Major Benefits and side Effects of Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea is made from the Hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, a tropical plant. In this tea there is no caffeine so has no side effects. It is the sepals of the flower that are used to make the herbal tea.

Benefits of Hibiscus Tea

1. It acts as a natural antioxidant. Antioxidants fight with the free radicals in the body. These also boost cell growth, immune system and decreases the risk of cancer & cataracts.
2. It reduces premature aging.
3. Hibiscus tea also controls the blood pressure, liver disorders and high cholesterol. Hibiscus tea thus reduces the chances of heart diseases. It lowers the blood pressure so people having low blood pressure should not consume it.
4. Hibiscus tea is also act as antispasmodic. Thus it reduces the muscle cramps, stomach cramps and even the menstrual cramps.
5. It is also very effective in losing weight. The enzyme called amylase breaks down the starch and sugar in the body, thus helping you to reduce weight. Therefore you can take a sip of hibiscus tea after meal as this will lower the absorption of carbohydrates. This further will help you in reducing weight.
6. Hibiscus tea strengthens the immune system as it contains great amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C is beneficial for immune system. So your body will fight against fever and flu more strongly with firm immune system.

Side Effects of Hibiscus Tea

1. People with low blood pressure should not consume it as it lowers the blood pressure.
2. In some cases it also produces hallucinogenic effect or you may feel as if been intoxicated. So if you are consuming it for the first time then do not go for it before driving as you may feel very sleepy.
3. Hibiscus tea affects estrogen level. Also person who has gone for the hormone replacement therapy and using birth control pills should avoid it.
4. Pregnant and breast-feeding mothers should not take it.
5. People taking anti-cancer drugs should not take it.

How to Make Hibiscus Tea?

1. Boil 2-3 cups of water in a saucepan and turn off the heat.
2. Take 4 fresh hibiscus flowers and put it into boiled water. If you have dried petals then add two tablespoon of these in boiled water.
3. Put 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks into water.
4. Cover it and keep it for 15 to 20 mins. Do not keep it beyond 20 mins as this will lead to bitterness.
5. In case you want strong tea then add more flower to the water.
6. Strain the tea.
7. Add lemon and honey for flavor.

Ways to Improve Rice Production & Prevent Price Rise!

About half of the world population survives on rice. The Green Revolution in Asia that started in 1960s and introduced modern, high-yielding rice varieties resulted into a rapid rise in both rice yields and overall production. However, with increasing population, rice consumers too are increasing. Rice researchers and farmers have succeeded in producing enough rice to meet the world rice consumption demand but till when? The recent decrease in world rice production and increase in rice prices have again made the whole world think about ways to improve production so that the cost of the most common staple food could be controlled for the benefit of whole humankind. Read the World Rice Production 2009-2010 Report to know for yourself how unpredictable the production of rice had been in the last couple of years! This situation can be improved with a little insightful approach about rice production techniques and cooperative attitude of the top rice producing countries of the world.

Steps to Improve Rice Production

They are interrelated- improve rice production to keep the price of rice low by increasing area under rice cultivation or by increasing the yield per unit area, or by combining both of them. Cropping intensity should also be increased. Industrialization, urbanization, or conversion to other crops should not come in the way of improving rice production. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has called for the implementation of the following nine-point program of short- and long-term interventions to improve world rice production as well as cut the price rise.

• Bringing about an agronomic revolution in Asian rice production to reduce existing yield gaps.
• Accelerating the delivery of new post harvest technologies to reduce losses.
• Accelerating the introduction and adoption of higher yielding rice varieties.
• Strengthening and upgrade the rice breeding and research pipelines.
• Accelerating research on the world’s thousands of rice varieties so scientists can tap the vast reservoir of untapped knowledge they contain.
• Developing a new generation of rice scientists and researchers for the public and private sectors.
• Increasing public investment in agricultural infrastructure.
• Reforming policy to improve the efficiency of marketing systems for both inputs and outputs.
• Strengthening food safety nets for the poor.

To have an elaborated view on the above steps to improve rice production, read this IRRI article What needs to be done?

Steps to Prevent Rice Price Rise

Apart from taking steps to improve rice production, the extent of price rise also depends upon the attitudes of different rice producing countries as well as rice consuming countries. In the larger interest of global food security, rice importing countries should not make large purchases at one time. They should import in smaller volumes according to their present needs. This can only work if the rice exporting countries ensure a steady supply to the market. These countries should not place any export restrictions on the rice producers and should also not keep domestic supply out of international market.

Related Reading: Steps to Improve Production of Rice