13 Shocking Benefits and Risks From Hibiscus Tea
I recently discovered hibiscus tea and completely fell in love with it. But unlike other herbal teas, there are both benefits from hibiscus tea and also some risks.
As it turns out, this vibrant coloured tea doesn’t affect everyone the same way. What can be a benefit to some, is actually a risk for others.
I’ll go over everything you should watch out for when drinking hibiscus tea to know whether you should drink it or avoid it altogether.
Not sure how to drink hibiscus tea to add it to your diet? I found these 5 different ways to make hibiscus tea, I’m sure there’s at least one you’ll love!
Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!
Disclaimer! Take Everything With a Grain of Salt
I’m not a doctor! I’m a tea enthusiast that researched the hibiscus tea benefits and risks to share with you. If you have any pre-existing health conditions, or are unsure if you should drink hibiscus tea, I urge you talk to your doctor before trying anything.
It’s also important to note that although hibiscus has been around for centuries, it’s only recently been the subject of scientific study. Because of this, there isn’t as much information out there on hibiscus tea as there is on green, or even black teas.
On top of that, the studies that have been conducted didn’t all involve human trials or even the tea form of the plant. Most of them either use animals or test tubes and are using hibiscus extracts or supplements.
This is just something to keep in mind, as this can still give us a good idea of the potential hibiscus tea benefits and risks.
What Is Hibiscus Tea?
Hibiscus tea comes from steeping the petals of the hibiscus flower. Hibiscus is a flowering plant from the mallow family, found in tropical climates around the world. The flower, and sometimes its leaves, are dried out to use for tea.
When steeped, the water becomes a beautiful, rich, deep red and has a refreshing, tart flavour.
Interested in trying some hibiscus tea, traditional medicinals is my favourite hibiscus tea bag (find it one Amazon).
If you’re interested in buying loose leaf dried hibiscus to steep, you can buy it on Amazon.
What Are The Hibiscus Tea Side Effects?
1. Contains Antioxidants [Benefit]
Out of all herbal teas, hibiscus actually has the highest amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants help repair damaged cells (I talk all about them in my post on how tea can actually help you live longer).
In one study using hibiscus extract on rats, their antioxidants increased and the harmful effects of free radicals were reduced by up to 92%.
Hibiscus also contains a specific type of antioxidant called anthocyanin. This type of antioxidant is also found in berries. It’s what gives them their nice, red colour, and has been linked to reducing your risk of chronic diseases.
Read more about the link between antioxidants and hibiscus.
2. Lowers Blood Pressure [Benefit & Risk]
Studies on hibiscus tea and blood pressure are some of the only ones done with human subjects. Although all the results showed that this plant can indeed help lower high blood pressure, it can also be dangerous to anyone who’s BP is already low.
This applies to those already taking medication to lower blood pressure; avoid hibiscus! You don’t want your blood pressure becoming too low and you risk other side effects (like hallucinations).
3. Lowers Blood Sugar [Benefit & Risk]
Unlike blood pressure studies, there haven’t been any human trials yet for links between blood sugar and hibiscus. These studies were conducted on rats. Nevertheless, they still saw a significant change. In a 2013 rat study with hibiscus extracts, 12% of the diabetic rats saw a decrease in blood glucose. Interestingly, the non-diabetic rats saw no change at all.
They learned that hibiscus tea is a good drink for those with Type2 diabetes to help regulate their blood sugar levels. Just like having low blood pressure, decreasing your blood sugar levels too much comes with its own risks.
Don’t drink it if you’re already taking medication to regulate your blood sugar. And you should also avoid it if you’re having, or recovering from, surgery. Apparently, your blood sugar levels can be hard to control in those situations.
4. Affects Cholesterol [Benefit]
During the blood sugar rat trials, the hibiscus extract also affected the rats’ cholesterol levels. In fact, a lot of people with diabetes also suffer from high blood fat levels (high “bad” cholesterol).
So more studies were done and showed that hibiscus doesn’t just affect cholesterol levels of those with diabetes but even affected those without.
The only odd thing was that each study had different results. In one study, “bad” cholesterol decreased, but in others, it only increased “good” cholesterol and had no effect on the “bad”.
