Hibiscus Fact Sheet

In this Article (Index)

• Hibiscus
• Hibiscus Tea
• Hibiscus: Nutritional Values
• Phytochemicals in Hibiscus
• Health Benefits
• Improves Physical Fitness
• Anti-inflammatory Activity
• Alzheimer's Disease Benefits
• Cognitive Function Promoter
• Lowers Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels
• Anti-Diabetic Properties
• Weight Loss
• Closing Comments

Hibiscus

Hibiscus, also known as Red rosewood, or Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), belongs to the mallow, or Malvaceae family. The plant is native to Western Africa, and it was dispersed to the West Indies with the slave trade in the 1600s. Nowadays, it is cultivated across the world's tropical regions.

In America, its name is Florida Cranberry or Jamaica sorrel; in Latin America, it is called Flor de Jamaica (Jamaica Flower).

A well-known member of the Hibiscus family is the Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis, better known as Chinese hibiscus, China rose, or Hawaiian hibiscus.

It is an annual bush-like plant that can reach a height of 6 or 7 feet (2 m). It is cultivated for its flowers, namely the dark-red calyces that surround the fruit. Which are dried.

It is also consumed as a fresh fruit. Hibiscus petals (calyces) and also the plant's leaves are used in different types of food in India and Southeast Asia.

Hibiscus Tea

The basic tea originated in the West Indies. Hibiscus tea is made by boiling fresh, frozen, or dried roselle fruits or calyces of the hibiscus flower in water. Ginger, cloves, and bay leaves are also added to the boiling infusion. This caffeine-free herbal drink is served cold or chilled. This beverage is known in the U.S. as sorrel or jamaica and in the West Indies as bisap. In Latin America, its name is Agua Fresca or Agua de Jamaica. It is taken straight, mixed with fruit juice, with or without sugar.

Best Brewing: Tips

As we will see in the following sections, hibiscus contains many bioactive compounds. These are released as the roselle infusion brews. A study (2) evaluated the optimal conditions for hibiscus tea-making: dried hibiscus roselles should be brewed for 30 minutes using hot, but not boiling, water at 90°deg;C (194°F) using a water to hibiscus roselles ratio of 1:10, this will "produce Roselle tea with the highest content of beneficial ingredients."

Hibiscus: Nutritional Values

Nutritional Values

The USDA data for "Beverages, tea, hibiscus, brewed", gives the following information per 100 g of infusion (3.5 oz.)

No Caffeine

Hibiscus tea does not contain caffeine or theobromine, an alkaloid found in chocolate.

Phytochemicals in Hibiscus

Hibiscus has a potent combination of bioactive plant chemicals that cover a wide range of phytochemicals(2)

• Anthocyanins, like delphinidin-3-sambubioside cyanidin-3-sambubioside.
• Flavonoids, including quercetin, hibiscetin, luteolin, sabdaritrin, and gossypitrin.
• Phenolic Acids, such as chlorogenic, protocatechuic and caffeic acids.
• Tannins
• Non-phenolic acids, malic, ascorbic, oxalic, succinic, citric, arachidic and hibiscus acids among others.
• Triterpenoids, like &alpha-amyrin, and lupeol.

Hibiscus contains 26.44 mg+l of anthocyanin. (4)

There are natural sugars (polysaccharides) like galactose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose, arabinose, glucose, mannose, xylose, and also pectins.

Minerals in hibiscus include calcium, magnesium, iron, and other trace elements, as well as vitamins (3)

Health Benefits

Let's explore the health benefits of Hibiscus.

• Improves Physical Fitness
• Anti-inflammatory Activity
• Alzheimer's Disease Benefits
• Cognitive Function Promoter
• Lowers Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels
• Anti-Diabetic Properties
• Weight Loss

Improves Physical Fitness

A study conducted in 2024(4) followed 30 subjects over one month, with weekly evaluation of their physical fitness. Each participant consumed 200 ml (7 oz) of roselle calyces tea every morning and evening. The evaluation included strength, balance, right and left hand grip, vertical jump and VO2max (maximum oxygen consumption). The study confirmed that hibiscus tea improved these parameters.

"The results showed significant improvements in strength (from 24.9 to 27.3 kg), balance (from 23.3 to 42.2 sec), right (from 31.8 to 35.1 kg) and left hand grip (from 29.8 to 31.6 kg), vertical jump (from 38.6 to 41.1 m+sec) and VO2max (from 31.1 to 34.3 ml+kg+min). This demonstrated that roselle significantly improved six parameters of physical fitness and may be used as a supplement to improve physical fitness without severe side effects."

