Hibiscus

Hibiscus reduces the high blood pressure or high cholesterol, sometimes suggested as causes for tinnitus.

Version: 2.0 Last updated: August 2024 To be reviewed: June 2027

Treatment details

Illustration of a bottle with a circle on it.

Type

Dietary supplement

1

Safety

Regarded as safe

2

Efficacy

No or limited evidence that it is effective

Recommended?

No

Claims for treatment

Hibiscus reduces the high blood pressure or high cholesterol [1]. These are sometimes suggested as causes for tinnitus.

What is the treatment?

Hibiscus can be taken as capsules, or brewed as a tea.

What are the downsides of this treatment?

None identified. It is regarded as safe [1,2].

Has there been research into this treatment?

There have been no papers published on hibiscus as a tinnitus treatment.

What does the research say?

Studies suggest that hibiscus has antibacterial, anti-oxidant, diuretic and anti-hypertensive properties [1,2]. However, clinical trial data is lacking to recommend its use for any condition [2].

How high quality is the research?

No research available in terms of efficacy.

A for safety

There is no evidence available regarding this treatment for tinnitus. We would suggest you talk to your GP before taking any new medication or supplement.

Dietary supplements should not be recommended to treat tinnitus.3

Tinnitus UK

All online references accessed 12 June 2024 unless noted.

1. Da Costa Rocha I, Bonnlaender B, et al. – A Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review. Food Chemistry. (2014) 165, 424-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.05.002

2. The Drugsite Trust. Hibiscus. www.drugs.com/npp/hibiscus.html

3. Coelho C, Tyler R et al. Survey on the Effectiveness of Dietary Supplements to Treat Tinnitus. American Journal of Audiology. (2016) 25(3): 184-205