Rose Hip
Summary
Rose hip powder, made from the fruit of the dog rose, is mainly studied for joint pain. A meta-analysis of three manufacturer-supported trials found modest osteoarthritis pain relief (grade C). Single trials report small gains in rheumatoid arthritis function and, at 40 g/day, lower blood pressure and cholesterol (grade D). Independent trials are lacking.
Key facts
- The fruit (hip) of the dog rose, Rosa canina; supplements are usually powder made from its seeds and shells[2][3]
- Osteoarthritis pain (C), rheumatoid arthritis function (D), blood pressure and cholesterol (D)[1][5][6]
- All three osteoarthritis trials in the meta-analysis were supported by the manufacturer[1]
- A 2019 US military evidence panel made no recommendation on rose hip for chronic musculoskeletal pain[8]
- 7 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 10, 2026
How it works
ProposedRose hip powder is proposed to calm joint inflammation through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant constituents. A 2019 review summarizes the laboratory and mechanistic studies behind this idea; which compounds act in people is not established.[9]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osteoarthritis | Grade C | Improved | Meta-analysis of 3 trials · n = 287 · 2008 | 3 rows |
| Knee function | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 100 · 2015 | 1 row |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 89 · 2010 | 1 row |
| Skin | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 34 · 2015 | 1 row |
| Heart markers | Grade D | Improved | Crossover RCT · n = 31 · 2012 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osteoarthritis pain | Improved | Grade C | Meta-analysis · n = 287 · 2008 Adults with osteoarthritis in 3 RCTs Form: Rose hip powder (Rosa canina) · Dose: Varied (5 g/day in the two crossover trials cited here) · Duration: Median 3 months Pain fell more than with placebo (effect size 0.37), and patients were about twice as likely to respond (OR 2.19), a number needed to treat of 6. | 18407528 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
| Osteoarthritis joint pain and stiffness | Improved | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 112 · 2004 Adults with osteoarthritis Form: Hyben Vital standardized rose hip powder · Dose: 5 g/day · Duration: 3 months per period In the group given placebo first, pain and stiffness improved more on rose hip; in the group given rose hip first, placebo appeared to work as well, which the authors attribute to carryover. In the first 3 months, 66% responded on rose hip versus 36% on placebo; no major side effects. | 15330493 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Knee function during walking | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 100 · 2015 Adults with self-reported knee-related walking limitations Form: Specialized rose hip powder capsules · Dose: Three capsules a day (amount not stated in the abstract) · Duration: 12 weeks Peak knee moment during walking increased more than with placebo (0.06 Nm/kg, P=0.039), with more knee flexion during stance; 94 of 100 completed. | 26234471 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
| Hip and knee osteoarthritis pain, stiffness and rescue-medication use | Improved | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 94 · 2005 Adults with hip or knee osteoarthritis Form: Powder of seeds and shells of a Rosa canina subspecies · Dose: 5 g/day · Duration: 3 months per period WOMAC pain fell versus placebo by 3 weeks and rescue-medication use declined; disability, stiffness and global severity improved by 3 months. | 16195164 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
| Physical function and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 89 · 2010 Adults with rheumatoid arthritis (90% women, mean age 57) in Berlin and Copenhagen Form: Capsulated rose hip powder · Dose: 5 g/day · Duration: 6 months The HAQ disability score improved versus placebo (adjusted P=0.032), as did physician global ratings and quality of life; pain scores and pain-medication use did not differ, and DAS-28 narrowly missed significance (P=0.056). | 19818588 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
| Facial wrinkles, skin moisture and elasticity | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 34 · 2015 Healthy adults aged 35–65 with crow's-feet wrinkles Form: Hyben Vital rose hip powder (seeds and shells), compared with astaxanthin · Dose: Not stated in the abstract · Duration: 8 weeks Crow's-feet wrinkles, skin moisture and elasticity improved with rose hip, much as they did with astaxanthin. | 26604725 (opens PubMed)Source [7] |
| Blood pressure and cholesterol in obesity | Improved | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 31 · 2012 Adults with obesity and normal or impaired glucose tolerance Form: Rose hip powder drink · Dose: 40 g/day of rose hip powder · Duration: 6 weeks per period Systolic blood pressure fell 3.4%, total cholesterol 4.9% and LDL 6.0% versus a control drink; weight, diastolic pressure, glucose tolerance, HDL, triglycerides and inflammation markers did not differ. | 22166897 (opens PubMed)Source [6] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose hip powder from seeds and shells (e.g., Hyben Vital) | Varies[2][3][5][7] | No human absorption data in our sources.[2] | No major side effects in a 112-person, 6-month crossover trial.[3] | Joint and skin trials (5 g/day) |
| Rose hip powder drink | Varies[6] | No human absorption data in our sources.[6] | Weight and inflammation markers did not change; no adverse effects reported in the abstract.[6] | Cholesterol and blood pressure trial (40 g/day) |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 5 g/day of rose hip powder in joint trials lasting 3 to 6 months to 40 g/day, as a drink, in a 6-week cholesterol trial.[2][5][6]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
None found in our sources.
