the drink is made with ginger, it will increase the chances of a man with infertility issues to impregnate a woman.
Hibiscus Tea May Help Keep Blood Pressure Normal.
The dried hibiscus tea leaves (zobo) has properties that are anti-hypertensive.
The drink also prevents the body from having excess cholesterol (fat).
When the body has excess cholesterol, it starts to form stuff that end up blocking blood vessels or narrowing them..
This could result in high blood pressure or even a heart attack.
Hibiscus Tea May Prevents Diabetes
Diabetes is a health condition where a person has too little insulin in the body or has an abnormal response of the body cells to insulin that is produced.
Either way, the person always has a high sugar level as the cells do not get the signal that insulin sends out to use more sugar.
When making zobo for a diabetic patient, sugar should not be an added ingredient.
Over time, it could help regulate the sugar in the blood by inhibiting the production of amylase.
Which is an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down complex carbohydrates and sugars in the body.
Hibiscus Tea May Prevent Cancer
One of the nutrients that zobo drink is rich in is vitamin C. It is also rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals.
All of which are very active and effective in preventing the body from developing cancer and also fighting cancer.
The drink also helps in boosting the immune system which is also a good thing as it would make the body stronger when it has to fight the cancer disease.
Finally, it also has a lot of Anthocyanins which are anti-cancer compounds that protect the body against cancer of the liver.
Hibiscus Tea May Increase Blood Volume
Recent studies have speculated that Zobo increases the volume of blood in the body.
The blood consists of red blood cells and hemoglobin.
Zobo is very rich in iron which helps in the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin.
Zobo also increases the amount of white blood cells in the body and also glutathione.
This is one super health benefit of drinking hibiscus tea.
Hibiscus Tea May Protect the kidney
Zobo prevents the body from accumulating oxalic acids and uric acids in the kidney.
These acids eventually lead to kidney stones which in turn leads to kidney damage.
Zobo helps reduce the amount of citrate, calcium, potassium, sodium and uric acid in the urine thereby keeping the kidney healthy and improving its functions.
Hibiscus Tea Boosts The Immune System
The more zobo you take, the more vitamin C you supply to your body.
Everybody knows that Vitamin C is one big factor when it comes to deciding how strong your immune system would be.
Vitamin C helps in boosting the body’s immune system making it difficult for you to catch infections or diseases when an epidemic breaks out.
Hibiscus Tea Aids In Weight Loss
Zobo also known as hibiscus tea drink is the drink to take when you are trying to lose weight.
It instantly makes you feel really full and prevents you from eating anymore, thereby controlling your appetite.
It is important to note that you’ll need to avoid the use of sugar and artificial sweeteners in your zobo drink if you want to lose weight.
Hibiscus Tea Strengthens The Bones
In primary school, we were all taught that calcium is responsible for strong bones and teeth.
Well, that knowledge is put to good use here as zobo is very rich in calcium.
When you have a healthy amount of calcium in your body, you will be protected from diseases like osteoporosis.
The calcium gotten from zobo is used by the heart, muscles and teeth to help them function effectively.
Hibiscus Tea Helps Against Cough And Cold.
Like I mentioned earlier, Zobo is very rich in vitamin C.
Vitamin C also helps to protect you against cough, catarrh and cold.
It also helps boost your immune system thereby fortifying your body against infections, flu and other diseases.
If you already have the cough & cold, Zobo will help suppress the symptoms because it has a cooling effect and will help you relax.
CONCLUSION ON BENEFITS OF HIBISCUS TEA.
Zobo is very healthy and is a drink that should be prepared and taken in every home.
Instead of taking a soda or other kinds of sugar filled drinks, zobo would be a better option.
Because as you have clearly seen, hibiscus tea has a lot of health benefits so much so that I wasn’t able to mention all of them in this article.