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Rosehip Tea: Effect, Application and How to Make It Yourself

A rosehip tea made from the peel of the fruit brings many health benefits. Here you can find out more about the effect, application and own production of rosehip tea.

Rosehip tea: These active ingredients make rosehips a medicinal plant

Rose hips have been used in natural medicine for a long time. They owe this to their many valuable active ingredients. These include, among other things:

1. Vitamin C

Depending on the variety, 100g of rose hips (ready-to-eat mass) bring up to 1,500 mg of vitamin C. The native rose hip even beats exotics such as the kiwi, which in comparison has just 45 mg of vitamin C per 100g. Vitamin C is important for health because it:

strengthens the immune system,
protects cells from free radicals,
helps to form hormones and messenger substances,
supports the regeneration of skin, hair, nails and connective tissue,
is important for cholesterol and fat metabolism,
helps absorb iron better.

2. Lycopene

Lycopene is a plant pigment that is also extremely valuable for the human body. Because it has an antioxidant effect and thus prevents cell damage.

3. Pectin

Rose hips are rich in pectins. These are dietary fibers that can have a slightly laxative and detoxifying effect in the human body and therefore help with digestive problems and kidney diseases.

Due to these and other valuable ingredients (including vitamins A, B, E and K, flavonoids, calcium, magnesium, iron), the rose hip is considered a local super fruit with great healing effects and health-promoting potential.

Application of rosehip tea

Rosehip tea made from dried peel has a long tradition and is still very popular today. However, the effect of rosehip tea has not been sufficiently scientifically proven, but is based on the experience of folk and naturopathy. Without a doubt, rosehip tea is a wholesome drink. Rosehip tea is often used to:

Relief from digestive problems: The contained pectins increase the volume of the intestinal contents and help to move them quickly through the digestive tract.
Convalescence: Thanks to the many vitamins and minerals in the fruit, rosehip tea can help the body regain strength after illness.
Immune boost: The high vitamin C content makes rosehip tea healthy and stimulates the immune system. In this way, rosehip tea helps the body to fight off disease-causing viruses, bacteria or fungi.

Relief of gastrointestinal complaints: You can also use rosehip tea if you have diarrhea. The pectins in the shell bind water, swell and thus solidify the intestinal contents. Irritated gastric mucosa walls can be soothed with rose hip tea, because the pectins, flavonoids and tannins it contains have a protective effect on the mucous membranes.
Relief of urinary tract problems: There are a lot of fruit acids in rose hips. These have a diuretic effect and thus promote the excretion of pollutants and viruses that cause urinary tract problems.

Recipe: How to make rosehip tea yourself

Rosehip tea is very easy to make yourself. You can either buy already dried rosehip peels in a health food store or organic shop or harvest the rosehips yourself and make a tea. Homemade tea has the advantage that it definitely does not contain any additives such as colorings and artificial flavors.

Make your own rosehip tea

Harvesting rose hips: Rose hips are ripe in late autumn when the fruit yields slightly when pressed with a finger.
Wash and core the rose hips: First wash the rose hips, then remove the stalks and buds. Then cut the hips in half and remove the seeds. There are hairs on the seeds that may cause skin reactions. Therefore, as a precaution, wear (reusable) household gloves. After scraping, wash the shells thoroughly again to remove any hairs.
Drying the rosehips: Now you can dry the rosehip shells. This should be done as gently as possible and without too much heat. It is best to leave the rose hips spread out in a warm place for a few days until they are completely dry. Check regularly that the skins are completely dry.
Storing rosehips: After drying, you can chop the shells up a bit and store them in an airtight container.

Prepare rosehip tea

Brewing: Pour 250ml of hot water on about 2 teaspoons of dried rosehip peel and let the tea steep for 10 minutes.
Consumption: In order to benefit from the greatest possible health effects of rosehip tea, you should drink the tea regularly over a longer period of time. In this way you can strengthen your immune system in the long term.

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health

Rosehip as a Home Remedy and Remedy

Rosehips, the fruit of the wild rose, have been valued as home remedies and remedies for centuries. The application ranges from tea to oils to spreads.

What are rosehips?

