Fat Facts

Myth: All types of fat are the same and equally bad for you.

Fact: Saturated fat and trans fat are bad for you because they raise your level of ‘bad’ cholesterol and increase our risk for heart disease.

But monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are good for you, lowering your ‘bad’ cholesterol level and your risk of heart disease.

Myth: Lowering the amount of fat intake is what counts.

Fact: The mix of types of fat eaten, rather than the total amount in the diet, is what matters most. The key is to eat more good types of fat and less bad types of fat.

Myth: Fat-free equals being healthy.

Fact: Many types of fat-free food are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and calories.

Myth: Eating a low-fat diet is the key to weight loss.

Fact: Cutting calories is the key to weight loss and since fat is filling, it can help curb overeating.

Myth: All body fat is the same.

Fact: Where you carry your fat matters. The health risks are greater if your weight tends to accumulate around your abdomen, as opposed to your hips and thighs.

A lot of belly fat is stored deep below the skin surrounding the abdominal organs and liver, and having too much of belly fat is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.

Source: Helpguide, a non-profit website in collaboration with Harvard Health Publications, the consumer health publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

Will eating salty food result in a puffy face in the morning?

This is possible but unlikely to happen for a healthy person.

Fluid retention occurs when water accumulates in the body which can happen when one eats a lot of salty food or drinks too much water.

After having a salty meal, the higher sodium level causes the body to hold back more water in an effort to bring the sodium and water ration back to proper balance, said Dr Daphne Ang, a consultant in gastroenterology at the Changi General Hospital.

However, for most normal individuals, excessive salt or water should not result in fluid retention in the face because healthy kidneys have the ability to expel the excess salt and water consumed over the short term, said Dr Kelvin Thia, a consultant from the department of gastroenterology and hepatology a the Singapore General Hospital.

People with kidney, heart or liver problems may have more fluid retention issues around the face and, more commonly, around the ankles.

Most of the time, such swelling should go away.

However, if it persists or keeps happening despite avoiding aggravating factors such as high salt consumption, see a doctor, said Dr Ang.

- April Chong 

Do beans give you gas?

Yes, beans give you gas.

Legumes, from kidney beans to lentils, contain indigestible carbohydrates which the intestines are unable to absorb.

These indigestible carbohydrates are fermented by bacteria in the colon, producing gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen, said Dr Eric Wee, an associate consultant in gastroenterology at the Khoo Tech Puat Hospital.

On the average, a normal person may pass gas 10 to 20 times a day, he said.

Hence, flatulence, while embarrassing, is not something to worry about.

But, if it occurs with other problems such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss or a change in bowel habit, seek medical help.

- April Chong

The Hoarse Whisperer

The claim: Whispering can harm your voice.

The facts: Ever have a bad case of laryngitis?

To protect your voice, you may have felt the urge to whisper. But many otolaryngologists advise against this, warning that whispering actually causes more trauma to the larynx than normal speech.

Singers in need of vocal rest are often given the same advice: Avoid whispering. It will damage your pipes.

However, Dr Robert Sataloff, chairman of the otolaryngology department at Drexel University College of Medicine, said this recommendation was based on “years of pronouncement and almost no research, like so much in medicine.”

So in 2006, Dr Sataloff, who is also a professional opera baritone, sought out an answer in a large study, Laryngeal Hyperfunction During Whispering: Reality or Myth?

With a team of colleagues, he recruited 100 subjects and examined their vocal cords with fibre-optic scopes as they counted from one to 10, first in a normal voice, then in a whisper.

Dr Adam Rubin, a co-author, said that in 69 of the subjects, whispering put more strain on the vocal cords.

“They were squeezing their vocal cords together more tightly to produce the whisper, which is more traumatic,” said Dr Rubin, director of the Lakeshore Professional Voice Centre in Michigan. Eighteen subjects showed no change. In 13, whispering was easier on the vocal cords.

For people concerned about their voices, Dr. Sataloff recommends that they avoid whispering and simply talk softly - in “the voice you would use if you wanted to talk to somebody next to you without having other people in the room hear.”

The bottom line: For some people, whispering can cause more trauma to the larynx than normal speech.

- The New York Times 

Will Hot Air Shake Off That Cold?

