Perhaps no flower captures the feeling of romance, and entices our imagination, the way that the rose does. The Rose is thought to have originated in Persia, although according to the ancient Greeks, the red rose, a symbol of passion, first bloomed when Aphrodite stuck her foot with a thorn and bled while assisting Adonis. The Greek poetess Sappho first christened it "Queen of Flowers" around 600 BC.
Medicinally, both the petals and the hips are used. Honey of Red Rose (Apothecary) was once an official pharmaceutical preparation in the US for sore mouths and throats. Rose vinegar was used for headaches, especially those brought on by heat. The leaves are a mild, but seldom used, laxative.
In Greece, Hippocrates recommended rose flowers mixed with oil for diseases of the uterus. Ayurvedic physicians use the petals in poultices to treat skin wounds and inflammations. The hips are dried and made into tisanes for children with stomach disorders, and are also considered a cardiotonic for adults.
At various times, European herbalists recommended dried rose petal tea for headache, dizziness, mouth sores, and menstrual cramps.
In Chinese medicine, the petals are considered drying for cold, clear mucous discharges, helping to relieve constrictive feelings of the chest and abdomen (stuck liver chi). Chinese herbalists use it to treat poor appetite, harmonizing blood, and to help with irregular menstruation and pain caused by blood stagnation. The hips areused for diarrhea, enuresis, frequent urination, spermatorrhea and leucorrhea (all complaints of deficient kidney chi).
Rose hips are a significant source of vitamin C. But the drying process destroys from 45-90% of it, and infusions extract only about 40% of what's left.
For a mildly astringent infusion for colds and flu, use 2-3 teaspoons of dried, chopped hips per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes, and drink as needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment