ROSE HIPS
Botanical: Rosa canina Family: Rosaceae (rose) Also known as: Rosa canina, Hip Berry, Rose Haws, Rose Heps, Wild Boar Fruit, Wild Rose and Dog Rose

When you think of Vitamin C, think of Rose Hips!  Rich in many nutrients, Rose Hips have gained an honored place as a healthy supplement to help maintain good health and prevent colds, flu and infections. They contain sixty times the amount of vitamin C than found in lemons! Rose Hips help to strengthen body tissues, build and maintain a healthy vascular system and prevent damage to fragile capillaries.  Rose Hips are thought to prevent many types of infectious ailments before they happen by using a prophylactic dosage on a daily basis.

                                                      "...a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

                                             - William Shakespeare

History:
Rose Hips (also called rose haws) are the pomaceous fruit of the rose plant.  Roses are a group of herbaceous shrubs found in temperate regions throughout both hemispheres and grown in sunny or light shade and thrive in well-drained, slightly acid soil. Probably cultivated first in ancient Persia and carried to Greece and Rome, there are now hundreds of species of this beautiful flower cultivated throughout the world that occupy a vital place in medicine, as well as cosmetics, perfumes, soaps, and foods. The leaves of Rosa canina were once even used as a substitute for tea. The botanical genus, Rosa, is derived from the Greek, roden, meaning "red" and the Latin, ruber, also meaning "ruby" or "red," as apparently, the Roses of the ancient Mediterranean region were deep crimson, giving birth to the legend that the flowers sprang from the blood of Adonis.  Roses have a long tradition of medicinal use. The ancient Romans used Rosa canina (or Dog Rose) for the bites of rabid dogs, and in the first century A.D., the Roman, Pliny, recorded thirty-two different disorders that responded well to Rose preparations. An oriental species (Rosa laevigata) was mentioned in Chinese medical literature about A.D. 470, and in China, Rose Hips are still used for chronic diarrhea with stomach weakness. It is typically red to orange but may be dark purple to black in some species. In Ayurvedic medicine, Roses have long been considered "cooling" to the body and a tonic for the mind, and Native Americans used Rose Hips to treat muscle cramps. In 1652, the esteemed British herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper, prescribed them for "consumptive persons," for "tickling rheums," to "break the stone" (kidneys) and to help digestion. Long used for medicinal purposes in Great Britain, Rose Hips remained listed in the official British Pharmacopoeia well into the 1930s, and were considered an overall cooling tonic, an astringent, a great help for sore throats and a source of the essential vitamin C. During World War II, there was a shortage of citrus fruit in England, and the British government organized the harvesting of all the Rose Hips in England as a substitute for vitamin C. This illuminated the importance of Rose Hips as a superior source of the vitamin and began its worldwide popularity. Rose Hips have a reported sixty times  the amount of vitamin C than citrus fruit, and we now know how absolutely essential vitamin C is to the maintenance of good health and the prevention of many diseases.  Rose Hips are the fruits of the Rose, the ripe seed receptacles that remain after the petals are removed, and they contain many vitamins and other beneficial supplements, including lycopene, essential fatty acids, beta-carotene, bioflavonoids, pectin, sugar, resin, wax, malates, citrates and other salts, tannin, malic and citrus acids, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulfur, zin c and vitamins A, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, C, D, E and K.  Rose Hips contain one of the highest measures of vitamin C (about 1700–2000 mgs. per 100 g. in the dried product) than is known in other herbs.

Beneficial Uses:
Probably the greatest known use of Rose Hips is as an extraordinary source of vitamin C, which is most beneficial for the prevention and treatment of infection and a great many common diseases, including the common cold, flu and pneumonia.

It is said to prevent ailments before they happen by using a prophylactic dosage on a daily basis. Vitamin C is necessary for every cell in our bodies and without it, we would not be able to sustain life.

Natural vitamin C and bioflavonoids are combined in nature, and for efficacy, it is vital that they be used together. Rose Hips are rich in both, and together they help to strengthen body tissues and build and maintain a healthy vascular system and are said to heal and prevent damage to fragile capillaries.The combination is also thought to enhance the body's ability to absorb vitamin C in those who have difficulty absorbing it.

Rose Hips, with its abundance of vitamin C, are useful in treating infections of all kinds and have been used for centuries for the relief of diarrhea and dysentery. It is considered to be a cleansing agent and may be helpful for temporary bladder problems, gallbladder dysfunction, kidney health, general debility and exhaustion.

Current research indicates that large doses of vitamin C in Rose Hips could be helpful in enhancing our immune systems, which may be valuable in warding off infectious invaders and serious disease.

Rose Hips are said to have mild laxative and diuretic properties.

Rose hips have a long history of use in traditional medicine. The iron in rose hips make them an excellent supplement for menstruating women, and rose hip tea is a rich source of vitamin C, carrying all the benefits of that vitamin.

In addition, the various flavonoids in rose hips have potent antioxidant action, helping to protect the body from the effects of stress, aging and the environment.

Rose hips develop on wild roses as the flowers drop off. The rose hip, also called the rose haw, is actually the fruit of the rose. They are one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin C available, which has led to rose hips being included in many common cold preventives and remedies. While the efficacy of vitamin C in preventing the common cold has been questioned, there’s no doubt about the beneficial effects of vitamin C. In addition to C, rose hips also contain A, D, Iron and E, as well as antioxidant flavonoids that may reduce the effects of aging and help prevent cancer. All this is wrapped up in the tart-sweet taste of the miniature fruits.

They can be used to make jelly, jam, soup or oil. During World War II, the British government used collected rose hips to make rose hip syrup as a source of vitamin C to replace citrus fruits that were impossible to get.

*Provided itself beneficial in research that did not involve people, the study could have been done in a test tube, petri dish or animals for Therapeutic use, Capillary Fragility.

Typical Preparations: Most commonly found in tea and liquors. Seldom found in capsule or extract form.

Contraindications:

None


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 Disclaimer: The information presented herein by Organic Herbs Medicine Cabinet is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary.