Freezing temperatures can destroy many of rose hips’ benefits. This highly biologically active berry should be harvested before the first frost, not stored in the freezer, and not eaten raw. What ailments do rose hips treat in folk medicine? What are the benefits of their berries, leaves, and roots? Do rose hips have any contraindications, and how are they used in cooking?
Properties of Rose Hips
The common name “wild rose” reflects the botanical relationship between rose hips and their ornamental relatives. There are more than 100 species of rose hips, both wild and cultivated, which have spread around the globe; some trace their origins to Chile.
While roses are grown for their decorative value, pharmacists and herbalists prize the wild relatives for their biological benefits. Dried rose hips can be kept for up to two years if harvested and stored properly. Store them in closed glass containers or cloth bags.
The main advantage of this plant is its high biological activity and rich microelement profile. Rose hip fruits support tissue regeneration and are considered beneficial for the heart, blood vessels, and immune system.
Rose hips are especially rich in vitamin C: they can contain far more than lemons and several times more than black currants. One hundred grams of dried rose hips can provide roughly 18 times an adult’s daily vitamin C requirement. Vitamin C is also present in the leaves and roots of the plant, with levels affected by light exposure and growth location. Mountain-grown rose hips tend to accumulate more vitamin C than lowland varieties.
Benefits of Rose Hips
In addition to vitamin C, wild rose contains:
- Vitamin A precursors (beta-carotene) and lycopene — antioxidants important for eye health, tissue growth, and immune function;
- Vitamin E — an antioxidant that helps protect cells from oxidative damage and supports skin health;
- Vitamins B1 and B2 — which support carbohydrate and protein metabolism and help maintain healthy skin, mucous membranes, and hair;
- Vitamin B3 (niacin) — which supports cellular energy production and cardiovascular function;
- Vitamin K — which plays a role in blood clotting and bone mineralization.
Rose hips are also a source of iron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, manganese, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and magnesium. They contain dietary fiber, flavonoids, essential oils, pectin, lycopene, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, malic and citric acids, nitrogenous compounds, and tannins.
The beneficial properties of rose hips have long been used to make medicines and oils. Decoctions, infusions, and teas made from rose hips are traditionally used to support bones and joints, to ease gout and rheumatism, and to soothe some digestive complaints. Rose hip oil is a popular dermatological and cosmetic product used to reduce wrinkles, treat burns, and help heal other skin wounds.
What Does Rose Hip Treat?
As far back as Ancient Egypt, rose hip oil was used as a rejuvenating ingredient in cosmetics and perfumes. The juice of the fruit was used for hydration and sun protection. Thanks to vitamin A precursors, rose hips can help improve skin elasticity and reduce acne, scarring, and pigmentation.
The plant’s traditional uses include slowing some signs of aging, aiding wound healing and tissue regeneration, supporting detoxification and digestion, boosting resistance to infections, reducing inflammation, helping stabilize blood pressure, supporting cardiovascular function, helping normalize blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and aiding iron absorption.
Syrups made from rose hips are used for colds and to support cardiovascular health and anemia. Some evidence suggests rose hips can help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and may reduce the risk of metabolic disease.
Rose hip tea is traditionally used in folk remedies for intestinal parasites. Extracts of rose hip berries are used as choleretic agents in cholecystitis. As a natural diuretic, rose hips can promote urine output and help normalize water-salt balance, which may reduce swelling. Their relatively low calorie content (about 109 kcal per 100 grams of fruit), along with effects that can suppress appetite and support metabolism, makes them a popular component of weight-loss regimens. They are also used as a mild natural laxative to relieve constipation and stimulate peristalsis.
Treatment with Rose Hips
In folk medicine, people use all parts of the plant, not just the fruits. Rose hip flowers are a source of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids — oleic, linoleic, linolenic — and provide omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids, as well as natural retinoids obtained through cold pressing. Rose hip petals can be used to make a soothing jam.
Crushed seeds are traditionally mixed with alum and applied to wounds to speed healing. The roots and bark are used in some remedies and contain ascorbic acid, sugars, and phytoncides.
Rose hip leaves contain vitamin C, chlorophyll, tannins, phytoncides, and ellagic acid. Ash from rose hip branches was traditionally used to produce a resin-like substance applied for psoriasis. Decoctions made from boiled branches and leaves have historically been used in folk medicine for stomach pains, dysentery, scarlet fever, and even pulmonary tuberculosis.
However, rose hips have contraindications. Avoid them during the acute phase of gallstone disease, active gastritis, stomach ulcers, and duodenal ulcers. The acids in the berries can erode tooth enamel, so rinse or brush your teeth after consuming concentrated preparations. Avoid rose hips if you have a known allergy to the fruit.
Use caution if you have hypertension: rose hips may lower blood pressure and could amplify the effects of antihypertensive medications. Rose hips can also interact with anticoagulant medications and affect blood clotting, so consult a healthcare provider before prolonged use.
How to Properly Consume Rose Hips?
Incorporate rose hip tea, infusions, or decoctions into the diet during times of weakened immunity, particularly in autumn, winter, and spring. Springtime vitamin deficiency is a common period for colds, so many people consume rose hips during that season; consult a doctor if you have chronic conditions or take regular medications.
Use rose hip petals to make liqueurs. Use the berries to make jams, vitamin soups, kissels, compotes, or teas. English cuisine includes recipes that use rose hips for sauces, desserts, candies, and marmalade.
Rose Hip Syrup Recipe
For 2 liters of water, use 1 kg of sugar and 1 kg of fresh berries. Wash the rose hips, remove the sepals and stems, place the berries in an enamel pot, cover them with hot water, and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, strain through a double layer of cheesecloth, press the solids, and let the liquid steep for a day. Drain the liquid, discard the sediment, add the sugar, and boil for another 15 minutes. Pour the finished syrup into sterilized jars and store. Take 1 tablespoon before meals. To support immunity during cold season, consume rose hip syrup daily.
Vitamin Decoction from Dried Rose Hips
Wash 100 grams of dried rose hips and remove the hairs from the seeds. Crush the berries and place them in an enamel pot with 1 liter of water. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, and let steep for 3 hours. Strain the decoction through cheesecloth before consuming.
Rose Hip Decoction from Fresh Berries
Dosage: 2 teaspoons of rose hips per 2 cups of water. Remove the hairs and seeds from fresh berries, wash and crush them, and put them in enamelware. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Let steep for 3 hours and strain through a double layer of cheesecloth. For weight-loss use, drink the unsweetened decoction for a three-week course, consuming it an hour before breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Rose Hip Infusion for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatism
Place 20 grams of crushed berries in a thermos and pour in 500 ml of boiling water. Let steep for 24 hours, then strain. Drink a glass before morning and evening meals. Continue the course for one month. If needed, wait one month before repeating the course.
Rose Hip Jam
Dosage: for 1 kg of sugar, use 2 kg of berries and 500 ml of water. Wash the berries, remove stems and sepals, cut them in half, remove the seeds, and rinse to remove hairs. Boil a syrup from the sugar and water, add the prepared rose hips, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 8 hours. Over the next two days, boil the berry mixture three times at equal intervals. After the final boiling, place the jam in sterilized jars and seal with lids.
