Rose hips are a delicious, nutritious wild food. According to "The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants," wild foods are hearty, strengthening and provide a high level of antioxidants. To nourish yourself and your baby with their flavonoids, vitamins and minerals, enjoy rose hips throughout your pregnancy in a tea or rose hip sauce.
Source
According to "The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants," rose hips are the round red fruit of the dog rose, which grows in temperate zones worldwide. Look for them growing in open areas in the wild---the fruit matures in autumn--or check at your local health food store where dried rose hips may be available in the bulk herb section.
Nutrition
Rose hips provide important nutrients to keep your baby healthy. According to "The New Age Herbalist," rose hips contain 20 times more vitamin C than an orange. They are high in vitamins A, E and K and supply manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. According to "An Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants," rose hips are a good source of flavonoids, which strengthen blood vessels, help your body absorb vitamin C, decrease cell damage and fight inflammation.
Vitamin C in Pregnancy
According to babycenter.com, you should consume 85 mg of vitamin C every day while you are pregnant---a 1 oz. serving of rose hips provides 119 mg of vitamin C. This high intake of vitamin C is necessary to make collagen for your baby's bones, cartilage and tendons. It supports your immune system and helps your body fight off infections. It is better to consume vitamin C from food sources than from supplements.
Iron and Vitamin C
According to babycenter.com, vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, an important mineral to make hemoglobin for your baby's blood, myoglobin for their muscles and collagen for their bones and cartilage. Your body absorbs more of the iron in food when you consume it along with foods that are high in Vitamin C. So eat rose hips along with iron-rich foods such as oatmeal, chickpeas or pumpkin seeds for a nutritional boost.
Rose Hip Recipes
To prepare rose hip tea, pour one cup of boiling water over 1 oz. of dried rose hips and let it steep for 20 minutes. Strain and drink. For rose hip sauce, melt 1 cup of sugar into 2 cups of boiling water. Add 2 cups of halved rose hips and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the sauce and let it cool before eating. Enjoy rose hip sauce over vegetables, grains, breads, yogurt or cereal.
References
- "The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants"; Andrew Chevallier; 1996
- Nutrition data: Rose Hips, wild (Northern Plains Indians)
- "An Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants"; Mary Bove; 1996
- babycenter: Vitamin C in your pregnancy diet
- babycenter: Iron in your pregnancy diet
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