Rose: The Secret Source Of Antioxidants

Flowers aren’t just flowers, they are a thing of beauty, a feast for the eyes. Their symbolic language has been celebrated for centuries across countries throughout Europe and Asia, being monumental in even fictional and prose works by legends like Shakespeare, William Wordsmith, Robert Frost, Percey Shelley and more. Red roses, for instance, symbolise love and romance, being sacred to a number of goddesses including Isis of Egypt. The ancient Greeks and Romans even identified the rose with their goddesses of love, Aphrodite and Venus.

But beyond their sublime beauty and their mesmerizing fragrance, the petals boast an array of natural health and beauty benefits that most aren’t completely aware of. Roses are a very medicinal flower, rich in antioxidants. For thousands of years, healers in Ayurveda have considered the plant an essential ingredient in their herbal remedies, teas, oils and skincare formulations. According to them, the flower balances the sadhaka pitta, the subdhosha of pitta that rules our emotions and how it impacts our hearts. It also fosters better communication between the sadhaka pitta and the prana vata, the subdosha of vata that reigns over our mind, breath and respiration.

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health benefits of roses — Beyond their sublime beauty and mesmerizing fragrance, rose petals boast an array of natural health and beauty benefits. Image | Unsplash

Table of Contents

Below you’ll find a list of some of the potential health benefits of the roses.

Balances hormones
Reduces inflammation of the eyes and skin
Rose-infused tea strengthens the digestive process
Promotes restful and peaceful sleep
Soothes nervous, angry and sad emotions
Shows antibacterial and antiseptic properties

People around the world enjoy edible flowers in their food. Asian cuisine is huge on the inclusion of flowers like lilies and chrysanthemums in their delicacies. Rose petals and rose hips are extremely popular amongst restaurants and chefs as well as home cooks who adore exploring. Let’s take a look at how consuming roses can vastly improve your wellbeing.

1. Great for your health

The rosehip plant is high in Vitamin C, something that’s great for protecting skin cells from an increase in collagen production. Using roses for your skin can ensure firm, bouncy and youthful skin that glows from the inside out. Apart from the beauty benefits, in ancient Chinese, roses were used to treat digestive disorders, pain from injuries and even menstrual irregularities.

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health benefits of roses — Rose tea not only tingles your senses with its soothing aroma but also aids stress and tension. Image | File

2. Boosts your mood

Rosewater has strong antidepressant and antianxiety properties with studies proving that the extract of the flower can relax the central nervous system in animals. Playing with the petals and rose water to create worldly delicacies can also enhance your mood vastly. This delight of discovery, being spontaneous and adventurous with your cooking can remind you to savour your food and the little moments in your life.

3. Calms your senses

We all know that the petals of the flower have a divine smell but did you know that they can relax and calm you when faced with stress? Just applying some rose-scented body balm can soothe your stressed and overthinking mind. Imagine the wonders a cup of rose tea would do. If you find yourself feeling low or sad, pop a kettle and make yourself a cup. If you’re not a fan of tea, maybe you can invest in rose essential oils to start aromatherapy at home. That first whiff will leave you feeling more uplifted and comforted.

4. Aids weight loss

Rose petals contain compounds that promote our metabolism to work faster. They also help clear toxins from the body, hence aiding weight loss. Even eating a handful of petals satisfies your senses and allows you to feel content with your body, preventing you from overeating.