There’s definitely a link between the two, we just don’t know how to get consistent results. More studies need to be done to really figure it out.
5. Benefits Of Hibiscus Tea On Overall Heart Health
Hibiscus does more than lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. If kept at constant low levels, these benefits will lead to better heart health.
It’s important to keep your blood pressure at a stable level because over time high blood pressure can put unnecessary strain on your heart. This weakens it and increases your chances of heart disease.
High blood sugar and fat levels can also lead to stroke and heart disease. So once again, it’s important to regulate.
6. Affects Your Weight [Benefit]
There have been a few trials that found hibiscus affected your weight. It either helped with weight loss or prevented weight gain.
Hibiscus Promotes Weight Loss
A human trial in Taiwan used hibiscus extract for 12 weeks and all subjects saw a change. Results included reduction in overall body weight, body fat, and hip to waist ratio. It turns out hibiscus actually contains a few anti-obesity properties.
Hibiscus activates the AMPK compound which is found in many anti-obesity drugs. Once activated, it stimulates the breakdown of fats.
Hibiscus Can Prevent Weight Gain
We already know that hibiscus lowers your blood sugar, but as a bonus side effect, this actually helps prevents weight gain as well. Low blood sugar decreases your appetite and motivates a healthy metabolism. This stops you from overeating; preventing you from further weight gain.
Hibiscus tea also has zero calories if you don’t add any sweeteners. It makes the perfect thirst-quenching replacement to our beloved sodas and fruit juices and it’s a step up from drinking plain water.
If you can’t drink it without adding a sweetener, try adding a lemon wedge instead! Or see my recipes for how to enjoy hibiscus tea!
7. Induces Menstruation [Benefit & Risk]
Hibiscus also affects estrogen. This means that drinking hibiscus tea can actually induce menstruation. This is one of the examples of a hibiscus tea side effect that is beneficial to some but a risk to others.
For some women, inducing menstruation is a good thing. If you have an irregular cycle it can actually help regulate your period. Or, even if you’re already regular, you can brew a cup of hibiscus tea to help with cramps.
But hibiscus tea risks are high for pregnant women. By inducing menstruation it increases your chance of having a miscarriage. Even if you’re only trying to conceive, it’s still not advised to drink hibiscus tea. It could make your chances of conception a lot harder.
You should also avoid hibiscus if you’re taking any birth control pills or are breastfeeding. Continue reading about the relationship between hibiscus tea and menstruation.
You might also be interested in 4 more teas that are good for your period!
8. AntiBacterial Properties [Benefit]
Hibiscus tea doesn’t just look or taste like cranberry juice, it also has the same healing properties. Like cranberry juice, hibiscus works wonders for getting rid of and preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs).
I won’t go into the details for this one (but you can find more info), or just know that it has anti-bacterial properties!
9. Impacts Your Liver [Benefit & Risk]
There have been some contradicting studies with hibiscus and our liver.
There was a study done using hibiscus extract that showed an improvement on liver steatosis (in other words prevented liver failure)… read more about it.
On top of that, a more recent study from 2022 on rats proved that hibiscus extract improved liver inflammation.
Be careful not to drink too much hibiscus tea. This is one of those examples of everything in moderation. For the most part, hibiscus doesn’t negatively impact your liver. It was shown when taken in high doses, it does have the ability to be hepatotoxic – cause chronic liver damage.
10. Interacts With Medications [Hibiscus Tea Risks]
Because hibiscus is an herb, it can interact with medications, bringing added risks.
The most concerning interaction is with acetaminophen (the active ingredients in Tylenol). There haven’t been enough studies to fully describe the risks yet, but as we now know, both are processed in your liver.
So there are concerns that it could be very toxic. It’s probably best to stay away from mixing Tylenol and hibiscus.
And as I said before, don’t drink hibiscus tea if you’re on medication for blood pressure or blood sugar. The combination of both can lower either one too much.
11. Cancer Preventing Compounds [Benefit]
There have been several studies now using hibiscus extract for it’s anti-cancer properties. That’s because among the compounds in hibiscus tea are polyphenols.
