Hibiscus Rose Cooler
Hibiscus Rose Cooler is deliciously floral, lightly sweet, and gorgeous! The perfect way to celebrate Mom, your sweetie, or even as an afternoon pick-me-up just for you! Did you know hibiscus can also lower blood pressure? Read on, or click below to go directly to the recipe!
Hibiscus tea and blood pressure
Did you know that hibiscus tea is one of the highest antioxidant drinks in the world? Increasing the antioxidants in our blood (1) sounds impressive, but what does that translate into for human health?
Hibiscus tea is actually well documented for its ability to lower blood pressure. Across studies (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) systolic blood pressure was lowered a range of 5-23 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure was lowered a range of 3-12 mmHg. Now of course it matters how much tea you consume, and what kind, as well as what else you eat throughout the day. Consuming a Standard American Diet and adding some hibiscus tea is likely to have little effect on blood pressure. But consuming a diet rich in other antioxidant sources, like fruits and veggies, and low in salt, in addition to the hibiscus tea, is likely to provide you the biggest bang for your buck!
How much hibiscus tea? Study 2 used one cup of tea per day in their treatment group, and got a statistically significant reduction in systolic, but not diastolic, pressure. Study 6 also used one cup a day and got statistically significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic pressures. So, one cup could be beneficial depending on how high your blood pressure is to start. One to three cups per day seems realistic and safe.
Very high doses of hibiscus extract may not be safe, and may have some liver toxicity, and possibly diuretic effects (7). It’s important to let your doctor know if you plan on consuming hibiscus with regularity so s/he can keep an eye on your labs and vitals.
If you’re interested in other ways to manage your blood pressure, make sure to snag my free report on 6 ways to lower your blood pressure today!
Tips and Substitutions
Simply, rose water is a flavored water that is made by steeping rose petals in water. It’s often used in perfume, but it has a wide variety of uses in cooking. It tastes much like you’d imagine a rose tastes. Floral and lightly sweet. It’s easy to use way too much of it, so if you’ve never used it before, start with less and taste; add more if you need.
You can purchase rose water in the ethnic section of most grocery stores (it’s often used in Middle Eastern dishes), or online retailers like Amazon. It usually comes in a glass bottle, and it’s clear.
I do not recommend using canned coconut milk. Coconut milk is high in saturated fat, a known contributor to high cholesterol. Plus, it’s quite thick, and you want something thinner. For this recipe, I recommend the coconut beverage in a carton, that’s found in the refrigerated dairy section of the grocery store. I used a “regular” (sweetened) one for this. If you use unsweetened you may want to add some additional honey.
If you don’t want to use honey, any sweetener you like will do (although maple syrup may affect the color of the drink).
Yes! If you want to have a hot beverage, simply steep the tea and then add the rest of the ingredients. Don’t add the coconut milk until after you steep the tea though – the milk is a bit thick and won’t allow the tea the properly steep (voice of experience here!).
Of course! Any tea at all can be used for this, but something floral or fruity is recommended.
This recipe goes well with any spring dish! Consider Vegetable Hash with Chickpeas Skillet Dinner, Curry Chickpea & Mango Mini Pizzas, Lemon Pepper Tofu Fillets, Roasted Asparagus with Egg Free Hollandaise Sauce, and Cherry Filled Chocolate Date Truffles.
If you try Hibiscus Rose Cooler, tell me in the comments!
Hibiscus Rose Cooler
Hibiscus Rose Cooler is deliciously floral, lightly sweet, and gorgeous! The perfect way to celebrate Mom, your sweetie, or even as an afternoon pick-me-up!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Hot Water
- 2 tea bags of Hibiscus Tea
- 1 tsp Honey optional
- ½ cup Original Coconut Milk Beverage
- 1 tsp Rose Water
Instructions
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Add hibiscus tea bags and honey (if using) to the hot water, and steep for at least 10 minutes. Without removing the teabags, place in the refrigerator, and chill completely.
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Once chilled, stir in the coconut milk and rose water. Serve.
