Rose is a beautiful flower and a symbol of love. We all have seen this aromatic lovely flower growing in garden. Rose is a medicinal plant well. Its leaves, flower petals and fruits are all edible. The petals are used to prepare Gulkand. The petals are carminative (prevents or relieves flatulence), stimulant, emmenagogue (stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus), antibacterial, astringent and tonic. The red to orange rose fruits are known as rosehips. Initially these are green and turns red on ripening. These contain hairy seeds that are also used to produce itching powder. Hips are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Rose hip extracts have antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory (reduces swelling), antiscorbutic (prevents or cures scurvy), diuretic (stimulates urine production) properties. Rose petals are good for liver, spleen and hips are good for kidney, bladder and colon.
Information of Rose Hips
Rosa species
For essential oil: Rosa damascena, R. centifolia, R. gallica
For eating/medicine: R. rugosa
Family: Rosaceae
Vernacular names: Sanskrit : Devataruni, Karnika, Shatpatri, Assamese : Varde Ahamar, Bengali : Golap, English : Rose Gujarati : Moshamee Gulab Hindi : Gulab, Kannada : Rojahu, Malayalam : Rosappoovu, Marathi : Gulab, Punjabi : Gulab, Tamil : Rojapoo, Telugu : Rojapuvvu, Gulabi, Urdu : Gulab, Ward
Other Common Names: Rose (German);rose (French);rosa da essenza (Italian);rosa (Spanish);Roza (Polish);Rosa de Castilla (Mexican) Rose hips--Hipberry
Essential oil roses: Damask Rose, Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose, Red Rose, Cabbage Rose or hundred leaf rose (Rosa centifolia).
Description of plant
The plant is a woody shrub its shoots bear thorny, alternate, unpaired pinnatisect leaves and flowers in terminal corymbs with a swollen receptacle that produces the fleshy false fruit or hip, which contains the true fruits or achenes.
Constituents: Flower contains essential oil which includes citronellol, geraniol nerol, eugenol, linalool, L-p-menthene, cyanin, gallic acid, beta-carotene. Fruit: vitamins C, B, E, K;nicotinamide, organic acids, pectin.
Energetics: Petals: sweet, slightly bitter, warm;rose hips: sour, neutral.
Health Benefits of Rosehips
Rosehips offers numerous health benefits due to presence of flavonoids, tannins, sugars, pectin, fruit acids and carotene. The medicinal value of rose hips depends largely on the content of vitamin C and flavonoids. They taste sour, astringent and sweet. Hips are the most abundant natural source of vitamin C. These have cooling effect on body and this checks the various disorders that are due to excessive heat inside body. Hips are nourishing and an excellent source of Vitamin C. One cup of rosehips contains vitamin C equal to one dozen oranges. The dried fruits contain more vitamin C compared to half-dried one. You can make simple infusion of hips. For this purpose, take a handful of hips. Chop them and infuse in hot water for five minutes. Add honey and drink.
The main useful part of the hips are fruit flesh.
The seeds are not used for used in medicine as they contain glucosides and are toxic.
Nourishing: Rose hips are very rich in vitamin C. They are also high in the vitamins A, B, E, K, pectin and in the minerals calcium, iron and phosphorus.
Bioavailable vitamin C: The flavonoids and organic acids found in rose hips inhibit oxidation of vitamin C, which additionally increases its stability and bioavailability in humans.
Cardio protective: Rose hips also exhibit cardioprotective effect. Daily consumption of 40 gm rose hip powder can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk in obese people mediated by lowered systolic blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels. No side effects were recorded.
Anti-diabetic in action: Rosehip has been used as a traditional treatment for diabetes and has recently been found to possess hypoglycaemic (blood sugar lowering) effects in diabetic rats.
Antimicrobial effect: Rose hip extracts showed antimicrobial activity against yeast and Gram-positive bacteria.
Protects Gastric Mucosa: Rosehips are antiulcer and gastro protective.
Medicinal Uses of Rose Hips
Useful in Rheumatism: Rosehip (Rosa canina) powder can reduce the symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Laxative in action: Rose hip contains pectin, citric acid and malic acid which are responsible for its laxative activity.
In Chinese medicine, Rosa rugosa is used as a tonic to boost the liver and as an antidote to some forms of poisoning. The hips of Rosa multiflora have been traditionally used as dietary supplements and herbal remedies for the treatment of diseases, including cold, flu, inflammation, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain.
The oil extracted from the rose hip seeds has immense popularity as a natural skincare product in Chile. Since centuries, this oil is being used by Chileans to get rid of skin blemishes. Cosmetology research has proven the effect of rose hip oil in lowering skin pigmentation, reducing scars and stretches, acne management, rehydrating skin and rendering it supple and delaying wrinkling.