Polyphenols have been shown to lower the risk of certain cancers. On top of that, it can even be used to treat certain cancers.
So, if hibiscus contains this compound, it’s no surprise that this flower can also be pretty powerful in the anti-cancer realm as well! There was already a study with hibiscus extract that show it impaired cell growth.
It’s of course still being researched, it’s believed that hibiscus might be able to be used as an herbal supplement for cancer prevention and treatment.
12. Anti-Xerostomic Properties [Benefit]
Xerostomia is a fancy way to say you have a dry mouth. Cancer patients will often suffer from this due to radiation therapy or other medications.
There was a study using hibiscus tablets that showed a 27% increase in saliva production when it was radiation induced xerostomia.
13. Antianemic Properties – Hibiscus Boosts Your Iron [Benefit]
Anemia is when you are iron deficient. So to have antianemic properties means hibiscus tea can boost your iron levels!
This was actually found from a study in 2016 that actually used a drink made with a hibiscus powder. Subjects found an increase in serum iron – among other benefits.
Does Hibiscus Tea Cause Hallucinations?
There have been some reports of people claiming to feel woozy after drinking hibiscus tea. It’s happened often enough that the terms ‘hibiscus drunk‘ and ‘hibiscus intoxication‘ have been created.
To date, there is no scientific evidence of hibiscus tea side effects making people drunk and/or causing hallucinations.
A common theory for why ‘hibiscus intoxication’ happens is that it’s result of peoples’ blood pressure becoming too low. As I mentioned, hibiscus tea is known for lowering your blood pressure.
When your blood pressure becomes too low, this can lead you to feeling light headed, and well, drunk, and possibly hallucinating.
How Much Hibiscus Tea Can You Drink?
If you’re not at risk health wise by drinking hibiscus tea, it’s still best not to overdo it. There still isn’t enough research done on hibiscus tea, so it’s recommended to limit your consumption to 2-3 cups per day.
So are you going to take the hibiscus tea plunge? Buy loose leaf Hibiscus tea or tea bags today!
What You’ll Need To Make Hibiscus Tea At Home (Amazon)
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Last update on 2026-08-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Este artigo é excelente. Muito bom mesmo!
good tea , tastes good , perhaps can fight the bacteria and viruses in body(acidic) or floating in air, overall it’s good .
I am breastfeeding a baby can i take hibiscus tea I have bp.another question is this, is it good to use dry one a the type they use in making zobo
Hi Ovuoba,
I would speak to your GP before drinking hibiscus tea, it may have side effects for breastfeeding and I’m not a medical professional to properly advise you on what to do. In terms of Zobo, I believe they use loose leaf dried hibiscus petals and that’s what I use for tea (although I’ve never made or tried zobo before, but it sounds delicious)
About 3 years ago I was drinking hibiscus daily not knowing the benefits of the tea just liking the taste and sure enough I lost 60 pounds and my blood pressure became normal again and it disolved kidney stones that I had. Its absolutely marvelous. I’m in the 300 club again with my weight so yesterday I started the hibiscus again. I am a diabetic and I like sweets so I sweetened mine with agave but I still lost the weight about a half a pound a day and some days as much as a whole pound daily.
Hi Dinah,
That’s AMAZING to hear! I’m so happy for you 😀 😀 I love when you enjoy drinking tea that the added side effects become such a nice bonus. I add honey to sweeten mine, I’ll have to try adding agave one day!
Thanks for sharing! Just curious, what time of the day did you consume hibiscus tea?
I am on day 2 with the hibiscus tea, take 1 in the morning and 1 before bedtime. I know its soon to tell, but feeling somewhat more energized and have been going more regular to the loo.
I started taking it since my Dr mentioned my blood pressure being on the upside lately, so before he decides to put me on chronic meds, I decided to start drinking the tea and eating more healthy.
Will check my blood pressure again in a week or 2 and see the results.
Very excited for you! I hope it works and you can avoid any serious meds 😀
I am so glad i came across this post. I have been taking hibiscus tea for some days now and was wondering why my period had repeated just after 1 week. Could this be an effect of the hibiscus?
Hibiscus tea can definitely induce menstruation, but I’d talk to your doctor!
