Fountain of youth found in this one remarkable plant!
Did you guess it’s Hibiscus?!
This beautiful flowering plant is part of the mallow family.
Full of minerals and vitamins, humans have been using the calyces, flowers, leaves shoots and seeds for roughly 6000 yrs for food and medicine.
Hibiscus is muciligenic in nature, and is used effectively as a demulcent. Full of antioxidants, phytonutrients, protocatechuic acid, anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acid.
Hibiscus has been used to effectively treat gout (7),
reduce blood pressure (1),
reverse cardiovascular disease and lower cholesterol (2)
Reduce urease causing bacteria (3)
Anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic (4)
Balances blood sugar levels (5)
Used for chronic cough, kidney stones (3), hemerrhoids, and as a diuretic.
In skin care Hibiscus is used to calm inflammations, clear up acne, reduce fine lines and wrinkles due to its highly concentrated amount of antioxidants. Hibiscus is Full of Alpha Hydroxy acids (AHA) for plumping the skin, aiding in healthy cellular turnover, increased collagen production, for smooth youthful skin, increasing elasticity and strength,
Hibiscus has naturally occurring saponins which will bind with oil and dirt to cleanse the skin.
Internally Hibiscus has a tart flavor due to its high vitamin C content.
It’s generally used ground up, or in tea form, I like to use it powdered in skin care applications.
Hibiscus has been show to effectively reduce the effects of oxidative stress. (9)
It’s safe to say it would a great idea to start using Hibiscus internally as well as externally.
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Try this recipe for hibiscus tea here, try my favorite online resource for hibiscus here.
Reference;
(7) Science Direct
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/hibiscus
(8) herbal gram
http://cms.herbalgram.org/commissione/Monographs/Monograph0199.html
(9)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321750253_EFFECT_OF_DIFFERENT_HIBISCUS_SABDARIFFA_EXTRACTS_ON_GLUTATHIONE_AND_ITS_RELATED_ENZYMES_IN_MAMMALIAN_LUNG_TISSUE_AND_CULTURE_CELLS_UNDER_INDUCED_OXIDATIVE_STRESS