Rose hips probably knows everyone. Many a person has also made less pleasant acquaintance with the “itching powder” of the red dog rose fruit in his childhood. The pretty bright red, but sometimes also yellow, orange or brownish fruits develop in autumn from the flower heads of the rosehip bush. Rose hips have a high health value and taste sour-tart. They are used, among other things, as rosehip tea, jam or rosehip pulp. Learn here what is in the fruit.
Vitamin C in rose hips
Rose hips are attributed various healing effects. A considerable part of this is due to vitamin C, which is present in large quantities in the tart fruit. Depending on the variety, 100 grams of rose hips have 400 to 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C. Some varieties even reach the peak value of 5,000 milligrams. This makes rose hips very valuable for health, because vitamin C:
- Strengthens the immune system
- Helps with spring fatigue
- Prevents and relieves colds
- Acts slightly draining
- Gently promotes bowel movement
- Forms new immune cells and other body cells
- Strengthens the connective tissue
Healthy ingredients in rose hips
In addition to vitamin C, rose hips also contain numerous other ingredients that have a positive effect on health. These include:
- Fruit acids
- Essential oils
- Pectins
- Tannins
- Silicic acid
- The antioxidants lycopene and flavonoids
- The vitamins provitamin A, vitamin B1 and B2 and vitamin E
- The minerals zinc, copper, sodium, phosphorus, iron, calcium and magnesium
The rosehip seeds are also full of healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid), phospholipids and amino acids.
Health effects of rose hips
In herbal medicine, the shells and seeds (nutlets) of the fruit are used. Homeopathic products are obtained from fresh petals. In medicine, among other things, standardized rosehip powder is used. This is made from the peel and seeds and relieves agonizing joint pain in osteoarthritis, so that the patient can move better again. A galactolipid discovered by Danish scientists is responsible for the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving healing effect. The high content of omega-3 fatty acids and carotenoids in the seeds also reduces skin moisture loss and sebaceous gland production and can promote wound healing in acne. Silica supports the formation of new tissue and regenerates cells.
Tea and jam as a home remedy
Rosehip tea has a laxative, antipyretic and mild diuretic effect. For this purpose, the dehusked seeds can also be prepared as a tea. They help with urinary tract diseases, urinary stones and rheumatic complaints. Lycopene, which is present in high concentrations, acts as a free radical scavenger and can help fight tumor cells. In addition, rosehip is said to be effective against bleeding gums and preventive against periodontal disease – here the tea can simply be used as a mouth rinse. In addition, thanks to vitamin B1, the red fruits have a calming, stress-reducing effect. They inhibit the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which can very quickly trigger burnout in the event of increased physical or mental stress. Rosehip jam is also often recommended for loss of appetite.
Rose hips can be prepared in many ways
Anyone who wants to eat the crunchy red fruits raw will immediately grimace. Although they are not poisonous, they are extremely sour because of their high tannin content. Also, the nutlets (seeds with barbed hairs) are best removed beforehand. The later the rose hips are harvested, the more sugary they are. However, it is best to eat them only dried or otherwise processed. After washing, halving and coring, rose hips can either be processed into dried fruit or used to make other health-promoting natural products. To dry, simply place the halved rose hips in the sun or in the oven at 40 degrees.
Rosehip jam and rosehip pulp
Rosehip jam is a fruit jam that is easy to make yourself. For example, one of the many recipes lists rose hips, apple juice and preserving sugar as ingredients. The jam still contains pieces of fruit, unlike the rosehip pulp.Rosehip puree, also known as rosehip pulp, is cooked from fresh fruit, which is then strained twice and fresh lemon juice is added. The puree tastes very delicious with honey. This also makes it more usable for the body. Just one tablespoon of rosehip pulp covers the daily vitamin C requirement of an adult. The lemon juice makes the rose hip pulp last longer. If the delicious spread is still too sour for you, you can also process the pulp with preserving sugar in a 2:1 ratio. 1 kilogram of fresh rose hips yields 500 grams of rose hip pulp.
Rosehip oil for the skin
Rosehip oil is an aromatic fragrant oil made with the help of the seeds and a base oil. It has a general invigorating, stimulating and at the same time relaxing effect. The lightly toned oil can be rubbed on dry skin areas and also used to treat itchy skin. It helps to smooth wrinkles and makes pigment spots fade. Women can also use it to reduce visible stretch marks. Moreover, if olive oil is chosen as a carrier, the final product is suitable as a salad oil.
Make rosehip tea yourself
Rosehip tea is a tasty refreshing drink. The tea is very easy to make yourself. To do this, pour two heaping teaspoons of dried rosehip peel with 250 milliliters of water and simmer on low heat for five to eight minutes. You should not be surprised if the tea does not turn red. This is only the case if hibiscus is also used. By the way, rosehip tea is also available as kernel tea, which is drunk for bladder problems and rheumatism. It is made from the thoroughly dehusked seeds of the rosehip. If you prepare your own rosehip products, however, you should exercise caution and always wear disposable gloves. This is because the seed hairs are highly irritating to the skin.
Buy and store rose hips
Finished products from rose hips are available in health food stores, health food stores or a well-stocked supermarket. However, fresh fruit is rare to obtain. The highest quality rose hips come from the Andean regions of Chile and also Denmark. They have a much higher content of healthy ingredients. Picked rose hips can be kept in the refrigerator for about three days. Homemade rosehip puree can also be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Boiled down or frozen, it can even be kept for at least a year.
Fact Sheet: Rosehip
Rose hips grow on shrubs (Rosa canina) one to two meters high and are found only in the northern hemisphere. Today, they are found mostly in Asia and throughout Europe. The plants are mostly wild and love shrubberies and banks where they receive direct sunlight. They have many delicate pale pink or white flowers that are not double, unlike those of cultivated rose species. In autumn, the elongated-oval to roundish, usually red fruits appear. Strictly speaking, these are false fruits. The actual fruits are the nutlets inside, often referred to as seeds. If you want to pick wild rose hips, you should only harvest them from bushes that have not been sprayed and are far from busy roads. Also, it’s best to protect your hands with thick gloves against the many thorns. Ripe rose hips can be easily removed from the flower base and will give a little when lightly pressed.