The claim: Hot, humidified air can help to cure a cold.

The facts: Inhaling steam or humidified air - a cold remedy as old as the steam kettle - supposedly clears congestion, improves breathing and kills cold viruses, which are sensitive to heat.

Laboratory studies show, for example, that the rhinovirus - the most common cause of colds - is inactivated at temperatures above 43 deg C.

Yet a number of studies have failed to find strong evidence that a dose of heated, humidified air makes any difference for sniffling, sneezing cold sufferers.

In 2006, a report in The Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews examined the remedy by combining data from previous studies.

The report included six randomised controlled trials in which cold sufferers were exposed to heated water vapour.

Three of the studies showed benefits, while the others found either a worsening of symptoms or no change at all in antibody levels or shedding of viruses.

One of those studies, carried out at the Cleveland Clinic and published in The Journal Of The American Medical Association in 19994, had 68 cold sufferers sit through 60-minute steam treatments that raised the temperature inside the nose to the required 43 deg C. The treatments had no effect on symptoms like congestion and sneezing.

Ultimately, the Cochrane report concluded that steam inhalation should not be recommended as a remedy for colds until more studies bear out its usefulness.

The bottom line: The evidence for heated or humidified air as a cold treatment is lacking.

- The New York Times 

Humming Away Sinus Problems

The Claim: Humming can ease sinus problems.

The Facts: When a cold leads to a sinus infection, the misery can double.

Some researchers have proposed a surprising remedy: Channelling your inner Frank Sinatra.

Sinus infections generally occur when the lining of the sinuses - hollows in the bones of the face around the nose - becomes inflamed.

It then traps air and pus and other secretions, leading to pain, headaches and congestion.

And what better way to keep air moving through the sinuses and nasal cavity than by humming a a tune?

In a study in The American Journal Or Respiratory And Critical Care Medicine, researchers examined this by comparing airflow in people when they hummed and when they quietly exhaled.

They found that the level of nitric oxide - a gas produced in the sinuses - exhaled during humming rose by 15 times.

Another study a year later in The European Respiratory journal found a similar effect: Humming resulted in a large increase in nasal nitric oxide.

Since reduced air flow plays a major role in sinus infections, the researchers suggested that daily periods of humming might help people lower their risk of chronic problems. But further study is needed, they said.

The bottom line: Studies show that humming helps increase airflow between the sinus and nasal cavities, which could potentially help protect against sinus infections.

- The New York Times 

Quick Way To Ease Heartburn

The Claim: Lying down on your left side eases heartburn.

The facts: For people with chronic heartburn, restful sleep is no easy feat. Fall asleep in the wrong position and acid slips into the oesophagus, a recipe for agita and insomnia.

Doctors recommend sleeping on an incline to allow gravity to keep the stomach’s contents where they belong.

However, sleeping on your side can also make a difference - so long as you choose the correct side. Several studies have found that sleeping on the right side aggravates heartburn, while sleeping on the left tends to calm it.

The reason is not entirely clear. One hypothesis holds that right-side sleeping relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter, which lies between the stomach and the oesophagus.

Another holds that left-side sleeping keeps the junction between the stomach and the oesophagus above the level of gastric acid.

In a study in The Journal Of Clinical Gastroenterology, scientists recruited a group of health subjects and fed them high-fat meals on different days to induce heartburn.

Immediately after the meals, the subjects spent four hours lying on one side or the other as devices measured their oesophageal acidity.

Ultimately, the researchers found that “the total amount of reflux time was significantly greater” when the subjects lay o their right side.

In addition, the average overall acid clearance was significantly prolonged with the right side down.

In another study, this one in The American Journal Of Gastroenterology, scientist fed a group of chronic heartburn patients a high-fat dinner and a bedtime snack, then measured reflux as they slept.

The right-side sleepers had greater acid levels and longer “oesophageal acid clearance”.

Other studies have had similar results.

The bottom line: Lying on your right side seems to aggravate heartburn.

- The New York Times

Watch Where You Store Those Vitamins

The claim: Always store vitamins in the medicine cabinet.

The facts: The bathroom medicine cabinet may seem like an ideal place for keeping vitamins and supplements. But research suggests otherwise.