Who should be careful
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- The trial added rose hip to usual care; it is not a substitute for prescribed disease-modifying medicines.[5]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
Safety
Trials of up to 6 months reported no major side effects.
How to read the label
- Label dose vs clinical doseJoint trials used 5 g/day of rose hip powder made from seeds and shells; the cholesterol trial used 40 g/day.[2][6]
- Branded powderMuch of the joint and skin evidence comes from one branded powder (Hyben Vital) from a Rosa canina subspecies.[3][7]
- Seeds and shellsThe 2005 osteoarthritis trial used powder from the seeds and shells of the hip.[2]
Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch
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Cost per studied dose
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Frequently asked questions
Does rose hip help osteoarthritis pain?
Modestly. A meta-analysis of three trials (287 people) found less pain than placebo, about one extra responder for every six people using it; all three trials were manufacturer-supported.[1]
How much rose hip powder is used in studies?
5 g/day in joint trials lasting 3–6 months; one cholesterol trial used 40 g/day.[2][5][6]
Does rose hip help rheumatoid arthritis?
In 89 people, 5 g/day for 6 months on top of usual care improved a disability score and physician ratings versus placebo, but not pain.[5]
Can rose hip lower cholesterol or blood pressure?
In 31 adults with obesity, 40 g/day for 6 weeks lowered systolic pressure 3.4% and LDL 6% versus a control drink.[6]
Does rose hip improve skin?
An 8-week trial in 34 adults found fewer wrinkles and better moisture, similar to astaxanthin, but it had no placebo group and the maker supplied the powder.[7]
Sources
- [1]Does the hip powder of Rosa canina (rosehip) reduce pain in osteoarthritis patients?--a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2008. meta-analysis
- [2]A powder made from seeds and shells of a rose-hip subspecies (Rosa canina) reduces symptoms of knee and hip osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.. Scand J Rheumatol, 2005. crossover-RCT
- [3]A herbal remedy, Hyben Vital (stand. powder of a subspecies of Rosa canina fruits), reduces pain and improves general wellbeing in patients with osteoarthritis--a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial.. Phytomedicine, 2004. crossover-RCT
- [4]Improved gait in persons with knee related mobility limitations by a rosehip food supplement: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.. Gait Posture, 2015. RCT
- [5]Rose hip herbal remedy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - a randomised controlled trial.. Phytomedicine, 2010. RCT
- [6]Effects of rose hip intake on risk markers of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over investigation in obese persons.. Eur J Clin Nutr, 2012. crossover-RCT
- [7]The effectiveness of a standardized rose hip powder, containing seeds and shells of Rosa canina, on cell longevity, skin wrinkles, moisture, and elasticity.. Clin Interv Aging, 2015. RCT
- [8]Dietary Ingredients as an Alternative Approach for Mitigating Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Practice and Research in the Military.. Pain Med, 2019. guideline
- [9]Rosa canina - Rose hip pharmacological ingredients and molecular mechanics counteracting osteoarthritis - A systematic review.. Phytomedicine, 2019. systematic-review
What changed
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.
- Adversarial review pass: every evidence row re-read against its PubMed abstract. No NIH ODS fact sheet, NCCIH herb page or EMA herbal monograph covers rose hip (EMA covers rose flower only), so no official monograph is cited. Industry ties: all three trials in the 2008 osteoarthritis meta-analysis were supported by Hyben-Vital International; Hyben Vital supplied the powder for the 2015 skin trial and one author consulted for it (PMC4655903); the 2012 cholesterol trial was university-funded (PMC3343291); funding for the other trials is not stated in PubMed; the first author of the 2019 mechanism review lists an affiliation with Herbalist & Doc Gesundheitsgesellschaft mbH, a herbal products company (PubMed). Retraction, expression-of-concern, erratum and withdrawn checks on all 9 PMIDs: none flagged. Page set indexable. Independent browser review (4 parallel reviewers, every evidence row checked against its abstract and official sources on the Vercel preview) found: no factual issues; mechanism review author affiliation disclosed.