Rose: Benefits, Uses & Dosage

Rose Flowers (Rosa spp.), known in Sanskrit as Shatapatri and in Chinese as Yue ji hua, are particularly good for reducing Pitta. Their rasa is bitter, pungent, astringent, and sweet, with cooling virya and sweet vipaka. They balance all three doshas (VPK=), though they may increase Kapha or Ama in excess.

Rose flowers relieve heat, congestion of the blood, and soothe inflamed surfaces. Fresh rose petals can be macerated in honey or raw sugar and used for sore throat or mouth sores, or they may be taken with warm milk. Rose water is a classic preparation for cooling and soothing inflamed eyes and skin.

Acting on plasma, blood, marrow and nerve, and reproductive tissues through the circulatory, female reproductive, and nervous systems, rose flowers function as an alterative, emmenagogue, refrigerant, nervine, carminative, laxative, and astringent. They are indicated for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, uterine hemorrhage, inflamed eyes, dizziness, headaches, sore throat, and enlarged tonsils. The primary precaution is high Kapha. Preparations include hot or cold infusion, powder (250 mg to 1 g), and rose water.

• Dı-pana: Awakens digestion
• Hr• daya: Affinity for the heart and benefits blood flow Śukrala Increases semen
• Medhya: Improves the intellect
• Dos.atrayaraktajit: Balances all three dosas and the blood
• Biomedical: Carminative, emmenagogue, nervine, antidepressant, astringent, anti-inflammatory, laxative, aromatic, aphrodisiac

Safety: It may reduce the absorption of iron (Harkness & Bratman 2003).

Dosage: 1–10g per day or 5–15ml of a 1:2 @ 50% fresh tincture. Drink rosewater freely (5–50ml per day).

Combinations:

• Safflower, shatavari, turmeric for excessive menstrual bleeding with clots and pain.
• Brahmi, gotu kola, arjuna for palpitations and tight chest.
• Neem, manjishtha, chrysanthemum for skin inflammations with heat signs.
• Amalaki, guduchi in high pitta and acid conditions of the intestines.
• Ashwagandha, shatavari, kapikacchu, gokshura in infertility. None known, although caution during pregnancy.