This is a very very informative and am glad i stopped by to read. thank you
Thanks so much! Glad to hear that 😀
I have started taking hibiscus tea as I have mild BP. I am on medication as well but have started to reduce the medicine doses and keeping track of my readings everyday. I am loving what benefits this ancient herb brings, I m hoping it can help me off the medications in coming months.
Wow that’s so great to hear! Go hibiscus tea!!
I enjoyed reading this article on Hibiscus Tea. I was shopping on the season aisle in the market and saw this tea 🍵. I am an adventurous tea drinker and enjoy 😊 tea drinking in addition to the benefits. I decided to try this one. I am drinking my 1st cup and said let me research Google and your article appeared. After reading article and comments, I like to say a BIG THANK YOU for your time and research on providing this information ℹ️. Have a great day!!!
Hi Alfreda,
Thanks so much! I really hope you like hibiscus tea and can benefit from drinking it 😀
Can I conceive on hebiscus?
Hi Rosemary,
I would avoid hibiscus if you’re trying to conceive as it has been known to induce menstruation (causing a miscarriage).
Wow!!! 10th wonder!! The tea made sleep easily and induced my periods. Thank you for this info. I love the tea!!!!
😀 😀 SO GLAD TO HEAR THAT! I love hearing success hibiscus tea stories!
It helps me sleep but can it affect short term memory?
I don’t think so, I haven’t heard of any studies that looked at this thoroughly though.
I am taking medication for my blood pressure but it does not control it very well. Can drinking Hisbuis Tea help bring it down. I am taking four different medications for my blood pressure and it is still not fully stable.
Hibiscus tea has been known to bring down blood pressure, but I’m not a medical doctor so I can’t really advise on what to do. You should talk to your doctor about hibiscus tea before trying it.
I was just wondering I have high blood pressure and I take three different kinds of pills to try and control it but it’s still not being controlled would it be okay to drink more of the hibiscus? I am currently on 200 mg of metoprolol a day and 10 mg of Lisinopril a day as well as lasix 20 mg a day.
I don’t know why they’re not upping my blood pressure medication but every time I go in my blood pressure is high. It makes me feel really crappy. I get pressure headaches and I feel dizzy so I think it’s still too high for my body so should I start drinking hibiscus everyday and also should I drink four cups?
Ty,
Cat
I’m really sorry to hear that 🙁 I’m not a medical professional so I don’t know how it would react with your medications, but you don’t want your blood pressure going too low. I would speak to your doctor first.
Sorry to hear you are having such a bad time trying to find a solution…
Heres some other things you can try….whilst using Hibiscus
Olive leaf extract ( Swanson) this is my favourite,
Raw Garlic (chew one clove twice a day or add to food)
Beetroot juice
Do not stop your medication, just use these remedies until you notice improvement then with your doctors help reduce your medication slowly over a peroid of time…best wishes.
Hi Cat. You may be getting “white coat” syndrome when you get your blood pressure checked at the doctors. I get white coat and whenever a doctor takes my BP it goes through the roof. I now take my own BP on arm monitor and it seems to be fine most of the time. Maybe do this and then show the doctor your own readings then you can reduce your meds or come off altogether. I self medicate with magnesium and Co Q 10. I drink hibiscus tea twice a day too. Hope that is helpful and good luck with your BP. Doctors are not always right and just want to get onto the next patient …
you got that right! job security! thats what they call it.
Try hibiscus tea, it will do the magic, I used it to control my blood pressure , drink it on empty stomach every morning, and the in the afternoon as a beverage and before you go to bed in the evening. It is advisable you hold on with your BP medication for a while when you are on hibiscus🌺tea. Because there is a likelihood that it might lower your blood pressure it beyond your expectation and cause lower blood pressure, so don’t mix the 2
Hi,
Yes! Very important NOT to mix hibiscus with blood pressure medication otherwise you risk your blood pressure getting too low.
