May Rosehip: Beneficial Properties and Uses

Dr. Boris Wydoff · Published 2026-09-25

May rosehip, or cinnamon rose (Rosa majalis), is a thorny shrub whose fruits are especially valued as a natural source of vitamin C. According to herbal medicine references, they also contain carotenoids, B vitamins, vitamins P and K, pectins, organic acids and other substances. The fruits are traditionally used for vitamin drinks, infusions and decoctions, while the seed oil is used externally.

How to recognize rosehip in nature?

May rosehip belongs to the Rose family. It is a shrub growing up to two meters tall. Its branches are thin, rod-like, and covered with shiny brownish-red bark. A good identifying feature is the thorns. On flowering branches they are relatively sparse, small and slightly curved. They are usually arranged in pairs at the base of the leaf stalks.

The leaves are compound and alternate. Each consists of 5–7 elliptical leaflets. The flowers are large, usually solitary, sometimes grouped in twos or threes. The corolla is formed by five pink or dark red petals.

There is another interesting feature. In rosehips of the cinnamon section, the sepals are usually directed upward and remain on the fruits. After they are removed, an opening remains at the top. This is one of the signs that helps distinguish these fruits from dog rosehip, which forms a characteristic five-sided area at the top.

What we call a rosehip berry in everyday life is botanically a false fruit. Inside are numerous hard yellowish nutlets and bristly hairs.

May rosehip is widespread in forest and forest-steppe zones from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia. It can be found in sparse forests, forest edges and clearings, among shrubs, in ravines, gullies and along roads.

What benefits do its fruits provide?

The main feature of rosehip is its vitamin composition. Herbal medicine references report very high vitamin C content in May rosehip fruits — 4–6%, with up to 18% indicated for some samples.

In addition to ascorbic acid, rutin, carotenoids, B and K vitamins, sugars, tannins, pectins, flavone glycosides of kaempferol and quercetin, organic acids, lycopene and rubixanthin are described. Other reference data also list potassium salts, iron, manganese, phosphorus and calcium among the components of the pulp.

The seeds contain fatty oil. It is described as containing unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, carotenoids and tocopherols. The oil of the nut-like fruits is reported to contain vitamin E up to 200 mg%.

It is important to understand that the effects of the plant are associated not with one single component. Herbal manuals separately emphasize the importance of the combination of substances contained in the fruits.

What makes the vitamin complex valuable?

Ascorbic acid participates in oxidation-reduction processes, carbohydrate metabolism, collagen synthesis and regulation of capillary permeability. Reference books largely associate the effects of rosehip preparations with it.

At the same time, together with vitamin C, the fruits contain rutin, or vitamin P, as well as other vitamins and carotene. Therefore, rosehip is traditionally considered primarily a vitamin-rich plant raw material.

In medical practice, fruits in the form of an infusion and ready-made preparations were used for prevention and treatment of vitamin C deficiency. In modern conditions, pronounced vitamin deficiencies, anemia, prolonged weakness and other diseases should be assessed by a doctor. Rosehip does not replace diagnosis and prescribed treatment.

In my books, I also included rosehip fruits in the list of food sources of vitamins, mineral salts, enzymes and trace elements.

How does rosehip affect digestion and the excretory system?

According to herbal medicine references, rosehip fruits are attributed with choleretic and mild diuretic effects. One herbal manual also describes a mild laxative effect.

This does not mean that homemade tea should be used instead of treatment for diseases of the liver, gallbladder, kidneys or intestines. Such conditions require medical care. Special caution is needed with kidney diseases and a tendency to form stones.

Does it have an anti-inflammatory effect?

Yes. Classical reference books list anti-inflammatory action among the properties of rosehip fruits. The influence of the plant’s combination of substances on tissue regeneration processes is also described.

These facts explain the traditional interest in rosehip, but they should not be turned into a promise of a therapeutic result. The composition of a particular product can vary significantly depending on the plant species, raw material quality and processing method.

Where is rosehip used?

The most obvious use of the fruits is preparing vitamin drinks. Dried fruits are traditionally brewed as tea. Fresh fruits were used to make syrups and vitamin concentrates. Herbal manuals also describe jam, preserves, juice, jelly, kvass and other food products made from rosehip fruits.

A separate area is seed oil. It is used externally. According to reference data, rosehip oil was applied on gauze pads for abrasions, bedsores, trophic skin damage and dermatoses. External use for cracks and burns is also described.

For serious skin damage, non-healing wounds and burns, self-treatment is undesirable. Such conditions require medical assessment.

How to brew its fruits correctly?

