People from different cultures have used Roses for various purposes like making Rose Tea over the period of centuries. There are over 130 species of roses in the world. Some of these species are bitter, while others are sweet.
The rose tea is a herbal drink made from buds and petals of the flower. This tea is believed to have many health benefits. Although science does not support some of the claimed benefits, but they still have been in use for centuries.
In this article, we have explained everything you need to know about rose tea, including its uses and benefits.
Rose Tea is Naturally Caffeine-Free
Unlike many other popular hot beverages like tea, hot chocolate, and coffee; Rose tea doesn’t contain caffeine and is naturally free of caffeine.
Although caffeine offers many health benefits like an increase in focus, energy, and reduction in fatigue levels, some people still avoid caffeine even after its numerous health benefits as it also has some side effects, and some people may be caffeine sensitive.
For people like this and those who don’t want to intake caffeine, it is a perfect alternative to other hot beverages like tea and coffee. But, when going for rose tea, be sure to use pure rose petals tea if you are on a caffeine-free diet, as some rose teas are just a blend of rose petals and other caffeinated drinks.
Rose Tea for Hydration and Weight Loss
Drinking some cups of Rose tea contributes to the person’s water intake, as it is primarily made up of water and rose petals. A low intake of water can lead a person to many health problems.
Some common health problems caused by dehydration are low BP, fatigue, skin problems, headaches, muscle cramps, and increased heart rate.
These facts about keeping yourself properly hydrated highlight the need for proper water intake. Thus it is important to intake sufficient water through different ways or drinks like tea, plain water, juices, and other water-rich drinks.
Water is also proven to increase metabolism and aid in weight loss. Some researches have even shown that drinking of 500 ml water can lead to elevation of metabolism levels up to 30%.
Some other benefits of proper water intake also include health benefits like prevention of kidney stones.
Rose tea is a perfect drink as it elevates your water intake levels, and drinking hot tea equals to drinking hot water, which has proven to be very beneficial for digestive as well as skin health.
Rich in Antioxidants
Rose tea is rich in antioxidants and helps combat the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are reactive molecules that cause damage to cells and can lead the body to oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is associated with many health problems like premature aging and other health problems.
Rose tea is rich in polyphenols that are very opulent in antioxidants. Researches have shown that diets opulent in antioxidants reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, diabetes type 2, and heart disease.
Antioxidants are also thought to protect the brain of a person from degenerative diseases.
A study on this tea has shown that this tea’s antioxidant and phenolic content and activity are greater and far more than green tea.
It is also opulent, particularly in the gallic acid. Accounting to 10-55%, the antioxidant compound of this tea’s phenolic content is known to have many benefits.
Some benefits of this include anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, analgesic effects, and antimicrobial qualities.
Comprising 10% of the total phenolic content of this tea is also opulent in anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins are colored pigments that are thought to be beneficial for eye health, healthy aging, good urinary tract health, and also in lowering the risk of certain types of cancer.
Rose petal extracts have 30-50% more antioxidant activity compared to rose petal tea, as hot water is not able to extract all of the antioxidants present in the rose petals.
It is opulent in polyphenols, like anthocyanins, quercetin, gallic acid, and kaempferol type of antioxidants. This tea is thought to contribute to good health and neutralize cellular damage-causing free radicals.
Helps in Alleviate Menstrual Pain
The pain during the menstrual cycle affects nearly 50% of females. Some females even experience health issues like fatigue, headaches, vomiting, back pain, dizziness, and even diarrhea in some cases during the menstrual cycle.
Many females go for alternative methods of pain relief instead of regular medication. This tea in ancient Chinese traditions was used as a medicinal option for menstrual pain.
The rose tea made from Rosa Gallica was specifically famous among the Chinese women.
A study on 130 teenage girls from Taiwan has shown that those who drank rose tea for 12 days, 2 cups daily, experience less menstrual pain than those who didn’t. It was also seen to improve the psychological well-being of those students who drank the tea.
Some Other Benefits
Various health benefits have been associated with rose tea other than the above. Although the reach and conclusion are derived from studies where very potent rose extracts were used for the study.
Rose Tea’s benefits:
- Helps in mental health issues like seizures and dementia.
- This tea has antidepressant effects along with relaxing the mind and reducing reduction.
- It also has antibacterial properties.
- This Tea also reduces the intensity of the allergic reaction in a person.
- It improves heart health and also the body’s resistance to insulin.
- Beneficial in liver disease.
- It is also seen to have laxative effects.
- Anti-arthritic properties and anti-inflammatory.
- It also has anti-cancer properties.
These findings are based on research done on some specific rose extracts, oils, and isolates and need more study.
Another problem these studies are that they were conducted on animals and test tubes and never been tested on humans.
Some benefits of rose tea, which are circulating on the internet, are benefits of rosehip tea and not rose petal tea.
Rosehip tea is opulent in vitamin C, while no such evidence is seen for the rose tea. Hence, it is essential to not confuse between these two teas.
As the rosehip tea is made from rose plant fruit while rose tea is made from petals. Thus very different from each other.
The research regarding the rose tea or drinks made from other parts of the rose plant is not conclusive and more research is needed. So, be careful and cautious before believing the hyped claims of the benefits of this tea.
How To Make Rose Tea
There are four FDA recognized species of rose that, when extracted, are safe. These four include R.centifolia, R.gallica, R.alba, and R.damascena.
Other than these species, the Rosa rugosa type was also used by ancient Chinese to treat many diseases.
Preparing rose tea is very simple, as you can use petals, whether fresh or dried, for making it. When making it one must be careful not to use roses from a florist or the places that use pesticides.
The making of this tea using fresh petals includes boiling of 2 cups of properly cleaned petals using three cups of water. Boil them for at least 5 minutes and then strain the petals into cups and enjoy your refreshing tea.
If you are using dried petals for rose tea, then you need to boil petals in water for 10-20 minutes.
The different rose tea brands available in the market recommend different brewing times and temperatures depending on the petals in their product.
The tea can be sweet or bitter, depending on the variety of the petals you are using to make it. You can also add honey to it if you like your tea a little sweet.
Final Words
Rose tea is a natural beverage with many benefits and is made from rose buds and petals. It is caffeine-free, opulent in antioxidants, and an excellent source of hydration.
There are also many health benefits that surround the rose tea, but most of the claims don’t have any evidence or research to support them.
Whatever the case, the Rose Tea is a refreshing and delicious drink that you can enjoy as a healthy diet.