Dear Cat,
I’m not a doctor but my Mom’s BP goes high up when she goes to the doctor and otherwise is fine. It could be anxiety or nervousness. The doctor’s office also doesn’t take proper readings depending on who’s taking her BP, some just grab her after walking in to the office (activity)
instead of resting, calming down, deep breaths…some put the cuff over all her clothing and listen with their ears (human error potential)…my dad bought a digital BP for home, monitor my Mom’s and his BP, her’s is fine at home taken proper but at least they could compare with doctor office readings…now my dad is a retired surgeon but the instructions are in the box. Exercise is important in helping us all…I think we’ve all learned exercise the wrong way in school to where some of us hate exercise. I had one PE teacher in grade school have us play dodge ball only, you bet the boys were trying to hit everyone in the face! It’s tough now. To get back into exercise but there are real health benefits—- one of them is lowering or keep stable our BP, just check with your doctor(s) if doing exercise and maybe which ones are good for you! I stumbled on this article just now, I had heard hibiscus was good for us, someone had made it as a punch recipe, so I got interested in finding out more. Wish you all the very best!
Hi Gina,
Thanks so much for your helpful comment, these seem like great tips 😀
Thank You Meghan,
I am on that journey now to developing good fitness exercise and right foods in moderation to keeping healthy as I age. Nice to age but I want to do it well. Even walking is probably the best on moving around, gentle fitness, keeping active but the amount of time doing so and how often matters instead of being on the couch or at the office computer for long hours. The activity, if possible outdoors is even healthy for our mental state, but must not be plugged into our phones or we miss our footing and tumble over if you know what I mean. I do want to keep what I have as long as I am able! Many doctors just want to prescribe pills without prescribing the exercise fitness…so I had better not sit still! In middle school, the PE teacher made us run around the parking lot in the heat of the day after lunch, I hated fitness, who wouldn’t right? All I wanted to do was throw up my lunch! Thank You for your article on hibiscus tea, I enjoyed it. I also found out many other foods can also help lower our blood pressure but I think the exercise and right foods in the right balance will help big time! When we were younger, our bodies could take in more and recover quickly. Now we have to get the right balance in everything including sleep to remain healthy as possible! Always good, to treat ourselves and others best as we can!
Hi Gina,
I couldn’t agree more 😀 I was definitely not the most active kid in gym class – mainly because of the activities they did (hated running laps!) but now I found what works for me and drinking healthy tea and eating right just helps you feel so good that you want to keep it up!
Since I started taking hibiscus teach regularly my blood pleasure has remain stable. Thanks for the information
That’s so great to hear! So happy for you 🙂 🙂
I want to conceive can I use hebiscus?
Hi Rosemary, because hibiscus is known for inducing menstruation it can also lead to miscarriages. Because of that, I would avoid hibiscus if possible while trying to conceive.
Hibiscus has helped me lose weight! I do add monkfruit sweetener to sweeten a little so it won’t be so tart.
Hi Danette,
That’s great! I’ve never heard of monkfruit sweetener before, I’ll have to give it a try!
I too put monkfruit sweetener in my hibiscus tea. It’s so refreshing!
It also helps me curb my appetite.
It’s highly dangerous to use hibiscus while you are trying to conceive, it could lead to miscarriage. I recommend you avoid it.
Great Resource!
It has greatly helped me with weight management. Thanks for th post
Glad to hear that 🙂 Hibiscus tea is amazing!
Hibiscus tea kept me from being put on meds for high blood pressure… worked wonderfully…
That’s amazing! I’m so glad to hear that 🙂
In jordan we put lose hibiscus in a pot and pour boiled water from the kettle over it. We find drink it too sweet, just enough sweet to still enjoy a slight tartness. We add a dash of rose water which enhances the flavor dramatically. Some drink it from the fridge, I drink it room temp from the stove top.
Hi Ayah,
That’s really interesting to know, thanks so much for sharing! I’ll definitely have to get my hands on some rose water now and try that out – sounds delicious!
Hello. I just posted rather larger post and I cannot find a way to edit it. I made a typo error-wrote that 1/2 a litre =1 quart…..It need to be repaired, because it is about 1/2 of the quart…..
I noticed only after posting…..
Sorry
Jiri
I love the taste
..so addictive
Yess! Once you get used to the tartness it can be quite refreshing!
Hows the BP and Hibiscus tea regiment going ?
