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Dr. Axe Wire · Food, herbs & supplements · health
Hibiscus Tea Beats Coffee for Blood Pressure During Sitting, Small Trial Finds
A small crossover trial found hibiscus tea outperformed coffee on blood pressure readings taken during three hours of sitting.
At a glance
- What they found: One heart rate variability measure tied to the body's calming nervous-system response, high-frequency power, came in higher with hibiscus tea.
- Who was studied: 24 healthy adults.
- What it doesn't show: Whether it holds up in a larger group.
A study published November 6, 2026 in the European Journal of Nutrition found that hibiscus tea produced lower blood pressure readings than coffee when adults drank it before three hours of uninterrupted sitting.
24adults tried both drinks
4.2mmHg lower SBP
3.3mmHg lower DBP
3-hoursitting sessions
The randomized crossover trial enrolled 24 healthy young adults, average age 24.9, half women, and 54.2% with overweight or obesity. Each person completed two separate 3-hour sitting sessions, one after hibiscus tea and one after coffee, with blood pressure and heart rate variability, the beat-to-beat changes in heart rhythm that reflect nervous-system balance, measured throughout with a chest strap monitor and an automated blood pressure cuff.
Systolic blood pressure ran 4.2 mmHg lower, diastolic blood pressure 3.3 mmHg lower, and mean arterial pressure 3.6 mmHg lower in the hibiscus tea condition compared with the coffee condition. One heart rate variability measure tied to the body's calming nervous-system response, high-frequency power, came in higher with hibiscus tea. No other heart rate variability measures differed between the two drinks.
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More broadly, hibiscus tea contains plant compounds called anthocyanins that other research has linked to relaxed blood vessels; this study did not test that mechanism. The authors describe hibiscus tea as having potential to favorably affect cardiovascular responses during prolonged sitting compared with coffee.
These findings suggest that hibiscus tea may have potential to favorably modulate cardiovascular responses to prolonged uninterrupted sitting compared with coffee
This was one short sitting session per drink in 24 young, mostly healthy adults, so longer-term or daily effects on blood pressure were not tested. The authors note that sex and body-weight subgroup differences they observed were not formally tested for statistical interaction, so those patterns are preliminary and larger trials are the logical next step. The trial had no water or no-drink comparison, so part of the gap may come from coffee raising blood pressure rather than hibiscus lowering it.
Dr. Axe’s Take
Hibiscus tea is a blood-pressure-friendly swap for coffee worth considering, especially on days packed with desk-bound hours. Blood pressure ran measurably lower than with coffee through three hours of sitting, and that's a real finding, even from a small trial. I'd make hibiscus tea part of the rotation on long sitting days, brewed hot or cold, with sugar skipped and a little raw honey if you want it sweet. Pair it with standing breaks every hour, since sitting itself is the other variable here. If you take blood pressure medication, check with your doctor first, since hibiscus can add to its effect.
— Dr. AxeStory summary
- Who
- 24 healthy adults, average age 24.9, 50% women, 54.2% with overweight or obesity
- Design
- Randomized crossover trial; each person completed both conditions on separate days
- Dose
- One serving of hibiscus tea or coffee before each 3-hour sitting session
- Primary result
- Systolic BP 4.2 mmHg lower, diastolic BP 3.3 mmHg lower, mean arterial pressure 3.6 mmHg lower with hibiscus tea vs coffee
- Secondary
- High-frequency heart rate variability power higher with hibiscus tea; no other heart rate variability measures differed
- Funding / conflicts
- Competing interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Funding not reported in the abstract.
- Date
- Nov 6, 2026