In studies, scientists have found that the warm, moisture-rich conditions found in most bathrooms tend to degrade vitamins and other supplements over time.

Researchers have found that this process, known as deliquescence, can reduce the potency of vitamin B, vitamin C and other water-soluble supplements - even rendering them useless. Airtight lids do not necessarily solve the problem as opening and closing them allow humidity and moisture to get in.

In a study published this year by food scientists at Purdue University, researchers measured the stability of different vitamin C supplements in various temperatures and levels of humidity. They showed signs of degradation above 80 per cent humidity, a level of bathroom humidity that the steam from a hot shower could produce.

Other studies have found similar effects on thiamin, vitamin B6 and other water-soluble nutritional products expose to humid environments.

Even if you do not keep your vitamins in the bathroom, not that the average humidity in Singapore is 84 per cent.

Humidity levels can spike in kitchens as well. Fore best results, try keeping vulnerable products - like multivitamins, children’s vitamins or powdered health products - in a cool, dry area with little humidity, like the fridge. If your vitamins soften or develop dark spots, it means they have started degrading and should probably be discarded.

The bottom Line: Storing vitamins in a medicine cabinet and other humid areas can reduce their effectiveness.

- The New York Times 

Coffee Helps Asthmatics

The claim: A cup of coffee can ease symptoms of asthma.

The facts: Caffeine is known more as a pick-me-up than a home remedy but, for years, scientists have wondered whether it may have benefits for people with asthma.

The suspicion stems in part from its chemical structure, which resembles that of theophylline, a common asthma medication that relaxes the airway muscles and relieves wheezing and other respiratory problems.

In fact, when caffeine is ingested and broken down by the liver, one by-product is small amounts of theophylline.

In a 2007 study in the Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews, researchers analysed the results of half a dozen clinical trials looking at the effects of caffeine on asthmatics.

They found that caffeine produced small improvements in airway function for up to four hours, compared with a placebo. Even a small dose - less than the amount in a cup of Starbucks coffee - could improve lung function for up to two hours.

However, studies show the improvements are very slight and not enough to make caffeine a replacement for medication.

The other problem is that because of their chemical similarities, consuming too much caffeine can compound any side effects of theophylline.

As a result, doctors advise people taking that medication to watch their consumption of foods with caffeine.

The bottom line: Caffeine’s benefits for asthma are real but minimal.

- The New York Times 

Rash From Use Of Cellphones

The claim: Cellphones can cause an allergic reaction.

The facts: Talking on a cellphone for long periods can carry certain risks, like getting dirty looks from those around you. But allergies?

In recent years, dermatologists have seen a small but growing number of people with itchy rashes along their jaw lines, face and ears which go away when cellphone use is discontinued.

The reason, studies suggest, is an allergy to metals in the phones, most often nickel.

Women are more likely to be affected because they are often sensitised to it by ear piercings and metal jewellery, said Dr Clifford Bassett, a New York City allergist and fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, who has treated the conditions.

It is unclear how many people develop allergic reaction to their phones but the medical literature is rife with case studies.

In a typical case, described by researchers at Brown University and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2008, an 18-year-old developed a strange rash on the right side of his face.

When his cellphone headset tested positive for nickel, he switched to a nickel-free phone and the allergy cleared up.

The researchers later tested 22 popular models of cellphones and found nickel in 10 of them, mostly in the headsets and menu buttons.

For those who suspect a metal allergy, a patch test at a doctor’s office can provide confirmation, Dr Bassett said, adding that a simple swab test can reveal the presence of nickel in a phone or other product.

The Bottom Line: In people with nickel allergies, cellphones can cause an allergic reaction.

- The New York Times 

Best Way To Clean Fruit And Vegetables

The Claim: A soap-and-water rinse is the best way to clean produce.

The facts: The prospect of ingesting pesticides and other contaminants can make supermarket produce seem less than appetising. Buying organic produce lowers the risk, but is no guarantee against food-borne pathogens.

The simplest way to eliminate germs and pesticides? Rinsing with tap water, which works as well as a mild soap solution or vegetable washes.

In studies at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 2000, for example, scientists compared pesticide removal methods on 196 samples of lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes. Some were rinsed under tap water for a minute; others were treated with either a 1 per cent solution of a popular detergent or a fruit and vegetable wash.

