Can Hibiscus Tea Help You To Lose Weight?

The diet and weight loss industry offers thousands of products that promise to help you lose weight without all the effort and discipline of exercise and diet. Hibiscus tea, an herbal remedy for gastric problems, is one such offering. Although it's not a "miracle solution" for weight loss, the tea have some characteristics that may help you with your fat-burning efforts.

Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea is made from the cured, dried and steeped flowers of the hibiscus plant. Because it's not made from the camelia sinensis plant, it's not a true tea like green or black tea. Instead, it's an herbal tea -- a tea made from anything else. The high acid content in hibiscus tea gives it a tart taste.

Diuretic Effects

Hibiscus is a diuretic. Diuretics stimulate your body to urinate more often and in greater volume. If you urinate more, your body retains less water. This means less body volume, which can make you look and feel thinner and cause temporary weight loss because you're carrying less water around. However, these benefits are temporary. They'll go away as soon as you drink enough to restore your normal hydration level.

Fat Processing Effects

Hibiscus contains phaseolamin, a micronutrient that may inhibit your body's ability to absorb fats. According to Dr. Steven Pratt in "The Superfoods Rx," the research about these micronutrients focuses on their effects on cholesterol levels. However, the same mechanic that reduces absorption of fat may also allow you to eat the occasional fatty meal with less weight gain.

Zero Calories

Unsweetened hibiscus tea contains no calories. According to Dr. Melina Jampolis of CNN Health, drinking a zero calorie beverage just before eating will help you eat less during that meal. Jampolis reports that doing this before each meal can mean reducing your calorie intake by more than a pound worth each month. Note, though, that this means drinking the tart hibiscus tea unsweetened -- without adding honey or sugar to balance the acidic taste.

Bottom Line

Hibiscus tea does have some traits that can help your weight loss efforts. However, you would have to drink an enormous amount of hibiscus tea to lose a significant amount of weight. Like other weight loss supplements, the key word is "supplement." It works better as an adjunct to a systematic weight loss program.