Rosehip

Nature is rich in medicinal plants! And people are happy to use the gifts of nature such as rosehip in order to restore strength, preserve beauty and health and obtain a lot of useful substances for their body. Rosehip is a herbal product, the popularity of which in the direction of traditional medicine knows no bounds. However, this plant has won recognition in official medicine. Rosehip fruits in one form or another might easily be prescribed to you by the attending physician, if there is evidence for that. What is this plant product valuable for the human body? What properties of rose hips are worth noting for yourself? This is our article!

Rosehip: useful properties and contraindications

First, let’s figure out what a rosehip is. From the point of view of botany, it is a shrub perennial culture, which belongs to the Rosaceae family. The stems of the bush are usually having small sharp thorns. The people call the plant “wild rose”. This is because the shrub in appearance (stems and foliage) is somewhat similar to an ornamental rose. However, the flowers of the rosehip hardly look like everyone’s favorite flower. Rosehip blooms in single buds, consisting of 4-5 petals of pale pink, pale orange, or beige. Of particular interest are rose hips – small (1–1.5 cm long) berries of a bright scarlet or orange hue. The fruits of the plant are a little tart and sour in taste, but their composition is simply amazing with a useful variety.

Rosehip grows in almost all regions of our country, with the exception of places with a pronounced cold climate. This plant is rather popular in many countries of the world. The shrub is not whimsical and is able to grow like a weed without any care and attention from the gardener. The plant is also unpretentious to the temperature regime, does not require a lot of moisture, it does not need a shade. However, too much heat and frost are destructive for this plant.

Composition

Rosehip berries are containing the following set of substances:

• B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid).
• PP vitamins (flavonoids).
• Vitamin E.
• Vitamin K and A.
• Tannins (tannins).
• Calcium, potassium, magnesium.
• Fluorine, chromium, iron.
• Manganese, zinc, copper.
• Water-soluble fiber (pectins).
• Malic and citric acid.
• Vitamin C in the berries of the plant in question contains as much as 14 percent. For comparison, this is twice the amount of ascorbic acid that current fruits contain.

Rosehip: beneficial properties

Before us is a plant that benefits the body, improving the functioning of organs and restoring immunity. It is a broad-spectrum medicinal plant.

Due to the high content of vitamin C, rosehip berries have a suppressive effect on pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The rosehip-based drink has an anti-inflammatory effect, promotes pain relief and suppresses heat. Many probably remember from childhood how, in case of colds, they were having a warm drink from rose hips. This drink helps to thin phlegm, treats cough, runny nose, relieves joint aches.

With hypertension and vascular disease

Rose hips are good for treating hypertension. They have a diuretic effect and help lower blood pressure. Often, hypertensive patients are advised to drink rosehip-based infusions or decoctions. In addition to the hypotensive effect, this product helps to strengthen blood vessels, improve blood circulation.

With blood diseases

Rosehip helps to establish the process of hematopoiesis. The prescription of the fruits of this plant is usually provided in case of anemia, high cholesterol, and other types of problems. Regular intake of funds based on rose hips helps to restore blood formula and significantly reduce the risks of developing serious pathological conditions.

For immunity

The prescription of the rosehip is often provided for people with chronic fatigue, after a long illness and in immunosuppressive conditions. Rose hips help to recover, promote the development of the immune system.

Diseases of the joints and cartilage tissues

The vitamin complex contained in rose hips is extremely useful for the treatment of joints and cartilage tissues. For arthritis, arthrosis, and other diseases of the skeletal system, it’s recommended to have a rosehip as a part of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment.

Gastroenterology

Rosehip oil treats gastritis, gastric ulcer, intestinal ulcer, and duodenal ulcer. This product heals ulcers, helps to suppress aggressive bacterial flora, due to it, there’s accelerating the process of tissue regeneration.

Kidneys and urinary system

Rosehip helps improve kidney and urinary system function. There might be a treatment for many infectious diseases using remedies based on this plant. Rosehip helps to remove excess fluid from the body, eliminates edema, and prevents stagnation.

Rosehip: benefits and harms for men and women

This plant has a beneficial effect on the human body. Especially interesting are the properties in the direction of benefits separately for the female and male body. Knowing the peculiarities of the influence of this plant on the reproductive system, you can apply funds based on it with maximum benefits and the least health risks.

Useful properties and contraindications for men

This plant is helping restore masculine strength. However,rosehip itself is not capable of exerting a pronounced therapeutic effect in this direction. However, as part of complex therapy, it will be very useful and will help accelerate the formation of the desired effect. Rosehip is also good for blood vessels and heart. And this is very valuable for a man at an active age. Rose hips are treating the initial stages and prevent prostate diseases. The beneficial properties of rose hips for men do not end there. The berries of this plant might generally strengthen the body. And since many men do not like the treatment based on pills, it is quite possible to offer them such an alternative as a rosehip decoction for colds, SARS, general malaise, fatigue.

Attention! Doctor’s consultation required!

