Are ‘bioidentical’ hormones safer and can hibiscus flower tea lower blood pressure?

When I read the news about the link between hormone replacement therapy and aggressive breast cancer, I discovered that it related only to Prempro. Prempro is not a natural hormone replacement. I believe that the “bioidentical” estradiol and progesterone hormones I receive in a transdermal patch are much safer and give better results.

We spoke recently with Dr. Susan Love, one of the country’s leading experts on breast cancer. She points out that women who have naturally high levels of hormones are at greater risk for breast cancer. You can’t get any more “bioidentical” than your own hormones. Dr. Love points out that very little research has been done on such formulations, and there is no evidence that they are safer than other types of estrogen and progesterone.

I heard a rumor that a drink made from dried hibiscus flowers can lower blood pressure. Is there any truth to this?

Hibiscus flower tea is part of traditional folk medicine in many cultures. Scientific scrutiny shows that its effect on blood pressure is more than a rumor, however. A study published this year in the Journal of Nutrition found that several cups a day can help lower blood pressure in people with mild hypertension.

In a study this year in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Mexican scientists found that the red pigments in hibiscus flowers, anthocyanins, act like antihypertensive medicines called ACE inhibitors. Such medications are among the most widely prescribed blood pressure pills in the world. We find it fascinating that a folk remedy works through the same mechanism as such beneficial drugs.

Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon is an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition. https://www.peoplespharmacy.com.