Flowers as Medicine: The Rose

Most of the perfumes and colognes made for both men and women throughout the world use rose products as their base ingredient. Most often the ingredient used is rose oil, an essence of the purest scents and properties of fresh rose hips and petals, using thousands upon thousands of roses to make just a few ounces of oil. Many cosmetics and lotions use rose products as well just like rose oil, such as rose water, and the pasty essence of rose hips. These are invaluable additions to beauty products that people have used for centuries. Arguably however, the most important use of rose products is not for cosmetics or perfume, but in medicine!

Since the long-long-ago, people have been well aware of the positive effects of rose and things made from it's pretty fresh petals. Roses, especially rose hips, are very rich in vitamin C, and have been used in cooking and medicine for centuries. The rose hip is the tasty looking, sweet smelling bud type fruit that bud on the bush after the roses themselves have died away. They are harvested to make all sorts of things from jam and jelly to extract oil and even vitamin pills!

Eating rose hips and consuming products made from purified rose or rose products daily, or at least often, has been proven to have a lasting and profound effect on the way your body moves! Your joints, your muscles, and your circulation can actually vastly improve if your diet is full of these vitamin rich flowers.

The rose plant also contains something rather priceless; polyphenolics that can prevent against certain types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Tests have been done the world over by scientists testing people from all walks of life, and the results are astoundingly conclusive every time.

Not only do roses help prevent against some of the more dangerous and debilitating conditions your body can face, but they also help cure and prevent against everyday problems that occur with our bodies. Certain species of rose plants have been known to be an effective cure for many stomach, intestinal, and digestive issues people regularly face day to day. Hips and extracts from the "dog rose" plant are incredibly useful laxative, helping rid the body of harmful things that are causing diarrhea, constipation, intestinal infections, or even help extract harmful parasites inside your digestive tract along with proper antibiotics. This particular plant is also quite useful in helping cure urinary problems, such as a tract infection or helping to pass stones.

Rose hips and petals have been used since ancient times as a way to regulate a woman's menstrual cycle as well as make her more fertile. Today, the scientific evidence supporting increased fertility due to the regular ingestion of rose products is inconclusive to nil. However, it has been proven to actually aid in the regulation and ease of flow for a woman's period! In fact, many medicines and pills you can find in stores today that are used for a woman's monthly actually contain rose hip extracts.

In your everyday life, it's a bit difficult to have a jar of pickled rose hips or some rose jam on hand in case you get an upset tummy or simply want the fresh, clean, sweet taste that accompanies such a priceless edible flower. However, if you ever get the chance to keep these things on hand for a rainy day, it's always a good idea!

Sources:
(History of Roses in Cosmetics and Symbolism)
(Roses in Cooking, by kattitudes)