One of the most popular ingredients in Celestial Seasoning’s herbal tea is hibiscus, but hibiscus nutrition is not widely studied. There have been a few studies, some positive, some not (though there is very little negative that’s known about hibiscus nutrition).

Hibiscus is considered to be a good source of vitamin C, calcium, iron, niacin and riboflavin, and is known to be a good source of antioxidants. However, most teas, both of the traditional camelia sinensus variety and of the herbal and fruit teas, are considered to be good sources of antioxidants.  So what is specifically an element of hibiscus nutrition?

It’s known that hibiscus is a diuretic, and can even be used to replace water pills for people who tend to retain fluid, and which makes it an excellent relief for that particular symptom of PMS.

However, of hibiscus’ nutrition properties, there have been studies that show that drinking hibiscus tea can reduce blood pressure (in fact, it’s recommended to avoid it if you’re already on blood pressure medication because it can cause low blood pressure in that case), lower triglicerides, and lower overall cholesteral levels.

Some cultures use hibiscus tea or extract as anti-fungal, anti-cancer, and an anti-biotic. It has even been used as a contraceptive, so despite the high benefits of hibiscus nutrition, if you are trying to become pregnant, you may want to give the flower a rest.