A New Herbal Tea Use

Cholesterol is a good thing. When our arteries are damaged by spikes in blood pressure, our bodies fix this damage with cholesterol, a fatty plaque that seals lesions and allows the artery to continue to function. But, as you must have heard, there are dangers to high cholesterol, including heart disease and heart attack. So, we, as a society, are trying to strike a healthy balance.

Sure, we all want our cholesterol and blood pressure to be under control. But what we don't want are diarrhea, heartburn, headache, myositis (inflammation and break down of muscle tissue), and kidney failure. Unfortunately, many cholesterol and BP medications come with these side-effects listed on the label.

As home herbalists, what options do we have? A recent study has bolstered one very good one. Hibiscus tea, a rich, tart, bright red herbal tea made from a tropical flower, lowers blood pressure as effectively as prescription medications. Initial results are hinting that it also lowers the "bad" cholesterol: LDL.

Who knew that keeping our bodies healthy and protecting our vascular systems from long-term damage could be as easy as a cup of tea?