Rosehips, the fruit of the wild rose or dog rose, are known and valued as home remedies and remedies in both Europe and Asia. Furthermore, the small vitamin bomb is also known under the names “rose apple” or “whitebeam”. The plant itself is very easy to care for and can be found both wilds in nature and planted in gardens. For the preparation of the individual forms of use, you can mainly use the peel part of the fruit.

Caution itching – the seeds of the rosehip

Children, in particular, have fun teasing each other with an itching powder made from rosehip seeds, which essentially consists only of dried rosehip seeds.

The short, barbed hairs on the surface of the rosehip seeds that are responsible for the itching that occurs when the rosehip seeds come into contact with the body cause a relatively long-lasting itching sensation.

Rosehips – true all-rounders for health and beauty

The high vitamin C content of 400 – 5000 mg per 100 g makes the rosehip a valuable medicinal plant. Therefore also ideal for strengthening the immune system. In addition, the rosehip has other valuable ingredients such as flavones, fruit acids, and vitamin B. The galactolipid contained in the fruit has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Rose hips as a natural remedy

Rose hips have proven to be a natural remedy for numerous diseases:

  • Due to the high vitamin C content, regular consumption of rosehip tea already has a positive effect on the body’s immune system. As a result, the rosehip puree is even more recommendable. 1 tablespoon is enough to cover the daily vitamin C requirement of an adult.
  • Highly concentrated rosehip powder is preferred for joint pain, arthrosis, and arthritis, rheumatism, and arteriosclerosis. Therefore, it has proven particularly useful for problems in the hip or knee joints. The powder is available as a capsule and as a tablet.
  • Due to the slightly diuretic effect of the rosehip seeds, an infusion is often used to alleviate problems in the bladder and urinary tract.
  • Current studies are examining the possible use of rosehip as an anti-aging agent and against obesity.

Use of the rosehip

The rosehip can be used primarily for the following areas:

  • Tea can be served hot or cold and is both a preventative and a simple home remedy for colds.
  • Jam or mush ensures that the vitamin C requirement is quickly covered.
  • Oil can be used mainly for beauty care.
  • You can treat joint problems with powder in capsules and as tablets.

Preparation of rosehip mousse

The preparation of rosehip puree is very easy. Here is a short recipe:

  • 1 kg ripe rose hips (as fresh as possible)
  • Some water
  • the juice of half a lemon

Put the washed fruits in a saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot and cover the pot with a lid. Slowly bring the rose hips to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Then pass the cooked fruit through a sieve and add lemon juice. This makes the mush a bit more acidic, but also more durable. The mousse can be kept covered in the refrigerator for a few days. If the mush is to be kept longer, it can also be frozen or boiled down in screw-top jars.

Rosehips in beauty care

The rosehip was already an insider tip for beauty in ancient times. If you believe in Greek mythology, the beauty of the goddess of love Aphrodite, for example, can be attributed to the effect of the rosehip. The effect of the oil is particularly appreciated in combating wrinkles and all signs of skin aging.

Compared to many other skincare oils, rosehip oil is relatively dry and does not leave an unpleasant greasy film on the skin. Rosehip oil (also commercially available as wild rose oil) not only has a skin-smoothing effect but has also proven to be very successful in the treatment of scar tissue.

A few drops of rosehip oil rubbed into the ends of the hair give them pleasant elasticity and help to prevent split ends. In order to achieve the best possible shelf life of rosehip oil, the oil should be stored in a dark bottle in a relatively cool place. By adding a few drops of vitamin E, the shelf life can be increased even further.

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Food

Rosehip and Hibiscus: The Dynamic Duo in a Teacup

Nobody thinks of rosehip or hibiscus when talking about superfood. The two plants that are native to us are quite large suppliers of vitamins and can also be used as medicinal plants in other ways.

Hibiscus – this is what most people associate with images of spring and beautiful, pink or white flowers on ornamental shrubs in gardens. Or potted plants on the balcony, which delight the eye every year. But the plant from the hibiscus family is rarely classified as a superfood.

Hibiscus is edible? Well, not quite, but the flowers come into the (tea) cup more often than expected. And usually together with another, little-noticed fruit: the rosehip. The orange to bright red fruit of the wild rose can be seen everywhere in hedges, forest edges and windbreak belts in late autumn. Nobody seems to be interested in the vitamin C bombs, at most as a decorative element on Advent wreaths and other winter arrangements. It’s a pity really, because the dynamic duo can do more than just bloom pretty in spring and deliver colorful fruit in autumn.