Anti-inflammatory Activity

A statistical review of studies by Nogueira de Cruz, et al., (2025) (5) investigted the anti-inflammatory properties of hibiscus and its bioactive compounds.

The different phytochemicals found in hibiscus combine and exert multiple interactions with different targets within the body to produce anti-inflammatory effects. The polyphenols and flavonoids play an important role in mediating inflammation. The study concluded that "analysis of the data revealed benefits in the use of the plant in several pathologies, including degenerative diseases, sepsis, neoplasms, intestinal dysfunctions, and atherosclerosis. Above all, the robust evidence of anti-inflammatory properties, widely investigated in the therapeutic context, stands out."

Alzheimer's Disease Benefits

Hibiscus may act as a neuroprotective agent to prevent Alzheimer's disease in mice (El-Shiekh et al. 2020). (6)

Considering that hibiscus has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial properties, and that some studies suggest it has sedative, antioxidant and neuroprotective activities, this study focused on its neuroprotective effects in mice. It found that anthocyanin-enriched extract from hibiscus, with antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity showed promising results: "Hibiscus prevented memory impairment, and this could be attributed to the amelioration of STZ-induced neuroinflammation and amyloidogenesis. Consequently, Hibiscus represents a promising safe agent that can be repurposed for AD through exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-acetylcholinesterase, antioxidant, and anti-amyloidogenic activities."

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter that which regulates signals between the brain and muscles and also modulates mood, arousal and memoru. The effect of hibiscus by inhibiting aetylcholinesterase, prevents the action of an enzyme (acetylcholinesterase) from breaking down ACh, maintaining its role in cognitive funcitons.

Anti-amyloidogenic activities refer to preventing the formaiton of amyloids, clumps of protein that are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Cognitive Function Promoter

A recent randomized study conducted in 2025 (7) evaluated the effects of hibiscus in a group of 20 obese subjects who either drank a hibiscus beverage or a placebo together with a high carbohydrate breakfast. The blood sugar levels and cognitive fitness were evaluated following a w-hour wait.

Those who consumed hibiscus showed a lower glucose spike compared to the placebo group. They also had a higher word recall score on a visual verbal learning test, as well as better "retroactive interference" (a test that shows that newly learned information interfered less with the recall of previously learned information). Cognitive tests also showed some improvements in executive function and pattern separation tests.

hibiscus consumption moderately affects aspects of memory and executive function, coupled with beneficial effects on postprandial glucose response. Ellis, L., Aragón-Rojas, S., Dye, L., & Boesch, C., (2025)(7)

More Health Benefits

Lowers Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels

A meta-analysis conducted in 2022 (8), confirmed that Hibiscus lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) more than a placebo did. The drop was higher for those who had an elevated baseline blood pressure. It also reduced the levels of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" one) by 6.76 mg+dl.

Hibiscus induced reductions to BP similar to that resulting from medication... Regular consumption of hibiscus could confer reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Ellis L., et al. (2022)(8)

García-Muñoz et al., 2023 obtained similar results, they found that Hibiscus combined with other plant extracts reduced blood pressure and cholesterol, improving LDL and total cholesterol levels, compared to a placebo control group(9).

Anti-Diabetic Properties

Jamrozik, Borymska, and Kaczmarczyk-Zebrowska, (2022)(3) conducted a systematic review of studies and research, concluding that the Hibiscus flower, or "roselle is a promising product that can be used either on its own or as an addition to the conventional treatment regimens to prevent or treat diabetes and its accompanying diseases."

Weight Loss

A statistical review of randomized trials that compared the weight-loss effects of hibiscus extract vs. placebo, and did not find "clinical benefit of H. sabdariffa extract in obesity treatment." The study revealed that those consuming hibiscus extract lost 0.267 kg (0.59 lbs) over a 1 to 3 month trial period. Waist circumference reduction was minimal (2 mm - 1+16").(10)

Closing Comments

These promising findings suggest that Hibiscus provides health benefits.

All these studies concluded that further research was needed to confirm their findings and suggested using larger sample sizes for this purpose. They also cautioned that studies would be necessary to determine the adequate dosing, and effect of longer-term consumption of hibiscus on different health outcomes.