Tap water “significantly reduce” residues of 9 of 12 pesticides, and it worked as well as soap and wash products. Water temperature was not the key; friction was. “The action of rubbing the produce under tap water is responsible for removing pesticide residues,” scientists wrote.

For micro-organisms, try rinsing produce with a 10 per cent vinegar solution. In a 2003 study at the University of Florida, researchers tested disinfectants on strawberries contaminated with E. coli and other germs. They found the vinegar mixture reduced bacteria by 90 per cent and viruses by 95 per cent.

The bottom line: To remove pesticides and germs, rinse produce with a vinegar solution, then wash with tap water for at least 60 seconds.

- The New York Times 

Salt Remedy For Sore Throat

The claim: Gargling with salt water can ease cold symptoms.

The facts: Nothing but time can cure the common cold but a simple cup of salt water might ease the misery.

A sore, itchy throat and respiratory congestion are some of the more common symptoms of a cold, and gargling with salt water seems to help for several reasons.

A saline solution can draw excess fluid from inflamed tissues in the throat, making them hurt less, said Dr. Philip T. Hagen, editor in chief of the Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies, which is due out this month. He pointed out that gurgling also loosens thick mucus which can remove irritants like allergens, bacteria and fungi from the throat.

In a randomised study published in The American Journal Of Preventive Medicine in 2005, researchers recruited almost 400 healthy volunteers and followed them for 60 days during the cold and flu season.

Some of the subjects were told to gargle three times a day. At the end of rthe study period, the group that regularly gargled had a nearly 40 percent decrease in upper respiratory tract infections compared with the control group, and when they did get sick, ‘gargling’ tended to attenuate bronchial symptoms’.

According to the Mayo Clinic, for best results, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a full glass of warm water and gargle the solution for a few seconds before spitting it out. Adults who want a more palatable remedy against cough and sore throat can try mixing warm water with lemon and honey. No need to spit it out.

The bottom line: Gargling with a saline solution can ease symptoms of a cold.

- The New York Times 

Best Way To Clean Hands

The claim: Paper towels thwart more germs than air dryers.

The facts: The key to clean hands is simple. Wash thoroughly with soap and water. However, once you have turned off the tap, do you reach for the paper towel or the air dryer?

Bacteria thrive on wet hands, so the method that removes the most moisture should theoretically be the most effective. 

But some studies suggest that other factors play a role. A few have portrayed conventional air dryers - and the newer jet-air machines where users stick their hands into a slot while air shoots out rapidly - as bacterial breeding grounds that contaminate hands and disperse germs.

However, these studies tend to have a conflict of interest: financing from the paper industry.

In 2000, the Mayo Clinic conducted an independent study. Researchers recruited 100 people, contaminated their hands and then instructed them to wash with soap and water. Then they had to place their hands under a warm air dryer for a single 30-second cycle, or use a cloth or paper towel for 15 seconds.

In the end, the scientist called it a draw: both methods dried the hands thoroughly and produced equivalent reductions in bacteria counts.

Other studies that looked at alcohol hand santisers found that they eliminated the most bacteria but not all viruses, including the norovirus - which causes acute gastroenteritis to humans. To be effective, they must be at leas 60 per cent alcohol.

The bottom line: The best available evidence suggests that as far as germs go, the method of drying is less important than the amount of time invested. What is important is that you take the time to dry your hands thoroughly.

- The New York Times 

Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

The Claim: The day’s events are incorporated into that night’s dreams.

The facts: in the world of sleep research, dreams are something of a black box. However, one tidbit that scientists have discerned is the peculiar but predictable pattern in which dreams tend to occur.

Research suggests that much of what happens in a dream is unique to that dream. But some events from a person’s day can be incorporated into dreams in tow stages.

First there is the ‘day residue’ stage, I which emotional events may work their way into a person’s dreams that night. But that is followed by the more mysterious ‘dream lag’ effect, in which those events disappear from the dream landscape - often to be reincorporated roughly a week later. This lag has been documented in studies dating to the 1980s.

