Hibiscus

Hibiscus sabdariffa · Roselle · Sour tea

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Hypertension¹ LDL cholesterol¹ Total cholesterol² Fasting glucose³ Skin hydration⁴ Oxidative stress⁵	Pregnancy or lactation⁶ Peanut allergy⁶

Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa, roselle) is a Malvaceae plant used as a beverage and herbal medicine, with vasodilator and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity proposed behind its effects⁷.

Lipid findings are split: total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol fell in a meta-analysis in metabolic syndrome, but a leaf-extract trial in hyperlipidemic adults found no difference from placebo. In animal and in vitro work, a 2024 study found calyx extract inhibited ACE and produced diuresis, with no human arm in that study⁸. On the United States (US) market, 434 products list hibiscus, as teas, powders, liquids, and capsules; see Form comparison.

Some US product labels advise against use in pregnancy and lactation, and others note that the flowers are intercropped with peanuts⁶. Because the pressure-lowering effect is comparable to antihypertensive medication, an umbrella review calls for careful monitoring with long-term therapeutic use⁹.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

63 sources, 53 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources