Rose hips develop from blossoms of the wild rose (rosa canina) and are a popular natural remedy. Laboratory experiments have shown that rose hip extract inhibits lipid oxidation. Rose hips contain many flavonoids.

Rose Hips supplement 750 mg
MultiVit Rx - High Quality Daily Vitamins and Minerals with Ascorbic Acid and Rose Hips - 500 mg
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Rose Hips are round red fruits found on natural roses. Rose hips are a great source of Vitamin C and bioflavonoids.
 

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This MultiVit Rx product has 500 mg of ascorbic acid and rose hips per daily dose. Click the link for full details.

Benefits of Rose Hips
In clinical studies serum CRP and creatinine levels declined in healthy subjects and patients with osteoarthritis under rose hip treatment. Additionally patients suffering from osteoarthritis reported that physical symptoms declined. Data from a randomised controlled trial indicate not only that pain significantly declined but also flexion of the hip improved in the active treatment group. The anti-inflammatory properties of rose hip are useful as a natural treatment in patients with osteoarthritis. It remains to be proven which of the components are responsible for these effects. There is some evidence that in addition to the high vitamin content flavonoids may be actively involved.

Rose Hip Composition
Rose hip extract contains polyphenols such as anthocyanins, i.e. cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, several glycosides of quercetin and glycosides of taxifolin and eriodictyol. Phloridzin was identified, and several conjugates of methyl gallate were also found, one of which was tentatively identified as methyl gallate-rutinoside. Catechin and quercetin were found as the aglycones in the extract. Carotenoids found in rose hips include beta-carotene, lycopene, beta-chryptoxanthin, rubixanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein. Of course, there is a lot of Vitamin C in rose hip.

Rose hips are available as rose hips oil and rose hip tea, along with rose hip supplements and mixed with other nutrients and herbs.

Rose Hip Research Update
Powdered Rose Hips Offer Osteoarthritis Relief
A powder made from the fruit of a subspecies of dog rose (Rosa canina) seems to alleviate pain and stiffness in the knees, hips, and other joints. Researchers in Denmark gave 94 osteoarthritis patients either 5 g of the rose-hip powder daily or a placebo for three months. Then the groups switched powders for another three-month period. While taking the rose hip powder, patients reported a significant reduction in pain, disability, and stiffness. They also reported a marked decrease in the amount of pharmaceutical analgesics they took. The trial adds weight to a 2004 study in which people taking Litozin (a standardized powder of rose hip that’s available without a prescription in the US) also improved their osteoarthritis symptoms. 

A powder made from seeds and shells of a rose-hip subspecies (Rosa canina) reduces symptoms of knee and hip osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Scand J Rheumatol. 2005 Jul-Aug;34(4):302-8.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen County Hospital Gentofte, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
The aim of this study was to determine whether a herbal remedy made from a subspecies of rose-hip (Rosa canina) might reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis and consumption of rescue medication in patients suffering from osteoarthritis. Ninety-four patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee were enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial. Forty-seven patients were given 5 g of the rosehip herbal remedy daily for a period of 3 months and the remaining patients were given a similar amount of placebo. The group initially treated with placebo was then changed to rose-hip and vice versa for another 3-month period. Rose-hip resulted in a significant reduction in WOMAC pain as compared to placebo, when testing after 3 weeks of treatment. The consumption of 'rescue medication' significantly declined as a result of active treatment. WOMAC disability, stiffness, and global assessment of severity of the disease were not altered by 3 weeks but decreased significantly after 3 months of treatment. The data suggest that the present rosehip herbal remedy can alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis and reduce the consumption of 'rescue medication'.

Effects of Rosa canina fruit extract on neutrophil respiratory burst.
Phytother Res. 2002 Mar;16(2):157-61.
Respiratory burst leads polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anions (O(2)(o-)), hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) which may possess deleterious effects for the organism. Rosa canina fruits are well known to contain a large amount of vitamin C which is antioxidant. This study was focused on the polyphenolics contained in rose hips to evaluate their antioxidative properties. We prepared a rose hip extract deprived of vitamin C. The extract contained mainly phenolics such as proanthocyanidins and flavonoids. We investigated its effects directly against (O(2)(o-)), HOCl and H(2)O(2) and investigated its effects on isolated PMN. For that, in vitro inflammatory conditions were reproduced by stimulating PMN with stimuli having different transductional pathways, in order to determine a possible mechanism of action. The results showed that the extract can inhibit ROS tested in acellular and cellular systems. The IC(50) obtained were 5.73 mg/L, 1.33 mg/L and 2.34 mg/L respectively for (O(2)(o-)), HOCl and H(2)O(2) in acellular experiments. For cellular experiments, the IC(50) were quite similar. Thus, the extract did not present an effect on PMN metabolism. Therefore, the antioxidative effects of Rosa canina are due not only to vitamin C but also to polyphenolics.

