Rose hips prevent flu

2010
By Syed Akbar                                                                                                                             

For more than three millennia, rose has been a source of inspiration, for poets and doctors alike. Doctors in ancient India, Greece, Persia, Arabia and China had prescribed rose therapy for beauty as well as good health. Flowers and fruits of the rose plant have always been part of the herbal systems of medicine the world over.
Rose fruits or hips are capable of preventing and controlling human influenza or common cold. The rose hips get this flu-fighting properties from the large quantities of vitamin C present in them. They are also helpful in controlling the water content in the body and proper functioning of kidneys, urinary bladder, heart and liver.
Ayurveda and Unani doctors prescribe rose hips to prevent cardiovascular diseases, treat arthritis, skin problems and as a general tonic for a healthy living.
The importance of rose petals and rose hips can be gauged from the fact that almost all the pharmacopoeias of important nations including the USA and the UK recognise their medicinal properties. The  grandma's recipe of "gulkhand", or rose candy prepared by using dried rose petal and sugar syrup or honey,  continues to be a valid prescription in Ayurveda and Unani.Rose hips should be collected from common natural red rose plants. Hybrid roses should be avoided. Practitioners ofherbal medicine caution kidney patients, pregnant women, lactating mothers and small children against using rose hips.
Home remedies
People suffering from knee pain connected to arthritis may consume daily raw rose hips or extract for relief. Cut rose hips from rose plant grown in your garden, or purchase them from stores selling traditional herbal medicine. Clean the stuff with water. You may take the rose hips raw.
Rose hips contain chemicals like flavonoids that fight swelling and inflammation. Apply rose hip oil on the affected portion for quick relief.
For general well being and to prevent cardiovascular diseases, a daily dose of rose hips is the best natural bet.
Rainy season is the time when the flu virus is active. Herbal tea prepared from rose hips is said to fight flu. Ayurveda and Unani doctors claim that it also prevents common cold or flu.
Rose hip oil keeps the skin glowing, free from blemishes including those caused by black heads.
Aroma therapists claim that rose oil will give relief from depression and stress, by keeping the mind calm and cool.
Rose hip oil is a natural rejuvenant for those conscious of their beauty and also for those who want to hide their age. It kills the wrinkles on the skin.