An accessory fruit of the rose plant, the rose hip is also called rose hep or rose haw. Other names include dog rose fruit, hipberries, hip fruit, hop fruit, and brier hip. It is usually red or orange, but in some species, the color ranges from dark purple to black.
The fruit begins to form in early summer, and ripens in the late summer through autumn. It is popularly used to make the traditional Hungarian fruit brandy called palinka, which is well known in countries sharing Austro-Hungarian history.
The rose hips come in two varieties – Rosa gallica and Rosa canina, which are native to Asia, Europe, and North Africa. The fruit is usually harvested either about a week after the first frost or in late fall.
What Is Rosehip Good For?
The fruit has a number of uses. Primarily, it has its use in preventing a number of ailments – some of those include osteoarthritis and stomach ailments (1). It can also be used as a diuretic and mild laxative. The fruit is also used to reduce thirst and other types of gastric inflammation (2).
Before we proceed to the actual rosehips benefits, let’s first have a glance at nutritional value of this fruit.
Rose Hips Nutrition Facts
Here is the detailed information about rosehip nutritional benefits.
Health Benefits Of Rose Hips
Rosehips benefits are many and the reason that they are so popular is because they are highly effective in treating a wide variety of health conditions. Let us see what are they.
Prevent Cancer And Other Chronic Diseases
According to one study, rose hip extract had reduced the growth and migration of breast cancer cells (3). In the study, the highest concentrations of rose hip extract had reduced the migration of breast cancer cells by as much as 45 percent. The fruit extract also prevented the cancerous growth in the brain, a place where the breast cancer cells tend to spread to.
Another Serbian study focuses on the phytochemicals present in rose hip tea. The polyphenols present in the fruit prevent the human cancer cells from proliferating (4).
According to a Spanish study, rose hips could be active components in functional diets that can help prevent colorectal cancer (5). The fruit also has an anti-inflammatory action, which contributes to its cancer-preventive properties (6). Rose hips contain certain bioactive compounds like phenols, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), beta-carotene, tannins, and pectins – all of which help curb oxidative stress, which can otherwise lead to cancer (7).
A Japanese study also stressed on the efficacy of the fruit to suppress inflammation and the resultant cancer cell proliferation (8). One major flavonoid in rose hip, called tiliroside, possesses commendable anti-inflammatory action. Though the rose hip extract is safe, one thing must be kept in mind – patients who are taking rose hip along with some medication must exercise extra care.
Rose hips also contain other active compounds called carotenoids, which are known to decelerate the expansion of certain forms of tumor (9). Rose hip extract was also found to prevent epithelitis, which could be caused by radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer (10). The fruit has also been observed to stop and even reverse the growth of certain cancers (11).
Rose hips, surprisingly, also contain lycopene (the compound that renders them their red color). Lycopene is popular for its anticancer activity. It stimulates the communication between cells, the damage of which leads to the growth of cancerous tumors (12).
An accessory fruit of the rose plant, the rose hip is also called rose hep or rose haw. Other names include dog rose fruit, hipberries, hip fruit, hop fruit, and brier hip. It is usually red or orange, but in some species, the color ranges from dark purple to black.
The fruit begins to form in early summer, and ripens in the late summer through autumn. It is popularly used to make the traditional Hungarian fruit brandy called palinka, which is well known in countries sharing Austro-Hungarian history.
The rose hips come in two varieties – Rosa gallica and Rosa canina, which are native to Asia, Europe, and North Africa. The fruit is usually harvested either about a week after the first frost or in late fall.
What Is Rosehip Good For?
The fruit has a number of uses. Primarily, it has its use in preventing a number of ailments – some of those include osteoarthritis and stomach ailments (1). It can also be used as a diuretic and mild laxative. The fruit is also used to reduce thirst and other types of gastric inflammation (2).
Before we proceed to the actual rosehips benefits, let’s first have a glance at nutritional value of this fruit.
Rose Hips Nutrition Facts
Here is the detailed information about rosehip nutritional benefits.
Health Benefits Of Rose Hips
Rosehips benefits are many and the reason that they are so popular is because they are highly effective in treating a wide variety of health conditions. Let us see what are they.
Prevent Cancer And Other Chronic Diseases
According to one study, rose hip extract had reduced the growth and migration of breast cancer cells (3). In the study, the highest concentrations of rose hip extract had reduced the migration of breast cancer cells by as much as 45 percent. The fruit extract also prevented the cancerous growth in the brain, a place where the breast cancer cells tend to spread to.
Another Serbian study focuses on the phytochemicals present in rose hip tea. The polyphenols present in the fruit prevent the human cancer cells from proliferating (4).
According to a Spanish study, rose hips could be active components in functional diets that can help prevent colorectal cancer (5). The fruit also has an anti-inflammatory action, which contributes to its cancer-preventive properties (6). Rose hips contain certain bioactive compounds like phenols, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), beta-carotene, tannins, and pectins – all of which help curb oxidative stress, which can otherwise lead to cancer (7).
A Japanese study also stressed on the efficacy of the fruit to suppress inflammation and the resultant cancer cell proliferation (8). One major flavonoid in rose hip, called tiliroside, possesses commendable anti-inflammatory action. Though the rose hip extract is safe, one thing must be kept in mind – patients who are taking rose hip along with some medication must exercise extra care.
Rose hips also contain other active compounds called carotenoids, which are known to decelerate the expansion of certain forms of tumor (9). Rose hip extract was also found to prevent epithelitis, which could be caused by radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer (10). The fruit has also been observed to stop and even reverse the growth of certain cancers (11).
Rose hips, surprisingly, also contain lycopene (the compound that renders them their red color). Lycopene is popular for its anticancer activity. It stimulates the communication between cells, the damage of which leads to the growth of cancerous tumors (12).