Karkade, the hibiscus plant for tea

Hibiscus belongs to the mallow family (Malvaceae) and is one of an estimated 200 to 675 subspecies. Hibiscus is understood to mean several species, but only Hibiscus sabdariffa is used as a tea and medicinal plant. Other names for this hibiscus species are roselle, karkade or African mallow. In German, the mallow family is actually called marshmallow. However, the old German term for this is only rarely used, mostly in connection with its use in herbal medicine.

Other hibiscus species are often used as ornamental plants in gardens, parks, indoors or on the balcony because of their beautiful, large flowers in spring. The mallow species originally came from Asia, but today the various hibiscus variants can be found in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world. They occur as annual or perennial herbaceous plants, shrubs or trees. The hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa or roselle) used in folk medicine as a medicinal plant is one of the annual, herbaceous representatives. Since the plant comes from warm regions, it is rarely hardy and should therefore overwinter indoors.

Harvesting, processing and use of hibiscus

Hibiscus is harvested when it is in bloom. The hibiscus plant can grow over three meters high and has several large flowers. When the seeds ripen, these change their color to a deep, bright dark red, and the calyx becomes fleshy. This is the ideal time to harvest the hibiscus. The flowers are then dried and stored for further use. Hibiscus blossoms have a pleasant and slightly sour taste and turn an intense red colour. The flowers are therefore a popular addition to desserts, teas, jams, liqueurs or Indian curries. The fibrous components, which can be processed like jute, are obtained from the plant stalks. Hibiscus is therefore often grown in developing countries to reduce dependence on jute imports.

Effect of hibiscus as a medicinal plant

Hibiscus in the Sabdariffa variety is mainly used as a food because of its taste and color. Nevertheless, the flowers contain a lot of vitamin C and are also said to have an expectorant effect. Hibiscus is said to help with colds. This is perhaps still known from the marshmallow candies or the marshmallow tea that grandma always recommended to us when we had a cough. In addition, hibiscus is said to have a circulatory, laxative, appetizing and diuretic effect.

Above all, however, two spectrums of effects of hibiscus have been scientifically examined: the lowering of blood pressure and lipids. Five researchers have found that three cups of tea with hibiscus per day can actually lower high blood pressure. Of course, this is not definitive proof of its effectiveness, but it can be considered a good indication of it. Side effects are not known when consuming hibiscus tea, it is considered a soft drink in Sudan and neighboring regions.

Botanical knowledge about the rosehip

The rose hip, also known as Hägen, Hiefe, Hiffen, Hetscherl or Hetschepetsche, is the fruit of all types of roses, regardless of whether they are cultivated roses or wild roses. These are not real fruits, but aggregate fruits. They serve as a sort of natural receptacle for the hairy, barbed seeds (nutlets).

Although all species of roses produce rosehips, what we commonly mean by “rosehip” is the fruit of the wild dog rose (Rosa canina). This rose species is the most widespread wild rose in Europe. It usually grows in hedges – this is also in the rosehip with the word part “Hage”. The climbing plant, which can grow up to five meters high and 300 years old, grows on almost all soils except in the mountains. In spring it blooms with small, non-double roses. In autumn it forms the characteristic, orange to bright red fruits – the rose hips.

Harvesting and use of the rosehip

The rose hip is non-toxic and can be eaten both raw and processed. If the fruits remain on the bush, they are extremely durable and often still edible in spring. The false fruits have to be harvested by hand. A ripe rose hip can be easily removed from the stalk – so you can be sure to pick only ripe fruit. In principle, the harvest time for rose hips begins around mid-October and lasts until the end of March. After the first frost, the rosehip releases a particularly large amount of sugar and then tastes sweeter.

You can collect rose hips almost anywhere. But make sure that there is not a field right next to it that has been treated with sprays and pesticides. You should also avoid picking them next to busy roads.

You can use the rosehip with or without nuts either fresh, as rosehip tea, rosehip oil or in various recipes. And there is another “use” that you may know from your childhood: Because of the barbs on the seeds, an “itching powder” can also be made from the rosehip.

