Natural Rose Hip Extract Review
Rose Hip Extract is one of the newest natural products to generate hype in the supplement community. Rose hip is the fruit of the rose plant and it has recently been linked to some major health and beauty benefits.
What is Natural Rose Hip Extract?
Natural Rose Hip Extract is a purified version of the fruit from the rose plant. Manufacturers harvest the fruit, then purify its ingredients into an extract.
That extract is then bottled up and sold in beauty products around the world. It’s been on the market for years, but only recently started attracting attention after various celebrity endorsements
Miranda Kerr reportedly uses rose hip extract on her face every night before bed. Rose Byrne claims it helps maintain her sensitive skin. And Kate Middleton’s facialist reportedly uses it on her celebrity patients as well.
But do all of those celebrity endorsements really mean anything? According to new studies, rose hip extract could have some surprisingly powerful health benefits.
Rose Hip Extract Research
March 2015 Study Shows Rose Hip Extract May Treat Breast Cancer
One March 2015 study has sent waves of hype rolling across the natural supplement community. That study comes from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and found that rose hip extract can reduce the growth and movement of cells from triple negative breast cancer.
Triple negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer typically found in young women.
Researchers first became interested in rose hip extract for its high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols. These compounds have long been shown to reduce cell growth and movement. These effects appear to be particularly prominent in breast cancer cells.
During the study, researchers treated tissue cultures of triple negative breast cancer cells using different concentrations of rose hip extract. Cells exposed to the highest concentration of the extract were observed to decrease breast cancer cell growth by 50%.
You can view the full details of the study here. The results of the study were announced at the March 2015 meeting of Experimental Biology.
Other Benefits of Rose Hip Extract
Rose hip extract is prized for other benefits beyond its possible ability to fight breast cancer. Some people eat the fruit raw or blend it into smoothies to enjoy the following benefits:
— Rose hips can contain up to 60 times as much vitamin C as an orange
— They can also contain high levels of vitamin A, which boosts the immune system
— Rose hips have been observed to act as a mild diuretic or laxative, which can help to relieve constipation
— Rose hip seed oil has been shown to heal the skin by acting as an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-swelling agent, fighting back against free radical damage
— Rose hip seed oil can also help heal your hair and nails, where it increases their strength and boosts hydration.
— The oil also contains high levels of valuable fatty acids, including linolenic, linoleic, and oleic fatty acids.
How to Buy Rose Hip Extract
Rose hips can be purchased fresh from certain organic sources. However, you’re more likely to find dried rose hips in health food stores.
You’re better off looking for rose hip extract. Rose hip extract – also known as rose hip seed oil – can be applied topically to the skin to reduce inflammation and deliver antioxidants directly where they need to go.
M Steves Rose Hip Skin Care Products
One skin care company called M Steves has already started producing skin care products from rose hip seed oil. M Steves has produced a full lineup of rose hip seed oil beauty products, where the oil is used as the signature ingredient. M Steves sells all of the following rose hip seed products:
— Purifying Cleanser ($34)
— Multi-Benefit Moisturizer ($48)
— Ultra Nourishing Boost ($68)
— Anti-Aging Serum ($72)
— Reviving Exfoliator ($48)
Gopo Joint Health
Another company called Gopo uses rose hip extract in a slightly different way. That company uses rose hip extract as a cure for joint pain. You take it daily to relieve the pain of arthritis and other joint conditions.
The supplement contains rose hip with vitamin C. You take three capsules twice per day with water. The company currently only sells its products in the United Kingdom, where a package of 120 Gopo Joint Health capsules is priced at £18.49 and a package of 200 capsules is priced at £27.99.
Other Rose Hip Health Supplements
You can also order natural rose hip extract in the form of a standard health supplement. That typically comes as a tablet or as a powder.
One supplement made by Nature’s Best comes with 500mg of rose hip extract per tablet. Those 500mg come from a total of 10,000mg of dried rose hips and claim to be one of the strongest rose hip extract supplements in the world.
Conclusion: Who Should Use Rose Hip Extract?
Rose hip extract has been prized by herbalists for centuries for its wide range of health benefits. It’s been linked to everything from better skin health, reduced joint pain, and high levels of natural vitamin C.
The new study from March 2015, however, has indicated that rose hip extract could be much more than just a beauty product or natural supplement: it could be an effective treatment for the most serious forms of breast cancer.
More follow-up studies will likely take place over the coming months. It will be interesting to see if rose hip extract can duplicate its success on other breast cancer cells and cancer research studies.