A 2004 study in the The Journal Of Sleep Research began to shed some light on this cycle. Researchers reviewed the journals of 470 people who recorded their dreams over a week. The dream-lag effect was strongest among people who viewed their dreams as a chance for self-understanding; their dreams often involved the resolution of problems or emotions tied to relationships.

The researchers speculated that the delayed dreams were the mind’s way of working through interpersonal difficulties and even ‘reformulating’ negative memories into more positive ones. Other studies have also shown a connection between dreams and this type of emotional memory processing.

The bottom line: The dream cycle can be much longer than a single night.

- The New York Times 

Don’t Sip That Sweet Cuppa All Morning

The claim: More sugar leads to more cavities.

The facts: Sugar and cavities go hand in had. But the total amount of sugar you eat has less impact on cavities than the pattern in which you consume it.

Tooth decay occurs when the bacteria that line the teeth feed on simple sugars, creating acid that destroy enamel.

When you eat something sweet, it takes the bacteria about 20 seconds to convert it to acid, which then lasts for about 30 minutes.

That means that a can of carbonated drink is a lot less harmful to your teeth when consumed in a few minutes instead of over a couple of hours with repeated sips, said Dr Carole Palmer, a professor of public health and community service at Tuffs University School of Dental Medicine.

“Every time you present sugar to the bacteria, you’ll get acid formation,” said Dr Palmer, who recently published a paper exploring dental myths in the journal Nutrition Today.

“The things that are going to increase the risk of decay would not be the total amount of sugar at all, but what your feeding pattern is like. Are you someone who is constantly sipping? Do you get one soda and keep it on your desk all afternoon? Do you get a cup of coffee with sugar ad sip it all morning?”

For the same reason, many dentists advise parents not to use spill-resistant sippy cups for sweet drinks or milk too often, which have been linked in some studies to tooth decay in toddlers.

Dr Palmer points out that it is not just sugar, but anything with acid, like diet soda. One study even found that sour candy was significantly more destructive to tooth enamel than regular, sweet candy because of its acid levels.

The bottom line: Small amounts of sugar eaten frequently increase cavities more than large amounts eaten infrequently.

- The New York Times 

Sugar Free? Think Again

The claim: Artificial sweeteners cam raise blood sugar.

The facts: It seems like common sense that foods labelled “sugar free” would have no effect on sugar levels in the blood. But sometimes they do.

Most artificial sweeteners - saccharin, aspartame and sucralose - offer the sweetness of sugar without the calories.

They contain no carbohydrates and so have no effect on blood sugar. But these sweeteners are sometimes paired in “Sugar free” products with another sugar substitute called sugar alcohols.

Sugar alcohols get their name from their structure, which looks like a cross between a molecule of alcohol and sugar but is technically neither.

Companies have been adding them to ‘sugar free’ products, like cookies chewing gum, hard candy and chocolate.

For people trying to manage their blood sugar, this can make interpreting nutritional labels tricky.

While sugar alcohols provide fewer calories than regular sugar - in general about 1.5 to 3 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram of sugar - they can slightly raise your blood sugar.

One way to account for them is to count half the grams of sugar alcohol in a product as carbohydrates.

You can identify sugar alcohols in an ingredient list by looking for words that end with “-OL”, like sorbitol, maltitol and xylitol. In foods labelled “sugar free” or “no sugar added”, the precise sugar alcohol count is listed separately under the nutritional information.

The bottom line: Some sugar substitutes can raise blood sugar, so read the label carefully.

- The New York Times 

Getting Rid Of Mosquitoes Is A Breeze

The claim: To repel mosquitoes, use a house fan.

The Facts: The battle against mosquitoes is often fought with chemical repellents. Some of the popular choices are highly effective, but can be toxic, smelly and irritating.

For those who prefer a chemical-free repellent, a plain and simple house fan just might do the trick.

Studies have found that wind is an effective method to keep mosquitoes and other airborne pests at bay. The reason seems obvious: It prevents them from circling and landing on you, like a windstorm keeping a plane from its descent.

However, that is not entirely the case. A fan dilutes and disperses the carbon dioxide you exhale. Carbon dioxide is one of the major chemicals that attract mosquitoes, the wind form a fn also cools you. Sweat, lactic acid and body heat attract mosquitoes - factors that a fan can help minimize.

