From time immemorial the rosehip has been used as medicine by many peoples around the world. Throughout the centuries the “wild rose” helped humans to overcome numerous diseases. The reason to write this article is to recall the numerous rosehip benefits that it has in the medicine and beauty industry, as well as to reveal possible harms (or rather precautions on how to consume rosehips to avoid any sort of harms).
DID YOU KNOW? Rosehip Secrets
In autumn after its petals fall off a red fruit rich in beneficial substances starts to grow. That is when the plant starts to accumulate its enormous medicinal power. Almost all parts of the plant can be used for medicinal, preventive, and beauty routine purposes. However, the most useful have proven to the plant’s fruits. This is due to the high content of vitamin C in rosehip fruits the concentration of which is even higher than in blackcurrants and lemons.
Rosehips fruits are dark, red, or yellow oval-shaped berries up to 3 cm long with a constriction at the top. They taste sour-sweet due to the content of galactose and fructose. Today there are up to 100 species of rosehips, and not all of them are equally useful. Sometimes landscape designers use decorative species for ornamental purposes. Unpretentious and cold-resistant ornamental species of rose hips often take place of a hedge at private houses. Under natural conditions, wild rose grows on the slopes of mountains, in river valleys, and in the fields.
WHEN AND HOW THE ROSEHIPS ARE PICKED UP AND STORED?
First light frosts in September or October is a signal to start harvesting the rosehips berries. Then the berries should be well washed and dried. You can do it naturally, or you can dry them in an oven or a drying machine. If you need to use wild rose roots you should dig them out in winter after the first snow starts to fall. You should collect only mature roots while the young ones should remain in the ground. They must be buried so that the shrub can continue to grow and bear fruit.
In case you need branches, cut them off in the spring before the buds blossom. One should cut off the shoots partially, otherwise, this can damage the plant. You can dry the branches together with the buds and then ground them into a powder.
ROSEHIP AS A VITAMIN-RICH REMEDY IN PRESENT-DAY MEDICINE
Rosehips are rich in vitamins, especially in vitamin C. That is why they are useful for strengthening blood vessels. In addition, many specialists consider them to be natural antioxidants. Wild rose berries are also rich in vitamin P and contain sufficient amounts of vitamins K, E, A, and B2, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, tannins, and pectins.
Flavonoid rutin, or vitamin P, in combination with ascorbic acid, reduces the permeability and fragility of capillary vessels. Along with this, ascorbic acid improves tissue regeneration, normalizes blood clotting processes, and increases the body’s inner defenses against infections. Moreover, it stimulates hematopoiesis, enhances the body’s defenses, increases mental and physical abilities, and improves metabolism.
Vitamin A (retinol) supports healthy skin and mucosal epithelium. It is also responsible for mineral metabolism and the formation of cholesterol.
A powerful antioxidant, vitamin E slows down the aging process of cells and reduces the risk of cancer.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is essential for the formation of red blood cells, antibodies, for the regulation of growth and reproductive functions in the body. Riboflavin determines the health of the skin, nails, hair, and thyroid gland. A typical sign of its deficiency is a seborrheic-dermatitis rash above the lips, on the nose, ears, and eyelids.
The presence of magnesium in rosehips improves liver function and prevents the formation of stones and blood clots in the kidneys. In addition, organic acids and flavonoids in rosehips have a choleretic effect.
The therapeutic properties of rosehip seed oil are actively studied today. There is a lot of evidence that they normalize the acidity of gastric juice. Thus, rosehip fruits are a powerful phytoncide, immunostimulating, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, and choleretic agent as they promote tissue repair, normalize carbohydrate and mineral metabolism.
ROSEHIPS IN COSMETICS
Rosehips are indeed rich in vitamins, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants that can be beneficial not only for your health but also for the beauty of your skin. In the beauty industry, rosehips oil extracted from the plant’s seeds is by far the most popular. Although there is no much scientific observation done on the rosehip oil benefits in skincare, Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr and duchess Kate Middleton do say it has many.
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Hydration and wrinkles smoothing
Due to its richness in fatty acids rosehip oil comes to be a great natural alternative for moisturizing creams. Vitamins A and C help repair damaged skin and work as anti-aging boosters. After applying the rosehip oil, it gives the skin a healthy glow and smoothes wrinkles.
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Skin firmness, eliminating scars and skin pigmentation
Just a few drops of rosehips oil application daily in the morning and in the evening may help firm, refresh and make your skin look younger and more even. The combination of anti-inflammatory fatty acids and vitamins A and C help the skin rebuild collagen thus fading skin fine lines, scars, and stretches.
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Brightening skin
You may want to try it out – start applying a few drops of rosehip oil on clean skin in the evenings. It may not have an instant result on you, but continuous usage may please you with a great result – overall a brighter and healthier skin, all due to the rosehip oil’s astringent properties and vitamin combination.
CAN THE CONSUMPTION OF ROSEHIP HARM THE BODY?
Despite the obvious benefits, rosehips may indeed cause harm to our health. Contraindications to the use of rosehips are the following:
- It contains a lot of ascorbic acids. This does not always have a positive effect on the organs and their systems.
- Rosehip irritates the mucous membrane of the stomach. Thus, people who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases should not use it in great amounts. In other words, individuals with gastritis should consume the fruit with appropriate caution.
- Concentrated infusion of berries is detrimental to tooth enamel. After taking the decoction, you should rinse your mouth with water.
- Increases the risk of blood clots. Those people who are prone to thrombosis should consume rosehips products with caution.
- Wild rose berries can raise blood pressure. People with
Photo by sunvic hypotension should refrain from frequent consumption of rosehips. Otherwise, the blood pressure can fall to critically low levels
- People who suffer from allergies to citrus fruits should use them with special caution.
- Excessive consumption of beverages containing these fruits can have a negative effect on the liver. In rare cases, the use of rosehips provokes jaundice.
- In some particular cases, rosehips products can provoke constipation. For people who already suffer from such problems, it is better not to consume berries altogether.
To sum it all up, rosehip is an outstandingly useful herb for human health. We have mentioned a lot of rosehip benefits for human health and beauty. People have used it in various spheres of medicine for centuries. At the same time, we should remember that its excessive and uncontrolled use can lead to unwilling consequences.
