Hypertension or High Blood Pressure is a major risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases in developing countries.
In spite of their high medical and economic burden, cardiovascular diseases have not been accorded the needed priority globally.
In sub-Saharan Africa, morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases are projected to increase over the coming decades.
The number of reported new cases of hypertension in outpatient public health facilities in Ghana increased more than ten-fold from 49,087 in 1988 to 505,180 in 2007
Hibiscus has more than 300 species which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Most hibiscus species are used as ornamental plants, but many are believed to have certain medicinal properties; among them is Hibiscus sabdariffa commonly named as “red sorrel” and “roselle”.
Roselle is used in many folk medicines. It is valued for its mild laxative effect and for its ability to increase urination, attributed to two diuretic ingredients, ascorbic acid, and glycolic acid.
Because it contains citric acid, it is used as a cooling herb, providing relief during hot weather by increasing the flow of blood to the skin’s surface and dilating the pores to cool the skin.
The leaves and flowers are used as tonic tea for digestive and kidney functions. The heated leaves are applied to cracks in the feet and on boils and ulcers to speed maturation. The calyces and seeds are diuretics, laxative and tonic. The ripe calyces, boiled in water, can be used as a drink to treat bilious attacks. A lotion made from roselle leaves is used on sores and wounds
According to Wahabi, H. A., Alansary, L. A., Al-Sabban, A. H., & Glasziuo, P. (2010) Four trials, with a total of 390 patients, met our inclusion criteria. Two studies compared Hibiscus sabdariffa to black tea; one study compared it to captopril and one to lisinopril. The studies found that Hibiscus had greater blood pressure reduction than tea but less than the ACE-inhibitors.
From Wahabi, H. A., Alansary, L. A., Al-Sabban, A. H., & Glasziuo, P. (2010)
Extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa are promising as a treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, however more high quality animal and human studies informed by actual therapeutic practices are needed to provide recommendations for use that have the potential for widespread public health benefit.
Again, chronic administration of Hibiscus sabdariffa reduced Blood pressure and attenuated cardiac hypertrophy in 2K-1C hypertension.
Medical Disclaimer
Kindly consult your Physician in an attempt to take any Natural Products
Reference
These findings are consistent with previous reports of hypotensive and antihypertensive effects of HS in laboratory animals (Ali et al., 1991, Adegunloye et al., 1996, Onyenekwe et al., 1999) and man (Haji-Faraji and Haji-Tarkhani, 1999)
Perkovic V, Huxley R, Wu Y, Prabhakaran D, MacMahon S: The Burden of Blood Pressure-Related Disease: A Neglected Priority for Global Health. Hypertens 2007, 50:991-997
Kaufman JS, Owoaje EE, James SA, Rotimi CN, Cooper RS: Determinants of Hypertension in West Africa: Contribution of Anthropometric and Dietary Factors to Urban-Rural and Socioeconomic Gradients. Am J
Epidemiol 1996, 143:1203-1218
Centre for Health Information Management: Outpatient morbidity in health facilities, Ghana. Accra: Ghana Health Service 2008.
Morton, J. 1987. Roselle. P.281-286. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL. James A. Duke. 1983. Handbook of energy crops. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy
Wahabi, H. A., Alansary, L. A., Al-Sabban, A. H., & Glasziuo, P. (2010). The effectiveness of Hibiscus sabdariffa in the treatment of hypertension: a systematic review. Phytomedicine, 17(2), 83-86.
