Rose hip properties and characteristics

Benefits of rose hips

Rose hips: one of the richest foods in vitamin C in the world

As it was said at the beginning of the article, these fruits are very interesting because of their enormous richness in vitamin C. It is said that in England, during the Second World War, rosehip syrup had been used as a supplement for children, when other fruits were scarce fresh, due to import problems to obtain other fresh fruits

Rosehip syrup provided them with all the vitamin C that was lacking in the diet, being a real antiscorbutic medicine (scurvy is the disease due to vitamin C deficiency).

Rose hips for anemia

Currently, rosehip syrup is a common ingredient in many vitamin supplements for anemia, because vitamin C increases the absorption of iron from food.

Nutritional supplements with rose hips are also used in natural cold preparations, due to the multiple properties of vitamin C for the immune system and its ability to shorten the disease time.

Rose hips for cholesterol

The huge amount of vitamin C that these fruits contain is not the only thing that makes them exceptional. Rose hips are also very rich in flavonoids such as lycopene, anthocyanins and other phytochemicals that have potent antioxidant properties.

How to take advantage of vitamin C from rose hips?

We know that this vitamin is thermolabile, that is, the temperature spoils it, therefore, if we want to take advantage of all its vitamin C, it is better not to cook the rose hips, or to apply high temperatures.

Nutritional value of rose hips

In addition to vitamin C, rose hips also contain a lot of calcium, potassium and vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotenes), in addition to the nutritional benefits of wild plants. See below the table of nutritional composition of rose hips:

Table of nutritional composition of rose hips

Nutritional composition of rose hips per 100 g.
Fat (seeds)	1,6 gr.
Protein	6,7 gr.
Fiber	4 gr.
Potassium	185 mg
Phosphorus	258 mg
Iron	0,5 mg
Sodium	145 mg
Magnesium	nc
Calcium	257 mg
Vitamin C	2.365 mg
Vitamin A	15.000 mg.

*Related information: How to collect rose hip

More information on rose hips and dog rose

Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

13 August, 2022