It’s a wonderful tea I have ever drank. It lowers excess sugar, and high blood pressure. I feel refreshed each time I drink it.
🙂 Glad to hear you love it! Hibiscus tea has so many health benefits!
I am now trying because my BP is very high all of a sudden and I DNT want to be kept on any BP drug. I pray I get my testimony too. Hibiscus tea! Here I come
Good luck! I hope so too!!
Whoa! I had no idea that hibiscus tea had risks and benefits. I thought it was probably the least powerful herb in my basket. WRONG!! I stumbled upon this article when looking for why I started my period after 8 long months without one. A recent blood test confirmed (near zero estrogen) I’m going through menopause at age 45. I had one cup of diluted Jamaican Dr. Juan’s hibiscus tea and began spotting 12 hours later. Yikes. That’s some powerful stuff!!
Hi Ginger, That’s INCREDIBLE to hear! I’m so happy for you and hope hibiscus tea continues to help!
You may want to check with your doctor to rule out another cause.
Mercy, I would like to do the same. Can I ask… will you come off your meds for bp?…
Am interested in growing the plant. Where do I start?
Hi James,
I have the furthest thing from a green thumb XD I would check the climate where you live first to see if the plant could survive!
I cannot find a way to add my comment to your page other then a reply to existing comments.
Anyway I am a 70 plus years old man. Retired on coast of Spain. I have a Hibiscus in my front yard (Red yellow and white). I collect the flowers and dry them for the tea. The water (as in most anywhere in the world) is slightly alcaline. Thus my tea comes like dirty blue color. But it is a only a matter of ph (alcalinity/acidity). I simply add a pinch of citric acid crystals and it turns bright red. (gradually, going from pink to darker red as it leaches out of the flowers witht the hot water). Of course the yellow and white flowers do not have the red coloring, but I believe it has the elements which affects hormons (i think it is actually the flower hormons, which do that….as it has male and female hormones).
Anyway, it definitely lowers my blood pressure. I do 3 entire flowers for big cup of water(about 1/2 liter = about 1 quart). If I drink 3 of these cups a day, which means 9 entire flowers my BP stays around 74-80. Depends what do I eat and how much.
I only started in middle of June 2022. Before that my Diastolic BP was most of the time around 106, which was quite hi. This problem was bothering me for at least 10 years…but more like 15 or so. I used to do road cycling here localy with a group of professionals and semiprofessionals, doing 3x a week about 100 to 150km on average, It helped me to lower the pression somewhat for a day or two and it went up again…perhaps because I was overeating as I needed calories. But 3 years ago had a problem with the veins and I cannot cycle more then 20-30 km on flat road, because my affected leg(DVT) swells and hurts…. The pressure was up all the time,sometimes going up over 106. But since I started the Hibiscus tea, it has fallen down. Sometimes I drink only a 1 cup a day, but supplement with 850 mg of Metformin…. I seem to loose muscle mass, but do not know about fat…thugh on the other hand….when I do my 20 mile bike rides in the hills it seems to work a lot better and I can actually push it to the limit, which I used to make when I was in form…. I am still very short time into it as it is only a middle of September 2022. Cannot say I lost weight, but it might be because I started to bike more intensively and also intermittendly walk/run 5 km every other day…..that might be increasing my legs muscle mass…. It will continue for 6 months in total and then I will be clensing my body, from the effects of these flowers, to see the difference.
Thanks for this thorough run down of hibiscus tea! I feel like the West is obsessed with this plant but it is important to know that there can be risks associated with a super flowers like this. Also: I did not know there was a chance it could induce menstruation – I am 100% down for that!
No problem glad I could add some insight! But ya it’s kind of crazy what this flower can do!
I purchased a bag of loose hibiscus flowers from an Egypt market a few years ago, long before I discovered I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I made hibiscus tea when I got home and almost instantly upon drinking it I felt very dizzy and like passing out, it was a very worrying experience especially when a simple flower tea can have that effect.
Hi Denise,
That is definitely very worrying. Tea can react differently with different people so not everyone will have the same experience with hibiscus tea. At least it was nothing worse and now you can stay far away from this flower