Rose Hips for Wellness

There's nothing like a rose to stimulate feelings of wellbeing. And nothing quite like rose hip - the actual fruit of a rose - to enhance health and promote wellness.

Of all the roses, the beautiful Wild Dog Rose is the type most often cultivated for their hips. Once the flower has bloomed, and all the petals have fallen off, the hip is picked and used in a range of herbal preparations. Rose hips contain a variety of antioxidants (especially Vitamin C), Vitamin A, carotenoids, and other plant compounds that are recognized for their role in preventing degenerative disease, including heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Many natural health practitioners use rose hip to treat wounds and inflammation. Rose hip oil is commonly used in cosmetics as it has the ability to revitalize skin cells. It has been used to treat scars, acne and burns. In Germany, rose hip powder (capsule) has been used to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Herbalists have long used rose hip tea to ease constipation and as a supplement to treat a cold.

Rose hip pulp can be incorporated into sauces or made into a jelly. Standardized extracts are also available in capsules. Always check with Dr. Bossio or your wellness practitioner before using any herbal remedy.

Image Attribution: Anna21/bigstockphoto.com

References

Cleavers (Gallium aparine)

Native to Europe but naturalized to the U.S., cleavers has historically been used to treat nodular growths on and under the skin, and even as a treatment for epilepsy. These burr-like plants are excellent as part of a tonic, primarily for detoxification and the lymphatic system because they help stimulate movement of lymph into the bloodstream. Cleavers is an effective treatment for chronic toxicity-related inflammatory conditions including acne, eczema, rheumatoid arthritis and acute inflammation of the lymph nodes. Plus it stimulates the kidneys, improving toxicity drainage, mildly stimulates the liver and when paired with other immune stimulating herbs, helps treat infectious conditions. Cleavers is also beneficial for the health of the blood vessels and can be used to treat bruises, varicose veins and hemorrhoids. This herb is in the same family as coffee but contains less caffeine. Often, the fruits are dried and roasted to be used as a coffee substitute. In addition, you can eat the leaves and stems of the plant as a leaf vegetable if gathered before the fruits appear. Because of the little hooks that are on the plant, it is recommended that you steam or otherwise cook the plant before consuming. Despite the fact that cleavers is generally regarded as safe, you should check with Dr. Bossio if you are interested in using this herb.

Resources

Photo credit. "20140618Galium aparine" by AnRo0002 - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication via Wikimedia Commons. 
http://commons.wikimedia.org./wiki/File:20140618Galium_aparine.jpg#mediaviewer/File:20140618Galium_aparine.jpg.

Galium aparine. NDHealthFacts.org.
http://www.ndhealthfacts.org/wiki/Galium_aparine.

Cleavers (Galium aparine). Natural Standard.
http://www.livingnaturally.com/ns/DisplayMonograph.asp?StoreID=75BCC25AD99042AC827A9E89ED3918A8&DocID=bottomline-cleavers.

Mills, S., & Bone, K. (2000). Principles and practice of phytotherapy: Modern herbal medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.