What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Shakespeare.
The origin of the rose plant, which is famous for being beautiful and elegant, is from a wild rose plant that can reach few meters tall, the color is simple pink, the thorns are many and large, the age can reach hundreds of years. Wild rose flowers usually fall off easily, smell very soft, and can produce rose hips which are used for refreshing and healthy herbal tea drinks with a sweet-sour taste.
Pollination of wild roses by nature (insects and wind) is the key to success so that these plants survive as they are today. Wild roses are different from modern roses. Modern roses can be crossed and colored from genetic material of other flowers so that they can be colorful until some are blue, the flowers are thick and even have layers of petals, and deliberately short stems without thorns to make it easier for humans to enjoy. Most of the modern roses cannot produce rose hips.
Nature seems to have another purpose; hybrid roses never bear fruit even though the flowers are more durable and reproduce by stem cuttings that cannot produce roots deep in the ground. Not a seasonal dream, everything that is good for humans is not necessarily good for all creatures.
Wild rose, Rosa rugosa is the ancestor of all roses in the world. It’s native to eastern Asia and southeastern Siberia. So simple beauty (5-9 wrinkled petals), smell pure perfume (rose absolute), produce healthy fruits (rose hips). The facts about wild rose plants remind us that nature gives humans a chance to explore the benefits of the rose absolute perfume and rose hip tea; rather than enjoy the beauty and elegance of the rose flowers only.
Rose hip tea is packed with vitamins and antioxidants that may strengthen our immune system and help with weight loss. Rose hip has hard and sticky seeds inside, thorns that prick you when you go to forage them at the highest location of the plant. These are just small obstacles to stop foraging them as their medicinal benefits, as well as taste and smell, are fully worth it.
A meta-analysis of human studies examining the potential for rose hip extracts to reduce inflammation and pain. It was reported that rose hips may fight skin aging (e.g., cell longevity, skin wrinkles, moisture, and elasticity), and may protect against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
According to FoodData Central, the nutrition facts of the rose hips per serving size 16 g or 2 tablespoons: Calories 26, carbohydrate 6 g, fiber 4 g, vitamin A 4% of the Daily Value (DV), vitamin B5 3% DV, vitamin C 76% DV, vitamin E 6% DV. According to the database from the National Institutes of Health, rose hips get their red-orange color from carotenoid pigments known as beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. These pigments have been shown to promote skin and eye health. They are also rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, such as catechin, quercetin, and ellagic acid. A diet rich in these compounds can help lower inflammation and oxidative stress. Moreover, rose hip tea is rich in calcium, iron. magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
Prepare a rose hip tea drink as you prepare the regular tea drink. Please consult your physician if you have an allergic reaction with herbs. Special precautions and warning: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if rose hip is safe to use as medicine when pregnant or breast-feeding. Drinking the large dose of rose hip might increase the chance of getting kidney stones due to the too much vitamin C.
-Bintoro Gunadi
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