Rosehip is a perennial, wild plant of the Rosaceae family. People call it wild rose.

Rosehip is a low bush from 1.5-2.5 m in height with arched hanging branches covered with strong sickle-shaped thorns.

Young shoots are greenish red with awl-like spines and bristles. The flowers are pink or white-pink, with five free petals, a corolla up to 5 cm in diameter.

Rosehip blooms in May-June. The fruits are berry-like (up to 20 mm long), red-orange, of various shapes, with many hairy achenes, ripen in September-October.

Rose hips are harvested before frost, since even slight freezing destroys their medicinal properties. At home, the fruits are dried in a dryer or oven at a temperature of 90-100 ° C, but at the same time make sure that they do not burn. Properly dried raw materials are brownish-red or yellow. Store it in closed jars or bags for two years. Sometimes wild rose flowers are harvested during flowering, dried in the usual way. Infusion of petals well tones and refreshes the skin.

There are many legends and beliefs associated with rose hips. According to one version, a rosehip garden surrounded the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty in ancient Greece. A later legend was born among the Donetsk Cossacks, and old Cossack women still tell it with pleasure:

“Once a young girl fell in love with a handsome Cossack. And he reciprocated her. But the stanitsa ataman sent the young man to serve and himself sent matchmakers to the girl. Having been refused, he decided to forcefully marry a proud maiden. But it was not there! She ran away to the river Olkhovaya and pierced her heart with her father’s dagger. In the place where the girl’s blood was shed, wild rose bushes grew with beautiful flowers for all lovers and with sharp thorns for the evil and envious.

Many scientists consider the mountain slopes of Iran and the Himalayas to be the birthplace of wild rose. Now the wild rose has spread almost all over the globe, except for the permafrost, tundra and desert zones … Rose hips attract both birds and animals, but the main admirer and collector of wild rose gifts is, of course, man.

Rosehip calories
Low calorie, low fat product. 100 g of raw rosehip contains 51 kcal, it is absolutely safe for overweight people. But in 100 g of dry product there are 284 kcal, so use it need in moderation.

Useful properties of wild rose

Ripe rose hips contain 14-60 g of water per 100 g, 1.6-4 g of proteins, 24-60 g of carbohydrates, 4-10 g of dietary fiber, 2-5 g of free organic acids; as well as a large number of minerals (potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, cobalt) and vitamins (B1, B2, B6, K, E, PP, C) tannins, dyes, carotene, riboflavin, citric and malic acids, sugars, phytoncides, essential oils.

Vitamin C in rose hips is 5-10 times more than in black currants, 40 times more than in lemons.

Rosehip cleanses the circulatory system, improves metabolism, is rich in vitamins, is used for anemia, scurvy, diseases of the kidneys and bladder, liver.

Rosehip is used as a general strengthening, tonic, weakening the development of atherosclerosis, increasing the body’s resistance to infectious diseases and as a vitamin remedy: for this, 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed dry fruits pour 1/2 liter of water, boil for 15 minutes on low heat, insist, wrapped overnight, strain. Take with honey throughout the day as a tea and instead of water.

Rosehip roots contain a lot of tannins, so they are used as an astringent. From the seeds of rose hips, an oil containing fatty acids and vitamins is obtained. It has anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.

A decoction of rose hips and roots has many useful properties. It is a multivitamin, choleretic, weak diuretic, blood pressure lowering agent, promotes the production of red blood cells, strengthens the vascular wall (used for nosebleeds in children), improves appetite. Especially popular is the infusion of wild rose berries, which is prepared as follows: crush 2 tablespoons of dry berries, pour 2 cups of boiling water, insist in a thermos for 6-8 hours, be sure to strain through several layers of gauze. Drink for children from 1/4 to 1/2 cup, for an adult a glass three times a day before meals for three weeks.

Rosehip juice is useful for the normal functioning of the kidneys, liver, stomach and gastrointestinal tract, removes toxins, normalizes blood circulation, increases the body’s resistance to infectious diseases, promotes growth, improves immunity, activates metabolic processes in body, improves memory, stimulates the function of the sex glands, protects against cancer, colds and flu, relieves headaches. It is a powerful antioxidant and has an excellent taste. Rosehip juice also quenches thirst well.

Traditional medicine has long drawn attention to the beneficial properties of rose hips. Its fruits are used as a multivitamin remedy for hypoavitaminosis, for the prevention of infectious diseases, as a diuretic, choleretic, anti-inflammatory, wound healing agent. The infusion slows down the development of atherosclerosis, stimulates the functions of the gonads, weakens and stops bleeding, reduces the permeability and fragility of blood vessels, and helps with burns and frostbite. Rosehip oil stimulates the regeneration of damaged skin tissues and mucous membranes. Therefore, it is used externally for shallow cracks, as well as for nipple abrasions in nursing mothers, trophic ulcers, and dermatoses.

Dangerous properties of wild rose

It is not recommended to use rose hips for people who have impaired blood flow. In addition, if you have high blood pressure, do not take rosehip alcohol tinctures. Such drugs are just recommended for hypotensive patients. And to lower blood pressure, you should take only water infusions of wild rose. Hypotonic patients are not recommended to take water infusion.

If you drink rosehip preparations for a very long time, this can adversely affect the functioning of the liver. You may even face non-infectious jaundice.

Preparations from the roots of wild rose inhibit the secretion of bile. Also, decoctions of the roots of this plant are not recommended for people suffering from constipation – your condition may worsen. To balance the effects of rose hips on the digestive system, use celery, dill, or parsley potions along with rose hips. This will reduce gas formation, which can also be caused by the consumption of rose hips in large quantities.

Any rosehip preparations are categorically contraindicated for people prone to thrombosis and thrombophlebitis.
If you are a core, treat the use of wild rose also carefully. With inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis), as well as with some other heart diseases, you should not take rosehip preparations in large quantities.

Rosehip tinctures should be treated with caution by people suffering from any dermatological problems. If you are one of them, then before treatment with wild rose, consult your doctor.