So the news was bound to make the front page: Canadians are suffering from hypertension at an unprecedented rate. Nearly one fifth of adults (or 4.6 million of us) has hypertension or high blood pressure. And similar studies have been released linking hypertension to the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease later on in life. Although Canada may lead the world in treatment for hypertension there are some preventative steps that we can take to avoid going down that road altogether, or at least lessen the chances.

The February issue of The Journal of Nutrition published a study that suggests that having just three cups a day of Hibiscus tea could help to lower blood pressure formed by mild hypertension in adults.

In the clinical study 65 participants were given either 3 240ml servings of brewed hibiscus tea or a placebo.

The results?

After six weeks hibiscus tea lowered systolic blood pressure by a margin of 7-percent while also lowering diastolic blood pressure by 3-percent.

The conclusion of the study was summarized in an abstract:

“These results suggest daily consumption of hibiscus tea, in an amount readily incorporated into the diet, lowers BP in pre- and mildly hypertensive adults and may prove an effective component of the dietary changes recommended for people with these conditions”

 What Else Can We Do?

Dr. Norm Campbell, medical professor at the University of Calgary (Alberta) has a few suggestions:

“The good news is there’s a multitude of different things we can do. A healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat is very effective, as is regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight,” said Campbell.

I’ll raise a glass of hibiscus tea to that.