Monday 7 November 2016

Do You Know About Rose Hips C?
By Bob Leland  

Rose hips provide up to twenty times more vitamin C dosage than citrus fruit. If you aren't yet convinced of the phenomenal health benefits of this vitamin then keep reading, you soon will be.
Vitamin C nutrition is considered essential for humans and even some animals such as the higher primates and even to small mammals like bats. Deficiency can cause scurvy and in fact did a couple of centuries ago. Many people attributed scurvy to the lack of fresh plant food, yet when the British Navy began feeding their sailors lime juice in 1795, scurvy became a thing of the past, for them at least.
Scurvy lead to liver spots and bleeding from all mucous membranes, those suffering from scurvy were pale, depressed and became partially immobilised. In advance scurvy wounds suppurate and teeth fall out. Death is certain. The human body can only store so much vitamin C which it soon depletes if fresh supplies are not provided. People with a lack of vitamin C are at higher risk to lung borne diseases and this is why smokers should supplement their Vitamin C supply.
Today the western world generally consumes enough vitamin C to ward off scurvy, but this doesn't mean we are in fact getting the recommended dose. Recommended doses of vitamin C are debatable but a good rule of thumb is 133mg per day in males and 120mg per day for females.
Natural sources and medical benefits of Vitamin C
The most common sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits. We need it if we are to follow a healthy diet because it also provides highly effective antioxidants, and it supports numerous physiological functions in our body such as the synthesis of collagen and neurotransmitters which is essential to the development of cartilage and blood vessels and also aids in the prevention of scar tissue.
Antioxidants gained from vitamin C help fight free radicals in our body which help prevent cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes and inflammatory diseases.
Rose hips benefits
The rich vitamin C source has always been attributed to citrus fruits, yet rose hips are overtaking their content in leaps and bounds. The rose has long been loved for its beauty and fragrance and has often been there for the special times in our lives, yet they hide within them a little miracle called the rose hip which is considered the fruit of the rose. Once a rose flower has bloomed and the petals have dropped, the rose hip becomes visible. Usually red in color, rose hips can also be purple or black, they are a top source of vitamin C providing between 20 to 60 times the doses obtained from citrus fruits. The healing power of rose hips is not something new though, even during WWII they were used to create a syrup as citrus fruits were hard to find at this time. Rose hips are used to counteract flu and colds and can lower high temperatures.

Simply steeped into a tea, it is recommended that between 2 - 4 cups of rose hip tea be consumed per day during bouts of colds, but if taken on a daily basis over a life time, you shouldn't be susceptible to illnesses such as these. Rose hips are versatile too and can be used to create jams, syrups, breads, tea, oils and creams. Used topically rose hip has incredible skin healing properties.
Adequate doses of vitamin C have long been associated with soothing restlessness and even depression and rose hip products can be taken safely to aid in melancholy, offering drug free cures. A lack of vitamin C also plays a hand in sleep deprivation and rose hip tea taken before bed on a regular basis will eliminate insomnia, ensuring you get good nights sleep, are refreshed and energetic.
There is a growing interest in reviving the medicinal properties of rose hips and a host of products in capsule form are available on the market, yet what could be simpler than harvesting your own rose hips from your own garden. Look for a variety of rose that produces quite large rose hips because they are higher in vitamin C, but don't harvest those that are diseased or insect infected.
The vitamin C nutritional value of rose hips is best when used immediately after harvesting, and once you have turned your culinary hand to them and offered their nutritional value to your family, it won't be long until you see their healthy benefits.
Bob Leland is a Rose Growing enthusiast. Visit About The Care Of Roses for more expert advice on rose hips benefits [http://www.aboutthecareofroses.com/RoseHipUses.xhtml] and other resources you can use right now to grow gorgeous roses.

No comments:

Post a Comment