Jam and other recipes with rosehip

Rosehip jam is an excellent change at the breakfast table and very rich in vitamin C. To do this, the rosehips are halved and the nuts are completely removed, otherwise they would be quite annoying when eaten. The outer shells are then cooked into jam like any other fruit. Other ideas for cooking with the rosehip are, for example, a rosehip soup, rosehip liqueur or pickled fruit.

Rosehip oil makes you beautiful

Rosehip oil can also be extracted from the rosehip. To do this, the real seeds of the rosehip are mechanically pressed or the oil is chemically extracted. Stored in a cool, dark place and usually stabilized with vitamin E, the light yellow to orange-red oil will keep for about a year. Rosehip oil is particularly effective against dry, chapped skin and for wound healing. It is therefore used both medicinally, for example for psoriasis (psoriasis) and burns, and in cosmetics, for example in anti-wrinkle creams.

Rosehip tea, the classic

The most well-known use of the rosehip is certainly the rosehip tea. For one cup, pour hot water over about 2 g of dried fruit and let it steep for a few minutes. The tea made from the rosehip tastes pleasantly refreshing and sour, which is why the fruits are also often used as a flavor enhancer in teas. But was on the vitamin C of the rosehip as a remedy for colds, which is wrong with the tea. On the one hand, the vitamin C content decreases significantly with storage. On the other hand, the vitamin is not heat-resistant. Rosehip jam or jelly or fresh fruit work better here.

What is the effect of rosehip?

So what effect does the rose hip have? Is Rosehip Really Healthy? The fruits are healthy when they are not full of pesticides or exhaust fumes, but definitely when they are fresh. They are full of vitamin C and also contain various fruit acids, pectins, carotenoids and tannins. Overall, the rosehip has an antioxidant effect. It was found that the pseudopods of the rose bush have a positive effect on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

According to a meta-study, rosehip also promises relief from osteoarthritis. This is probably due to the fruit acids, but needs more research. Perhaps this can be observed in animal “test objects” – the rosehip has been used for many years as an accompanying therapy for horses with problems in the joints.

Where can I buy hibiscus and rose hips?

It is best not to buy the rosehip, but collect it yourself from suitable places. If you need the red pseudopods in larger quantities, you can buy them dried in health food stores, organic shops, drugstores, pharmacies and of course in various online shops. Since the hibiscus for tea does not grow in our latitudes, it has to be bought dried and cut. You can get it wherever rose hips are sold.

Of course you can also put a hibiscus plant in the living room, but the flowers don’t last very long. When buying rosehip and hibiscus, the most important thing to look for is organic quality – nobody wants sprays and pesticides in the tea. With rosehip, you should also pay attention to the origin. By the way, there are also hibiscus from German greenhouses. A look at the label reveals the origin and helps to minimize the ecological footprint.

Summary of the dynamic tea duo

Both the hibiscus and the rosehip are not superfoods in the strict sense. But tea made from it tastes good, refreshes and can boost the immune system and metabolism. Fresh rose hips also have a possible anti-arthritis effect and a high vitamin C content. All in all, the two underestimated plants are worth trying and relatively harmless from an ecological point of view.

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Food

4 Edible Wild Plants to Collect in The Fall

Many wild plants bear fruit in autumn and thus provide us with nutrient-rich food for free. We introduce you to four interesting wild plants and show you how you can use them in the kitchen.

If you go for a walk regularly in autumn, you can also keep an eye out for edible wild plants and thus obtain food directly from nature. You can easily recognize many plants by their colorful fruits.

Wild plants in autumn: the mountain ash

You can recognize the mountain ash, also known as the rowan berry, by its small, spherical and red-colored fruits. These usually grow in small bundles on the branch. You can harvest them between August and October. However, only the fruits of the sweet rowan varieties are edible. Other varieties contain too many bitter substances, which makes the small berries inedible.

You can recognize the Moravian (or edible) mountain ash, for example, by the multi-pinnate leaves, which are darker and larger than the leaves of other varieties. The rowan berries of this rowan species are also significantly larger with a diameter of about 13 millimeters.

