|  Latin name:
Rosa Canina
Family :
Rosaceae
Other names:
Rosa Canina, Brier hip, brier, rose,
dogberry, dog rose, eglantine gall, hep
tree, hip fruit, hip tree, hop fruit,
hogseed, sweet brier, wild brier,
witches' brier
Habitat:
Rosa canina is the dried, ripe aggregate
fruits of Rosa canina L. (Fam. Rosaceae),
a shrub common throughout Europe
including the British Isles. It is one of
the many species of wild rose found in
the countryside.
Parts Used:
The fruit.
It was chosen
as an ingredient of Wonderup because:
the high content in Vitamin C facilitates
the absorption of all the other active
ingredients of the natural components of
Wonderup.
Besides, it also contains bioflavonoids,
ie. phytoestrogens, that rebalance
the natural production of female hormones
(estrogens), which are 'caught' by the
receptor sites of the mammary glands in
the breast as food for their
development.
Other
characteristics and properties:
 Rosehips
have a higher proportion of vitamin C
than any other commonly available fruit
or vegetable, and provide one of the most
freely available sources of this vitamin.
There is as much vitamin C in a cup of
rosehip pulp as in 40 oranges.
Vitamins A, B1-3 and K are also present. Bioflavonoids,
present in the pulp and the rind of the
fruits, exert a synergic action to
Vitamin C, facilitating its abosrption by
the organism.
Since Vitamin C (also known as
ascorbic acid) cannot be directly
synthesyzed by man (unlike animals), it
must be introduced either with food, with
a proper nutritional intake, or with
dietary supplements, in cases when the
diet is lacking in Vitamin C as often
occurs. (The Western lifestyle,
industrial and environmental pollution,
the influence of electronic and electric
devices, and cigarette smoke are all
factors which increase our need of
Vitamin C so that supplements are
practically necessary also for the
healthiest people!).
Properties of
Vitamin C :
* Boosts immune system and defences.
It fights any infection, from common
colds to flu to viruses.
* Helps combat stress and fatigue.
Makes an excellent tonic for
exhaustion. Useful for convalescence.Can
act like an antihistaminic making
your own naturally produced cortisone
work better.
* It is an excellent antioxidant.
Has an antitoxic and antipollution
effect. Vitamin C is the cleansing
vitamin, it detoxifies teh body from
foreign harmful substances.
Smokers should know that they consume
25 mg of Vitamin C for every cigarette.
Rosehip thus supplies the proper quantity
of Vitamin C "burned" with
cigarette smoke, and also helps get rid
of nicotine dependence.
* Enhances the absorption of iron
from intestines.
* Controls the level of cholesterol
in blood.
* Vitamin C contributes to hemoglobin
and red-blood-cell production in bone
marrow.
* Makes vitamin B9 (folic
acid) active.
* Elderly people have a great
need of Vitamin C (it prevents
cross-linking, and, being an antioxidant,
helps keep tissues young and healthy,
protecting them against the attack of
free radicals, the main factors in the
ageing process).
* Helps in the healing of wounds
and is very useful also in boils
since it facilitates the formation of
connective tissue (helps form collagen
in connective tissue).
ACTIVE
INGREDIENTS in Rosehips (besides vitamin
C) : Tannins, pectines,
carotenoids, organic acids . Rich in bioflavonoids.
 PROPERTIES OF
ROSEHIPS:
* vitaminic
* antiinflammatory
* improves blood circulation
* anitallergenic - reinforces
immune defences especially at the
respiratory level - it is therefore a
useful remedy for the prevention of
breathing allergies
* diuretic - Rose Hips are
particularly beneficial for the digestive
system, producing a diuretic effect
without irritation of the kidneys.
They are also recommended for kidney or
bladder inflammation. By elimination uric
acid accumulations, rose hips also help
gouty and rheumatic complaints.
* astringent - Thanks to the
presence of tannins, substances with
astringent properties, it is very useful
in treating diarrhea.
According to the Nobel Prize Linus
Pauling , if taken in abundant doses,
it can prevent and fight cancer.
 COSMETIC USE
Rosehips contains betacarotene or Vitamin
A which is a powerful antioxidant
against free radicals and is therefore
recommended for the prevention of
wrinkles, ageing of the skin, sunburns.
Culinary
uses: Rose hips make an
excellent jelly, and a flavorful tea.
History and
Curiosities:
Rosa canina (rosehip or dog rose) is well
known for its efficacy in strengthening
the body's defences against infection
and particularly the common cold.
 In
the Middle Ages it was commonly
used in folk remedies for chest
problems, and the hips were popular in
their own right as a sweetmeat before the
development of the sweet products of
today. In 1597, Gerard (one of the most
famous historical herbalists ) wrote that
they were "most pleasant meates and
banketting dishes, as tartes and such
like."
Rosehips played a very important part
in the provision of vitamin C to
British children during World War 2
to replace the normal source from citrus
fruits. By the end of the war the
annual harvest was around 450 tons, and
the collection of the hips continued
until the early 1950's.
The eighteenth century process of
pureeing the hips by hand is no longer
used, but the benefits in cases as
diverse as kidney, bladder and
constipatory problems are still
appreciated by herbalists today.
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