Rosehip Dog

Rosaceae - Rosaceae. Common name: wild rose. Parts used: false fruits with or without nuts, nuts. Pharmacy name: rosehip with seeds - Cynosbati fructus cum semine (formerly: Fructus Cynosbati cum semine), rosehip without seeds - Cynosbati fructus sine semine (formerly: Fructus Cynosbati sine semine), rosehip seeds - Cynosbati semen (formerly: Semen Cynosbati).

Botanical description. It is a shrub that can reach a height of more than a meter. The drooping stems are covered with odd-pinnate leaves, which have stipules at the base on both sides. Most often, the leaf consists of 5 or 7 ovate-elliptic leaflets. The stems and leaves have hard spines.

The flowers are light pink-red, odorless. From the fleshy receptacle develops a false fruit, which when ripe appears orange-red and contains numerous hairy nuts inside, usually called seeds. Blooms in June-July.

It is found on the edge of forests, boundaries, in thickets of bushes, hedges and on sunny slopes.

Collection and preparation. In autumn, fully ripe rose hips are harvested. Before drying, they are cut; the seeds are removed if you want to have them separately or if you need to get a product without seeds. Drying should occur very quickly. Artificial drying with heating up to 40°C is possible. The material must be kept in well-closed containers to preserve the active ingredients.

Active ingredients: a lot of vitamin C, other vitamins (A, B1, B2, K, P), minerals, organic acids, flavonoids, tannins and sugar; seeds contain vanillin.

Healing action and application. The presence of these substances makes rose hips a valuable plant, the tea from which not only tastes good, but is also popular as a preventative against colds, providing a refreshing effect and at the same time increasing the body's defenses. The fact is that vitamin C stimulates the formation of antibodies and, therefore, activates defenses against infections. And since at high temperatures vitamin C is consumed by the body especially quickly, this is another indicator that a person needs vitamin C for his protection and how important it is to introduce it into the body.

In addition, its effect on the adrenal glands has been proven, that is, on the formation of hormones important for the body and, consequently, on increasing vitality. Finally, vitamin C is essential for wound healing. Rosehip tea is therefore useful for infections with high fever, general weakness and poorly healing wounds.

It is also important for older people whose intestines only have difficulty accepting vitamins introduced into the body. Due to the presence of organic acids and pectins, rose hips also act as a mild laxative. And, of course, it is very good as an additive to mixtures for the spring course of treatment.

My special advice. With the help of rosehip tea, you can actively prevent colds. However, other medicinal plants that increase our body’s defenses also help resist infections. If, for example, you mix linden blossom in equal parts with rose hips, then the active components of both medicines are combined in an extremely effective tea that also has a very pleasant taste, which should be given when there is a danger of catching a cold.

Use in folk medicine. Rosehip tea (mainly with seeds) is used in folk medicine to improve health, especially for coughs and colds. Syrup or puree made from rosehip is given in case of loss of appetite, a teaspoon at a time. It is believed that rose hips picked from the bush (if you eat them with seeds) expel tapeworms (more valuable). Rosehip seeds are used in folk medicine against stones in the urinary tract, as a mild diuretic and for rheumatism and gout.

Side effects. Very rarely, with long-term use (many months), allergens may occur.