2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
They call the rose hip "Queen of Herbs" because its benefits on human health, tone and nutrition are enormous. A cup of rosehip tea or even rosehip jam hides a huge reserve of high content of vitamins, minerals and useful acids. Rose hips have a pleasant taste and have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and cooking.
The rose hip (Rosa canina L.) is actually a shrub with straight or curved stems. They reach a length of 3 m and are covered with hard and thorny, and sometimes crescent-shaped spikes. The cute reddish-orange fruits are monoecious nuts, enclosed in a fleshy flower bed that grows and forms bright red spherical fruits. Rose hips bloom from May to July, and the fruits ripen in autumn. They usually grow in different climatic conditions and latitudes, and we can find their shrubs even at 2000 m above sea level. In addition to Europe, rose hips are widespread in Asia, Africa and North America.
Thousands of years ago, people used rose hips for healing without even knowing its valuable composition. Rose hips were used for the treatment of canine rabies and later for the treatment of disease states known today as avitaminosis. In Russia with rosehip tea once treated ulcers, gastritis, colitis and liver disease.
In China, rose hips have been used as a digestive aid and against worms, in Tibet it has been used to treat atherosclerosis, kidney disease and neurasthenia. Some of the most valuable species of rose hips in Bulgaria are R. pendulina L., R. oxyodon Boiss., R. glauca Pouri. and others. In Bulgarian folk medicine, rose hips are valued for their high content of vitamins and their ability to strengthen the immune system.
Composition of rose hips
Rose hips are literally a bomb of useful substances. They have a high content of vitamin C, as a result of which the fruits improve the redox processes in the cells and the permeability of the capillaries. An additional plus is their diuretic action. It is proved that in 100 g of fruit from shipka contain about 2 g of vitamin C - 30-40 times more than red tomatoes and lemons and about 300 times compared to apples.
Rose hips contain a valuable complex of natural vitamin A (about 5-7 mg%) and essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6), in combination with powerful antioxidant flavonoids and vitamin E, important for strength and beauty. on the skin.
In rose hips we also find vitamins P, B1 (about 430 mg%), B2 and K, as well as pectin (about 11%), oil (about 2%), organic acids (citric and malic), sugars (mostly sucrose, about 2.5 %), tannins and mineral salts (about 3.25%), mostly potassium (about 512 mg%), calcium (about 50 mg%), phosphorus (about 54 mg%), sodium (about 47 mg%) and magnesium (about 122 mg%) of the salt. In terms of mineral salts, rose hips are superior to many fruits and vegetables.
Selection and storage of rose hips
Whenever you have the opportunity to pick rose hips straight from trees, take advantage. The highest content of vitamin C is at the beginning of full maturity of the fruit - when they are bright red and hard. In the leaned and softened rose hips its content is less. It is best to pick the rose hips in September and not wait for them to fully ripen. The bright red color indicates that the rose hips are ready to be picked.
Fresh rose hips surpasses all other varieties - dried rose hips, rosehip tea, rosehip flour. However, in winter, dried rose hips are a good source of vitamin C. Due to the resistance of vitamin C to cold, an enviable amount of it can be found even in marmalades in winter.
Store the rose hips in cloth bags. To keep longer properties of rose hips, you can dry them yourself at home - outdoors or in the oven. The fruit must be dried and stored whole.
If you dry rose hips outdoors, spread the fruit in a dry and welcoming place, hidden from the sun. This will keep the valuable vitamin C in them. Just stir the rose hips from time to time, leaving them to dry for 10 to 12 days. You can also dry the rose hips in the oven at 110 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 70 degrees. Half a kilogram of dried fruit is obtained from a kilogram of fresh rose hips.
Rose hips in cooking
With rose hips can be prepared quite delicious jams, jellies and marmalades, useful and tonic teas, as well as rosehip wine. On store shelves you can find rosehip flour, which is an excellent dietary product. Rosehip syrup is especially suitable for babies and young children who are given it as a dietary supplement. If you eat wholemeal bread with a little butter and rosehip jam for breakfast in the morning, you can be sure that you are starting the day fully.