The simplest traditional method is to brew dried fruits as tea. One reference book recommends preparing a slightly sour aromatic decoction from dried fruits, which is boiled for about 10 minutes.

There is also a classic vitamin tea made from rosehip and black currant. Rosehip and black currant fruits are mixed in a 1:1 ratio. Then 2 teaspoons of fruits are brewed with 2 cups of boiling water. They are infused for 1 hour, strained and sugar is added if desired. The reference book recommends drinking this tea 1/2 cup 3–4 times a day.

For a regular homemade drink, dried fruits can be brewed as tea without turning it into a concentrated supplement. Reference books also describe preparing drinks from fresh fruits.

My recommendations include hot rosehip tea. I suggested it as a drink within the procedure with therapeutic baths described in my book. I also emphasized the need to consult a doctor before starting a course.

It is important to distinguish ordinary food tea from powders, capsules and concentrated extracts. The amount of active components in such forms may differ significantly.

How to collect and dry the berries?

Harvesting rosehip requires care. Reference books give slightly different recommendations regarding the ripeness of the fruits. One guide recommends collecting them a few days before full ripeness, while the walls are still firm and the fruits do not become crushed during transport. Another describes collecting ripe fruits in autumn.

For medicinal raw material, the period from the end of August until frost is indicated. One sign is normal bright red or orange coloring. Fully softened fruits are easily damaged. Crushed fruits with damaged skin develop mold more quickly. Therefore, they should be collected carefully. It is better to harvest early in the morning or in the evening. Juicy fruits collected in strong daytime heat spoil faster.

Because of the thorns, herbal manuals recommend using thick gloves. Collected fruits should not be left in baskets for a long time. They are spread out for drying soon after collection.

For raw material rich in ascorbic acid, reference books recommend rapid drying at high temperatures. One guide gives 70–80 °C for rosehip, another — 80–90 °C. Such drying is used to reduce oxidation of ascorbic acid.

After drying, the fruits become orange-red, with a shiny wrinkled surface. Their wall is thin and fragile. Inside remain light yellow nutlets and numerous bristly hairs. Frost is undesirable for prepared raw material. Herbal manuals note that frost-affected fruits quickly lose vitamins after thawing.

Are there any contraindications?

If you are interested specifically in May rosehip contraindications, it is important to distinguish between food use and concentrated preparations.

For Rosa majalis, there is little direct modern clinical data. Much of the safety information concerns fruits of different rosehip species, particularly Rosa canina. In ordinary food amounts, rosehip is generally well tolerated. Concentrated extracts have been studied less.

If you have a known allergy to rosehip, roses or components of a specific product, it should not be used. Allergic reactions have been described, including contact dermatitis and eye irritation in sensitive people.

Among the best-known unwanted effects when taken internally are loose stools and flatulence.

People with kidney diseases, a tendency to form stones or iron overload should discuss concentrated and high-dose products with a doctor beforehand. This caution is partly related to differences in vitamin C content.

There is little data on drug interactions. No registered interaction has been found between rosehip and warfarin, but this does not prove that it is completely absent. When taking warfarin, you should not suddenly change your usual amount of regularly consumed rosehip without discussing it with a doctor and monitoring INR.

Rosehip tea, including rosehip mixtures with hibiscus, can affect the results of some laboratory tests for digoxin and produce a false-positive result with certain analysis methods. This does not mean a proven change in the amount of the drug in the body. If you drink such tea, tell your doctor and laboratory.

Before surgery, it is reasonable to stop taking herbal supplements and inform your doctor about all products you use.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, there is insufficient safety data on therapeutic doses, powders and concentrated extracts. Regular use is better discussed with a doctor. An ordinary food product and a standardized supplement are not the same thing.

For children, the safety of concentrated supplements has also been insufficiently studied. Extracts, capsules or high-dose powders should not be given to a child without a pediatrician’s recommendation.

When do you need a doctor?

Herbal medicine should not delay seeking medical help. If a rash, swelling of the face or throat, wheezing, severe abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea or eye symptoms appear after rosehip, stop taking it and seek medical assistance.

A doctor’s advice is especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding, for young children, before surgery, with chronic diseases and regular medication use. If you take anticoagulants, digoxin or other prescription medicines, a concentrated rosehip extract or powder should be discussed with a doctor or pharmacist in advance.

Rosehip remains primarily a valuable plant-based food raw material. But the higher the concentration of the product and the more serious a person’s illness, the less reason there is to treat it simply as ordinary tea.

Boris Wydoff — naturopath and author, Ph.D. in nutrition. For over fifty years I have helped people restore health through nutrition, cleansing and the power of the mind — in Europe, America and Asia. About the author →

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