The Benefits Of Hibiscus & Rosehips Tea

Herbal teas may not contain tea at all, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA. Instead, they are infusions of plant products and hot water. Berries, leaves, roots and stems may all be used to make an herbal tea. A common herbal combination is hibiscus and rose hips. The two flavors complement each other because rose hips are slightly tart, and hibiscus offers a sweet lemon flavor. Hibiscus rose hip tea delivers numerous health benefits, along with a good flavor.

Blood Pressure Benefits

The hibiscus fraction of the tea mixture has been found to have positive effects on lowering blood pressure, according to the February 2010 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition." Researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston gave patients with mild hypertension hibiscus tea for 6 weeks. At the end of the 6 weeks, blood pressure readings were significantly lower than they were at the beginning of the study. The researchers concluded that hibiscus tea should be incorporated into the daily diets of those who struggle with mild high blood pressure.

Arthritis Benefits

If you have arthritis pain, sipping a cup of hibiscus rose hip tea may offer some relief. When researchers in the United Kingdom examined the effects of several alternative therapies against arthritis, they found that rose hips were one herbal therapy that was effective. Published in the May 2011 issue of "Rheumatology," their research also claims that neither rose hips nor the other plants had negative side effects. The March 2010 issue of "Phytomedicine" states that hibiscus contains anthocyanins and acids that help fight inflammation. This aids in the treatment of arthritis because arthritis is an inflammatory disease.

Cancer Benefits

The same anthocyanins that give hibiscus its anti-inflammatory properties give it anti-cancer properties as well. The March 2011 issue of "Current Medicinal Chemistry" states that hibiscus has been found to initiate cancer cell death in various cancer cell lines, including leukemia and gastric cancer. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York reports that rose hips contain lycopene, an antioxidant compound reported to be effective against prostate, breast, stomach, colon and lung cancers.

Cholesterol Benefits

Both hibiscus and rose hips have a cholesterol-lowering effect. The August 2009 "Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine" reports that hibiscus significantly increases high-density lipoprotein -- HDL or "good" -- cholesterol levels while lowering low-density -- LDL or "bad" -- cholesterol levels and triglycerides. Likewise, the January 2011 issue of the "American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism," or APJEM, states that rose hips cause a significant decrease in total cholesterol levels and the spread between bad cholesterol and good cholesterol.

Diabetes Benefits

The same properties that make rose hips beneficial against cholesterol make it effective in treating diabetes. The "AJPEM" study that notes rose hips' cholesterol-lowering effects explains that they also prevent and reverse weight gain in rats fed high fat diets and that supplementing with rose hips can reduce your risk of developing diabetes.