Thorny, but with sweet fruits: the hawthorn

Another wild plant that bears fruit in the fall is the hawthorn. It belongs to the rose family and grows as a small tree or large shrub. It reaches a height of about 500 to 700 centimeters. Its long sharp thorns are particularly characteristic. In spring you can also recognize it by the magnificent white flowers, which look beautiful but smell unpleasant.

The fruits are ripe in August and September. They have a diameter of about one centimeter, are uniform and dark red in color. You should only harvest the fruits after the first frost, when they are really sweet and tasty.

Well-known wild plant in autumn: the rosehip

One of the best-known types of fruit that grows on wild plants in autumn is the rosehip. Rose hips are the fruit of different types of roses. They come from the blossoms of the rose. Particularly common types of roses that form the aromatic fruits are, for example, the dog, mountain or wine rose.

You can harvest the rosehips themselves in October and November. They are rarely available from September. In addition to the characteristic and mostly pleasantly scented rose blossoms, you can recognize the rose hips themselves by their spherical or oval shape. The fruits are usually red, orange or yellow in colour. However, some varieties also have a greenish to brownish tinge.

It hurts, but it’s healthy: the stinging nettle

You can use all parts of the nettle plant as a spice or medicinal herb. Leaves and roots are available all year round and contain, among other things, significant amounts of vitamins A, C and K as well as calcium, iron, magnesium and high-quality vegetable protein.

In autumn, the wild plant provides us with its seeds in particular. You can recognize stinging nettles by their oval-shaped leaves, which end in a point at the front and are deeply notched at the edges. The burning pain that emanates from the leaves is also particularly characteristic. You should therefore be careful when harvesting.

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Food

Rosehip Powder: Effect, Side Effects and Application

Rosehip powder is obtained from the fruits of the rose and used as a local dietary supplement. You can find out more about the application, effect and possible side effects in this article.

Rose hips are the fruit of one of the most well-known plants – the rose. Many do not know that the red fruits not only look pretty, but also taste good. You can drink rose hips as a tea or process them into rose hip jam.

What is less known is that rose hips can also be processed into powder. Here we explain what rosehip powder is and how you can use it.

Note: In general, you should eat a balanced and varied diet. Then you can get all the nutrients you need without supplements. If you suspect you are lacking nutrients in your diet, seek medical advice.

Rosehip powder as a nutrient supplier

All the nutritional power of the rose is concentrated in rosehip powder. This is considered to be very rich in nutrients: rosehip pulp, for example, contains 20 times more vitamin C than lemon.

If you dry rose hips and then grind them, you get a powder. This contains many healthy ingredients such as:

Galactolipids: help scavenge free radicals in the body
Polyphenols: have a health-promoting and antioxidant effect
Carotenoids: have a cell-protecting and antioxidant effect
Pectin: belongs to the dietary fibers, supports digestion
Minerals: important for many bodily functions
Tannins: inhibit or kill microorganisms

This is how rosehip powder works

Rosehip powder is said to help against many ailments and support a healthy lifestyle.

Because it contains galactolipid, rosehip powder can help against joint pain caused by arthritis and arthrosis or rheumatism. Because galactolipid binds radicals and can help relieve pain in inflamed joints, tendons and cartilage and fight inflammation.

The galactolipid is also said to prevent calcium deposits in vessels and thus help to prevent arteriosclerosis. In this disease, the blood vessels calcify – this can lead to heart attacks and strokes, among other things.

Rosehip powder is also said to be used as a natural pain reliever. It is said to help against stomach and liver pain. It is easier on the stomach than aspirin or ibuprofen.

Rosehip tea and rosehip powder also have a slightly draining and diuretic effect. Therefore, rosehip powder can also be taken to combat urinary tract infections and kidney diseases.

Due to its high vitamin C content, rosehip powder has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. The many healthy ingredients also support the immune system and help with colds.
Note: The study situation is still unclear for many of the effects described. If you wish to take rosehip powder as a drug substitute, we recommend that you seek medical advice first.

Does rosehip powder have any side effects?

Rosehip powder is a very gentle dietary supplement. So far no side effects are known.

Because it is so well tolerated, the powder is even suitable for pregnant women.
If you consume a lot of rosehip powder, your urge to urinate may increase. You should then make sure to drink enough fluids – especially water.
Note: This article cannot replace a doctor’s visit. If you have serious health problems or are unsure about taking it, you should always seek medical advice.

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