Useful properties and contraindications for women

This herb is extremely beneficial for women’s health. It is worth noting such beneficial properties of rose hips for women:

• Promotes the formation of healthy flora in the body in preparation for conception and pregnancy.
• It removes excess fluid, removes edema, and helps to reduce body weight.
• Helps to get rid of acne and blackheads.
• Improves the quality and color of the skin.
• Relieves headache, helps eliminate unpleasant migraine symptoms.
• Strengthens the protective properties of the body during the season of colds.
• Improves blood circulation.
• Improves the quality of hair, nails, teeth.
• Helps to get rid of excessive sweating.
• Protects the nervous system from stress.

These are not all the benefits of rose hips for a woman’s body. We will talk in more detail about the effect of this plant on the body of pregnant and lactating women in the next section of the article.

Rosehip fruits: useful properties and contraindications during pregnancy and lactation

Rosehip berries are an invaluable gift of nature to use for the benefit of women’s health in the most crucial periods – pregnancy, breastfeeding.

During the period of bearing a child, there is often a threat to the development of late gestosis. This condition is very dangerous for the health of the woman and the unborn baby. Symptoms such as high blood pressure and edema characterize this condition. Rosehip products help to gently relieve blood pressure and remove excess fluid from tissues. Rose hips are a fairly mild and safe option for the prevention and treatment of eclampsia in pregnant women. However, without a doctor’s prescription, you should not use such a recommendation and self-medicate.

The fruits of the plant are also useful during breastfeeding. Rosehip saturates the mother’s body with useful substances, helps to increase lactation. But a high content of vitamin C can provoke an allergic reaction, both in the baby and in the mother. When deciding on the use of the described remedy, it is worth consulting with a specialist and taking into account all contraindications.

Rosehip: contraindications

Rosehip fruits, leaves, extracts, and juices are very useful in the treatment and prevention of various diseases. However, do not lose sight of the fact that this product has a number of contraindications.

It is impossible or undesirable to use rose hips in the following situations:

• Individual intolerance to the product and vitamin C.
• The high acidity of the stomach.
• Deep vessel thrombosis, the tendency to thrombosis.
• Acute inflammatory period of kidney and urinary tract diseases.
• With some pathologies of the liver and biliary tract.
• Hypotension or instability of blood pressure.
• Myocarditis, other myocardial diseases.
• Children under 2 years of age.

Any chronic condition or acute period of illness suggests the need to consult a doctor about the admissibility of using rose hips and its fruits for treatment, prevention of exacerbation of existing problems.

Properties and application of rose hips

Rosehip has gained immense popularity in the field of medicine precisely because it has a huge range of properties. The plant has a noticeable effect on the human body. The effect of the use of rose hips comes, literally, immediately or upon accumulation within 2-3 days.

The following properties of rose hips to highlight:

• Astringency. This affects bowel function (eliminates diarrhea).
• Anti-inflammatory action. The effect is clearly visible during colds.
• Light pain relief. Relieves spasm, calms the walls of blood vessels, eliminates headache, joint pain.
• Hypotensive property. Rosehip fruits and products based on them significantly lower blood pressure.
• Anti-edematous action. Rosehip activates the kidneys and urinary system, removes excess fluid.
• Antimicrobial action. The herb-based gargle helps to eliminate bad breath, as well as promotes wound healing and inflammation of the gums. Cures rose hips of throat and nose diseases.

Immunomodulatory action. Rosehip well restores immunity after illness and during viral and other infectious diseases. There’s a recommendation to use rosehip after surgeries to restore strength and improve blood and blood pressure.
Anti-aging effect. Rosehip is not only a doctor but also a beautician. Helps get rid of skin problems, restores hair strength, and shine.
These are not all the properties of the medicinal plant in question. Rosehip is good in many ways of maintaining health, youth, and beauty.

Application

Of course, to get the effect of using rose hips, you need to know how to use it. For medical, cosmetic purposes, you should be using different parts of the plant: leaves, roots, stems. However, fruits are the most popular. And no, they are rarely ready to eat just like that. However, based on these berries, decoctions are brewed, infusions are made, oils and boils are prepared.

The most popular is rosehip infusion

For cooking, you need berries – 200-300 grams, a thermos, hot boiled water – 1 liter. The berries need to be washed and removed from excess debris. Put the berries in a thermos and pour boiling water over. Cover the thermos tightly with a lid and leave for at least 2 hours. When the liquid is infused, it can be filtered or simply drained without berries. This infusion is good for eliminating edema, lowering blood pressure, treating colds, and coughs. This infusion is drunk for general strengthening of the body.

Rosehip decoction is another popular remedy. It is made from the same ingredients. Only, washed berries are sent to a refractory container and filled with 1 liter of water. Turn on low heat and simmer until boiling. As soon as the broth boils, the fire should be turned off. The liquid should be infused for 40 minutes. Then you can drink the broth in small sips throughout the day.

It is believed that an infusion of berries is healthier than a decoction. However, much depends on the goals and the problems at hand. It is better to consult a specialist.

Even a jam can be made from this berry, that combines both the taste and they preserves the useful properties. Here’s a video explaining how you can make the jam:

Conclusion

Rosehip is a colorful and vibrant plant with medicinal properties! If there are no contraindications, you should definitely try this product for the treatment and prevention of existing problems. After all, rosehip is rather tasty and aromatic natural medicine.