Rose hips: a new occupational allergen.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1990 Apr;85(4):704-8.
We evaluated 13 workers with respiratory symptoms apparently related to occupational exposure to powdered rose hips. Nine workers had asthma, five had rhinitis, and one worker had urticaria. Seven workers had evidence of IgE specific for rose hips based on positive skin prick tests and positive in vitro tests. Four workers with histories suggestive of asthma related to work exposure underwent bronchopulmonary challenges with rose hips, and two workers had positive challenges with greater than 20% declines in FEV1 measurements. We conclude that rose hips are occupational allergens capable of producing asthma.

A herbal remedy, Hyben Vital (stand. powder of a subspecies of Rosa canina fruits), reduces pain and improves general wellbeing in patients with osteoarthritis--a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial.
Phytomedicine. 2004 Jul;11(5):383-91.
The treatment of osteoarthritis, a disease that eventually affects the majority of the older population, involves the alleviation of symptoms such as pain and stiffness, and the reduction of inflammation. The double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study reported here examined the effect of Hyben Vital, a herbal remedy made from a subtype of Rosa canina and recently reported to have anti-inflammatory properties, on the symptoms of osteoarthritis. One hundred and twelve patients with osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to treatment with either Hyben Vital 5 g daily or an identical placebo for 3 months, followed immediately by the alternative treatment. The patients assessed changes in joint pain and stiffness after each treatment period on a 5-point categorical scale. General wellbeing, including mood, sleep quality and energy were also assessed and recorded in a personal diary. The results in the two arms of the crossover differed markedly. Group A (placebo first) showed significantly more improvement from Hyben Vital than from placebo, p < 0.0078 for pain and < 0.0025 for stiffness. But Group B (Hyben Vital first) revealed a positive effect of the same order as for Hyben Vital in group A, not only from the active drug, but also from placebo (difference not significant). An identical pattern was observed when we evaluated general wellbeing from the diary records. When patients, on the basis of reduction in joint pain, were divided into responders and non-responders, the first 3 months of active treatment (group A) showed a response rate of 31/47 (66%) compared to that of placebo (group B) 18/50 (36%). No major side effects occurred in either group. The data indicate that Hyben Vital reduces the symptoms of osteoarthritis. We interpret the marked differences in the responses of the two groups as indicating a strong "carryover" effect of Hyben Vital.

Nutrient composition of rose (Rosa canina L.) seed and oils.
J Med Food. 2002 Fall;5(3):137-40.
Rose seeds were evaluated for weight of 100 seeds, moisture, crude protein, ash, crude oil, energy, and mineral content. Also, fatty acid composition was determined in the seed oils. The weight of 100 seeds, moisture, crude oil, energy, and iron (Fe) content of Ermenek rose seeds were found to be higher than those of other regions. The major fatty acids identified by gas chromatography of rose seed oils growing wild in the Hadim, Taskent, and Ermenek regions in Turkey were, respectively, as follows: palmitic (3%, 1.71%, and 2%), stearic (2.47%, 2%, and 1.69%), oleic (16.73%, 18.42%, and 14%), linoleic (54%, 51%, and 48%), linolenic (17.14%, 16.42%, and 18%), and arachidic (2%, 1.87%, and 2.61%). The seeds were rich in oil and minerals. The oil may be valuable for food and other uses because of its high unsaturated content.

Rose Hips questions
Q. You have, no doubt, seen the report (now appearing in newspapers here in the U.K.) about the efficacy of rose hips in regard to pain alleviation for arthritis sufferers. I see you do not stock it. Have you any opinion on the research?
   A. There's been very little research regarding rose hips and arthritis, but much more with other nutrients, so for the time being glucosamine, chondroitin, and other osteoarthris nutrients are at the top of my list. However, combining rose hips and other nutrients and herbs may be a good option.