Essential perfume or natural treatment? Does rose tea have health effects or side effects?

Reader Mr. Huang asked me on his face on 2023-10-3:

"Hello Professor: Can you please teach you the relevant research on rose tea? There is very little information on the Internet. I want to understand whether rose tea drinks have side effects." There are two types of rose tea flowing in the shop: (1) Drink made from tea leaves with roses (like jasmine tea), and (2) Drinks soaked fresh or dried roses in hot water. In the following articles, I will only discuss the second effect and side effects.

It is necessary to state in advance that: (1) There are more than one hundred varieties of roses, so different varieties of roses will have different chemical ingredients. (2) The most studied species is Rosa Damascena (Damascena rose), (3) Research is to use rose extract, while people drink from roses soaked in water, so there will be differences in the chemical composition between the two. (4) Research is mostly published in journals with low water standards, so just make a reference, don't believe it wholeheartedly.

Let’s first read a comprehensive summary article published in 2021. Rose Flowers-A Delicate Perfume or a Natural Healer? (Rose Flowers-A Delicate Perfume or a Natural Healer?). Roses have beneficial therapeutic benefits because they are rich in beneficial ingredients, secondary healing agents such as ketones (e.g. ketones, ketone alcohols, anthocyanins), aromatic ingredients (e.g. essential oils, terpenes, sesquiterpenes), and hydrolyzable and condensable monosaccharides. Rose essential oils and extracts have therapeutic properties: — — as respiratory antibacterials, anti-inflammatory agents, mucus dissolving agents, expectorants, congestion-reducing agents and antioxidants; — — can be used as symptomatic preventive agents and drugs, thereby reducing the pain caused by severe diseases.

Come again, please read several clinical research and summary articles on specific health conditions published in 2021 and 2022:

Effect of Rosa damascena on improvement of adults’ sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials). Conclusion: The application of Damascus roses seems to be a promising way to improve sleep quality in adults. However, most of the trials have average quality and adverse reactions (including headache, nausea, vomiting and frequent sneezing), so further high-quality random inspections are required.

Effects of Rosa damascena (Damask rose) on menstruation-related pain, headache, fatigue, anxiety, and bloating: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials: Systematic review and comprehensive analysis of randomized controlled trials. The results showed that the Damascus rose had little effect on the pain or anxiety associated with the moon, but significantly reduced the headache, fatigue and abdominal distension related to the moon.

The Efficacy of Rosa damascena on Liver Enzymes in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial. Conclusion: Damascus rose can significantly improve liver function in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver. Therefore, it can be recommended that these patients combine lifestyle changes. It is recommended to use a larger sample size for further research.

Rosa Damascena mill for treating adults’ anxiety, depression, and stress: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The use of Damascus roses significantly reduces anxiety, depression and pressure status.

2022

Effects of Topical Application and Oral Intake of Rosa damascena on Acute Pain in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Conclusion: This systematic review and combined analysis showed that oral damascene rose may not have a significant relief to the severity of acute pain in adults. However, its local application has not yet shown the effect of pain relief. More powerful random control trials are needed to accurately assess the effects of oral and topical Damascus red on the severe degree of acute pain in different types in adults.

Rosa damascena together with brown sugar mitigate functional constipation in children over 12 months old: A double-blind randomized controlled trial. Conclusion: Damascus rose extract and red sugar can be used as effective, safe and cheap medicines for functional constipation.

Evidence for Rosa damascena efficiency in mental disorders in preclinical animal studies and clinical trials: A systematic review. Generally speaking, Damascus rose is an effective herb for treating mental disorders. However, further research time and intervention continuous time are needed to recommend research results.

Original text: Healthy effects and side effects of rose tea

Responsible editor: Gu Zihuan