In one study in 2003, entommologists at Michigan State University used traps set up in a wetland by the United States Centers for Disease Control to attract mosquitoes. Releasing carbon dioxide attracted more pests to the trap. The more the carbon dioxide, the more mosquitoes were caught.

Using fan-generated wind of various speeds helped keep them away. But there was no link between wind velocity and mosquito body mass.

“We recommend that fan-generated wind should be pursued as a practical means of protecting humans or pets against mosquitoes in the backyard setting,” they wrote.

For an indoor setting, a fan on medium of high sped should do the job.

The Bottom Line: Using a fan can ward off mosquitoes.

- The New York Times 

Are Mosquitoes Gender Biased?

The Claim: Mosquitoes are attracted to women more than to men.

The Facts: Mosquitoes find some people tastier than others. But a widespread notion is that women, to mosquitoes at least, are the sweeter sex, supposedly because oestrogen is a strong attractant.

In reality, gender does play a role, but not in the way most people think. As one report in the Annals of Internal Medicine pointed out, men are more likely to be attacked, primarily because of their greater body size.

“Larger persons tend to attract more mosquitoes perhaps because they emit greater relative heat or carbon dioxide,” the study said.

A similar effect can be seen among women. When scientists compared pregnant women with their non-pregnant counterparts in a Lancet study in 2000, they found that the pregnant women attracted twice as many mosquitoes. The study noted that the pregnant women exhaled more carbon dioxide and had higher body temperatures, allowing mosquitoes to detect them more easily.

In addition to carbon dioxide, lactic acid is also a strong attractant, which is why people are attacked more when they are outdoors and sweating, said Dr. Clifford Bassett of Allergy and Asthma Care in New York. “Mosquitoes can sense these chemicals up to 30m away.” Dr Bassett said.

The bottom line: Research suggests that men are more likely than women to be attacked by mosquitoes.

- The New York Times 

Milk’s Drowsy Effect

The claim: A glass of warm milk will help you sleep at night.

The facts: Few foods have a reputation for curing insomnia quite like warm milk.

It has long been known that milk is full of tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino acid. tryptophan is also well known for being present in another food thought to have a sedative effect – turkey.

However, whether milk can induce sleep is debatable and studies suggest that if it does, the effect has little to do with tryptophan.

To have any soporific effect, tryptophen has to cross the blood-brain barrier. In the presence of other amino acids, it ends up fighting – largely unsuccessfully – to move across.

One study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated this in 2003. The study, which was published in The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, showed that eating protein-rich foods – like milk – decreased the ability of tryptophan to enter the brain.

The trick, the study showed, is to eat foods high in carbohydrates, which stimulate the release of insulin. Insulin, in turn makes it easier for troptophan to enter the brain.

However, surveys have found that many people swear by milk as a sleep aid and this may be psychological.

Scientists say the routine of drinking a glass of milk before bed can be as soothing as the feel of a favorite old blanket.

The bottom line: A glass of warm milk may make you drowsy, but this is not due to the effect of tryptophan.

- The New York Times 

Does Green Tea Reduce Blood Pressure?

The Claim: Green Tea can help lower blood pressure.

The facts: Few foods have a reputation for soothing stress quite like a hot cup of tea.

Green tea, in particular, has been credited with reducing stress and anxiety and is believed to contain compounds that relax blood vessels.

However, when scientists looked at whether it lowers blood pressure, even by a little, the evidence is fairly weak.

Some small studies have found that a few cps a day can shave some points off blood pressure levels, but others have found that it provides no help at all and may even be counter-productive. 

Still, the news is not all bad for tea drinkers.

In a recent randomised study financed in part by the United States Department of Agriculture, scientists at Tufts University recruited 65 men and women with modestly high blood pressure who were not taking medication.

Some were randomly assigned to drink a cup of hibiscus tea three times a day, while others received a tea-flavoured placebo.

After six weeks, the hibiscus tea group saw a respectable drop in systolic pressure - the top number in blood pressure readings - compared to the placebo group, suggesting that the tea made an impact.

However, experts said that more study is needed.

The bottom line: Green tea does not seem to have much effect on blood pressure while hibiscus tea may have the potential of lowering blood pressure. 

- The New York Times