You can prepare refreshing rosehip drinkwhich is not boiled. Just pour a certain amount of fruit with water and sugar to taste and let stand for 5-6 days. Then strain and consume. Making our favorite rosehip jam is also quite easy. Clean and wash the fruit, cut it in half and rinse again. Fill them with water, 1 cm above the rose hips and bring to a boil.
Strain or rub the well-softened rose hips through a fine sieve and strain through cheesecloth to remove leaves and seeds that are not pleasant to eat. 500 g of sugar and, if desired, 1 tsp are added to 1 kg of the obtained puree. apple puree. Boil the puree with the sugar until it thickens and stir constantly. The finished rosehip jam is poured into warmed jars, close and sterilize for 10 minutes. To make rosehip tea, make a decoction of 1 tbsp. dried rose hips in 250 ml of boiling water. For a better taste, sweeten your tea, not only because it is tastier, but also because sugar stops oxidation.
Benefits of rose hips
The powerful antioxidants in rose hips help to maintain the natural beauty of the skin - make it healthy, elastic and make it look youthful, because the fruits have powerful tools that eliminate the symptoms of its aging - wrinkles, blemishes and even stretch marks. Rose hips are used for prophylactic treatment and accelerated recovery of the skin (dermis, epidermis, collagen and elastin), to strengthen the blood vessels and cell membranes of all cells in order for them to function properly. The rich content of pectins and tannins in rose hips helps against gastrointestinal and bronchial diseases, forming a protective layer on both mucous membranes.
The effectiveness of rose hips in the treatment of influenza, cough, uterine and nasal bleeding are only a small part of its hidden talents in helping human health. By eating rosehip products regularly, we activate the enzyme systems and the processes of hormone synthesis, which have a hemostatic effect and have a beneficial effect on carbohydrate metabolism and vascular permeability. Rose hips are widely used in burns or rather in the treatment of burn wounds. Rosehip oil helps with joint pain.
Vitamin C in combination with others valuable ingredients of rose hips increase the vitality and efficiency of the body. They are a powerful tool in the treatment of beriberi (scurvy) and hypovitaminosis (spring fatigue, a condition after a serious illness). If you have problems with the immune and circulatory system, then rose hips are your faithful helpers. They can improve the work of the brain and thyroid gland.
There is evidence that rosehip therapy helps with sand and stones in the urinary tract, as well as in the fight against local or general infections (scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough and pneumonia). In addition to all this, small reddish fruits are the first friend of our liver, they lower blood sugar levels, which makes rose hips extremely suitable for consumption by diabetics.
Damage from rose hips
Rose hips may have a burning property. It is important to wash the fruits well before use and to clean them from the tips, seeds and hairs. Otherwise, you may get a disorder.
Recommended:
Plant Foods High In Protein
If you are one of those people who treat their health responsibly, then you are at least a little familiar with the topic of healthy eating and the importance of a balanced diet for health. The role of the nutrients we get from food is huge for our self-esteem, and so we saturate our body with important vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
What Are Plant Proteins And Where To Get Them?
Protein is extremely important for the human body. They are made up of smaller particles called amino acids. There are about 20 amino acids, eight of which are considered essential. This means that they cannot be delivered to the body without fats and dairy products.
Unhealthy Plant-based Foods
Plant foods are becoming increasingly popular not only among those who adopt a vegan lifestyle, but also among those who simply want to eat healthier, reducing environmental damage. Indeed, eating plant products is a very healthy choice.
Differences Between Plant And Animal Protein
Did you know that about 20% of our body is made up of protein? Because our body does not have a natural supply of this macronutrient, it is important that we provide it through our food on a daily basis. The sources are many and varied - in addition to various meats and fish, it can also come from dairy and plant products.
Does A Plant-based Diet Protect Against Diabetes?
It turns out that the old adage One apple a day keeps the doctor away may actually be true. A new study shows that the more plant foods you eat , the lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. People who ate mostly plant products reduce the risk of diabetes by 23%, the study found.
