tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825055425170299721.post1746496912493650917..comments2024-03-20T16:34:04.414-04:00Comments on Alex Zorach's Tea Blog: Hibiscus Tea (Roselle) - Flor de Jamaica & Lowering Blood PressureAlex Zorachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08335878680429494039noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825055425170299721.post-80769582652978804342016-07-25T20:12:04.653-04:002016-07-25T20:12:04.653-04:00The photo isn't me, but...no, unfortunately, I...The photo isn't me, but...no, unfortunately, I don't have access to these plants. Where I live, though, there are native hibiscus plants (not the ones here), Hibiscus laevis. I don't know if they can be used in tea, but they're native, and very beautiful. They grow only in wetlands and you can only grow them in a garden if you have wet conditions.Alex Zorachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08335878680429494039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825055425170299721.post-74298470677477234262015-03-19T17:39:22.046-04:002015-03-19T17:39:22.046-04:00Alex, I love hibiscus, commonly called sorrel in J...Alex, I love hibiscus, commonly called sorrel in Jamaica.<br />I would love to be able to have seeds to the "white" one you are holding in your hand.<br />Do you still have access to the plant?<br />Donna Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05088931645240387229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825055425170299721.post-56160115313915854752015-03-19T17:34:00.731-04:002015-03-19T17:34:00.731-04:00Hi Alex, I know this is an old post. In your hand ...Hi Alex, I know this is an old post. In your hand you are holding two hibiscus roselles.<br />i am interested in acquiring the 'white' one. <br />Do you still have access to the plant?<br /><br />Dawn<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05088931645240387229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825055425170299721.post-87349250956812401532012-01-26T09:41:51.203-05:002012-01-26T09:41:51.203-05:00Trader Joe's actually has a history of discont...Trader Joe's actually has a history of discontinuing many of my favorite products. Fortunately though, they added back their 70% cocoa-content pound plus (500g) bar of chocolate, only a few months after discontinuing it in a local store here. I told the people that it was a major draw to the store (which was true). But they've also discontinued a type of beer, type of shampoo, tangerine juice, and a wide variety of other things that I used to buy regularly and in quantity. But that's a bit irrelevant!Alex Zorachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08335878680429494039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825055425170299721.post-59799315633979694632012-01-25T18:13:57.055-05:002012-01-25T18:13:57.055-05:00I love hibiscus. I don't make it at home thoug...I love hibiscus. I don't make it at home though. As healthy as it is, I assume a lot of sugar should be added to make it tasty. I used to love a sugar preserved hibiscus snack from Trader Joe's. Too bad they discontinued it!Gingkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00717840609096741544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825055425170299721.post-6398926008307623982011-11-22T23:35:45.641-05:002011-11-22T23:35:45.641-05:00The articles cited on that page establish clinical...The articles cited on that page establish clinically-significant efficacy, although lower than the stronger, modern drugs. For example, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract was found equally effective as Captopril. Captopril is a relatively old drug, and is now in use mainly because its patent has expired and it is available as a generic, but it also has common side-effects. It seems pretty common sense that, given the outcome of that one study, hibiscus is likely to be a much safer alternative for people who would be on that particular medication, or for people who take it but have had an adverse reaction.<br /><br />Also, when I said "before", I was thinking along the lines of the first study cited, in which hibiscus tea (not an extract) was found to produce a change in mildly hypertensive or pre-hypertensive people.<br /><br />I do not consider self-treatment as a substitute for professional medical advice when people face serious life-threatening conditions, but I do want to encourage people to consider adding this beverage to their toolbox. Most cases of hypertension in America are cases of mild, chronic hypertension caused by lifestyle factors. And I do think that, in general, many doctors in America are too quick to push pills, and many patients too quick to pop pills, when they are not always necessary and are not always the safest result.<br /><br />Perhaps in the end it is all a moot point...when I really think hard about hypertension, I think a bigger issue is diet, lifestyle, and stress level. But that's a whole other beast. I merely wanted to write a post about this particular herb, as I found it interesting how strong the scientific evidence was, from the few studies that have been done on it. Many herbs have only weakly suggestive or inconclusive evidence supporting their use. Here, the evidence of an effect is very solid. And who knows, with further research, if hibiscus could be developed into a more potent treatment...if it is truly 100% tolerable at the doses used, and if it has a dose-dependent effect, then there's potential for greater efficacy.Alex Zorachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08335878680429494039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825055425170299721.post-47413443116972000552011-11-22T21:14:38.158-05:002011-11-22T21:14:38.158-05:00I'm an oddball - I like the flavor of hibiscus...I'm an oddball - I like the flavor of hibiscus steeped on it's own. It's like a fruit stew. I don't particularly enjoy it in blends because it tends to overpower everything. It's better as one ingredient.<br /><br />As for the other question, there's something important that struck me:<br /><br />First, the studies you reference on the other site that you're saying support hibiscus actually are referring to "tolerance" as the aspect where it excels - that's a different medical concept than efficacy. Naturally-occuring compounds will of course be better tolerated (which simply means they produce less side effects) - but if someone's blood pressure is not under good control, it can be dangerous to recommend someone delay using a prescribed medication.<br /><br />Lisinopril is mentioned in the other article as the drug that was shown to still be more effective - but people may or may not be aware that Lisinopril uses a natural ingredient as well - snake venom. The same ingredient that stops the mouse's heart when the snake bites down, just in a much more diluted form, it de-constricts the vessels quickly. If someone's battling chronic high blood pressure, they need the fast-acting efficacy of a med like Lisinopril.<br /><br />To illustrate the same idea: Asthmatics were precribed coffee as a treatment at the turn of the 20th century because the caffeine caused an adrenaline rush to help delay the air sacs from constricting, but caffeine leaves the body very quickly so it wasn't a cure. Over time, they've developed steroids and bronchodilators that do a better job of sustaining that effect and keeping people feeling better long-term.<br /><br />Hibiscus may have a mild effect on blood pressure, but it's my understanding that you would have to be drinking it continuously over 24 hours in order for it to be a real "treatment" of any sort, even mildly.<br /><br />Bottom line - it's not really a question of using it "before" or "in lieu" of a properly presribed medication - hibiscus can be enjoyed as a complement to it. The risks of not getting hypertension treated sustainably are more serious than the headache or fainting side effects that might happen with Lisinopril.<br /><br />Very nice article - thought-provoking!latteteadahhttp://latteteadah.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com