Phytoria

Rosehips rose Antioxidant immune inflammation vitamin Phytoria herborist herbalist kruidengeneeskunde herbalmedicine herbalism fytotherapie phytotherapy kruiden herbs natuur nature holistisch holistic therapeut therapist mentor coach help gezondheid health ontwikkeling development lifestyle breathwork meditation mindfulness overijssel deventer holten sallandseheuvelrug verbinding connection bewustwording bewustzijn consciousness awareness
Rosehips rose Antioxidant immune inflammation vitamin Phytoria herborist herbalist kruidengeneeskunde herbalmedicine herbalism fytotherapie phytotherapy kruiden herbs natuur nature holistisch holistic therapeut therapist mentor coach help gezondheid health ontwikkeling development lifestyle breathwork meditation mindfulness overijssel deventer holten sallandseheuvelrug verbinding connection bewustwording bewustzijn consciousness awareness

Rose Hips
(Rosa canina)

Vitamin C bombs | Antioxidant

During one of my walks I encountered beautiful rose hips along the water's edge. These are the false fruits of the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) that are packed with goodness. You might recognize them as a vitamin C bomb, due to the ascorbic acid present. Though studies show that the antioxidant effect is even more enhanced by constituents like glycolipids, beta-carotenes, minerals, catechin and other flavonoids. Because of this interplay, rose hips would also play a role in our immune system, for the kidneys and in inflammatory reactions in our body.

In wintertime, birds especially love the pseudo-fruits. And because ethics are important to me, I only harvest what I need and leave the rest for the animals in the environment. After drying, I process the hips into an herbal liqueur that I use therapeutically with a starting cold. But one could also use them for cosmetic or culinary purposes.

Tip: when stored for a long time, the hips tend to lose the high vitamin C content quickly. Therefore, use them as fresh as possible or shortly after drying. How would you process the hips?