Have you ever tried rose hips? They're quite popular here, and are used for herbal tea, jam, jelly, and syrup. They grow wild, and I often see people gathering them. I took these home and photographed them against the lining of my jacket. Rose hips contain vitamins C, D and E, essential fatty acids and antioxidant flavonoids. As if this weren't enough, I found some other uses on Wikipedia:1. Rose hip powder is a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Rose hips from the dog rose in particular have antioxidant values that far exceed other berries.
3. As an herbal remedy, rose hips can help prevent urinary bladder infections, and assist in treating dizziness and headaches.
4. Rose hips are also commonly used externally in oil form to restore firmness to skin by nourishing and astringing tissue.
5. They can also be used to treat constipation.
6. And ladies, rose hips contain a lot of iron, and drinking rose hip tea can make up for iron loss.
7. Rose hips have recently become popular as a healthy treat for pet chinchillas and guinea pigs, which are unable to manufacture their own Vitamin C!
8. Rose hips are also fed to horses to improve coat condition and new hoof growth. (Wonder if they're good for our nails and hair?)
9. Watch out! The fine hairs found inside rose hips are used as itching powder!
