Effects of Rose Hips

Rose hips are the fruit of the rose bush and in the same family as apples and crab apples. They've been an important source of both food and medicine in various cultures; first-century Roman writer Pliny recorded 32 disorders treatable with rose hips. The Romans may have been on to something, as recent clinical trials are showing that rose hip extracts have properties that can help treat modern diseases.

Anti-inflammatory

Rose hips contain anti-inflammatory components such as carotenoid pigments, plant sterols, tocotrienols, anthocyanins, catechins and other known phytochemicals that protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. In a study at Denmark's Kolding Hospital Department of Clinical Chemistry, rose hip powder was taken by human subjects for four weeks and shown to reduce C-reactive protein levels, which can lead to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Antioxidant & Antimicrobial

A study at the University of British Columbia published in May 2007 in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition reported on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of three species of rose hip extracts, Rosa nutkana, Rosa pisocarpa and Rosa woodsii, from wild British Columbia plant populations. Their research showed that all three extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity. That same antioxidant activity was correlated with antimicrobial properties against yeast and gram-positive bacteria.

Arthritis

German research published in the February 2010 journal Phytomedicine followed a double-blind placebo-controlled trial in which patients with rheumatoid arthritis were randomized to be treated with either 5 g of rose-hip powder or matching placebo daily for six months at two outpatient clinics in Berlin and Copenhagen. The patients in the rose-hip group showed a significant improvement on the Physicians Global Pain Scale versus the placebo.

Pain Management

Litozin is a joint care ingredient derived from rose hips and seeds that was used in a year-long clinical trial in Germany to study its effectiveness on chronic pain. Patients in the Litozin group received a 3-mg daily dose, with symptoms assessed every six weeks. As reported in the September 2008 journal Phytotherapy Research, the patients taking Litozin showed noticeable improvement in pain symptoms, with the largest percentage change higher in patients with the greatest initial degrees of pain and disability.

Vitamins

Rose hips contain several vitamins but have particularly high levels of vitamin C. At 1 to 2 percent vitamin C by dry weight, they have an even higher content than citrus fruit, according to Dr. Winston Craig, professor of nutrition at Andrews University. During the Second World War, wild rose hips were harvested to create a vitamin C supplement for children. The vitamin C content may be one reason why rose hips have been used throughout the centuries to treat colds and influenza.