The Benefits you Can Find in a Green Tea Extract

You may have heard about the benefits of drinking green tea from multitude of websites and books dedicated to spreading the advantages of drinking green tea drinks, applying green tea lotion, using green tea soaps, and other green tea products. However, not much has been said about green tea extract.

What is a green tea extract? Green tea extract is simply the juice gathered from green tea leaves. Green tea extract contains healing properties from the tea leaves and green tea extraction simply means taking out these juice – as well as its healing properties – and subject these into a chemical form which is used in green tea pills, green tea dietary and health supplements, cosmetic and beauty or skin care products and many others.

Green tea extract is the primary ingredient in a fat burning pill. Green tea extracts helps with the body’s heat generation, or what we call thermogenesis, which is an important factor in the burning of body fats. Green tea extract promotes thermogenesis without affecting the heart rate. Green tea extract in fat burning pills and other weight loss supplements can help a person achieve a more fit physique without side effects such as jitters and LBM.

Another essential content in a green tea extract is bioflavanoids. Bioflavanoids help fight against the free radicals in our body that can cause diseases. Green tea extract also has EGCG which shields that body from any respiratory and digestive infections, and gets rid of carcinogens in the body which causes cancer.

Aside from weight loss benefits that products with green tea extract have, it also lowers hormonal activities which, in turn, decreases the production of acne. Green tea extract lowers cholesterol, helps lower high blood pressure and also stimulates the immune system that can help prevent periodontal diseases.

A recent study and research showed another important benefit of the green tea extract which is its ability to lower the chances of organ rejection in organ transplant patients. In the research rats that were induced to drinking developed damages in their livers. Some of these rats were consequently given green tea extracts for days. Results showed that these rats with green tea extract were able to adapt well to the new transplanted livers in their body.

Whatever your stand on animal testing and its viability on humans is, research and results of studies still give the same result: that green tea extract have promising benefits which could very well be the preventive solution to most of today’s health problems.

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Health Benefits of Green Tea Extract

What is Green Tea Extract?

Green Tea Extract is made from green tea leaves.  The leaves contain many antioxidant ingredients, mainly green tea catechins.  Green Tea has become very popular lately by those looking to prevent free radical damage to their bodies to help them look and feel young and healthy.  Green Tea Extract is used for four primary reasons, as an antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, and anti-radiation.

Will Green Tea Extract be used for treating cancer?

The anti-cancer properties of Green Tea Extract have made it very popular among scientific researchers. Green Tea Extract showed inhibitory effects on cancer cells, as well as the ability to block the cell cycle of cancer cells and induce programmed cell death. Green Tea Extract has also seems to have anti-radiation properties. Although Green Tea Extract shows great potential for anticancer capacity it is not used alone as a chemotherapy agent for cancer treatment.

Green Tea Extract as a preservative?

Because Green Tea Extract is so high in antioxidants, scientists have been working on ways of using it as a food additive for preserving a wide variety of foods. Green Tea Extract is already being used as a preservative for what is called a Moon Cake. Green Tea Extract seems to not only increase the shelf life of the cake but also improve the flavor! In other experiments, Green Tea Extract is being tested on its ability to prevent apple juice and other foods from microbial contamination.

 What else is Green Tea Extract good for?

Green Tea Extract contains a wide-range of anti-inflammation characteristics, so it may be helpful in treating chronic inflammatory states. Green Tea Extract may also be effective in oral hygiene maintenance.

How much Green Tea should I take?

Green Tea Extract supplements are available by just about everyone now days. Typical supplementation is 300-400mg which is equivalent to about 5 cups of Green Tea. Potency varies quite a bit amongst Green Tea Extract manufactures with some being about half as potent as others, so it is a good idea to check for the percentage of polyphenols it contains. It is also said to be better to take Green Tea Extract between meals rather than during the meal in order to avoid the decrease of iron absorption.

Is Green Tea Extract safe?

Excessive intake of Green Tea Extract containing caffeine has side effects; a too high concentration may act as a pro-oxidant to damage DNA.  Caffeine may be excluded in Green Tea extract supplements in order to avoid side-effects; “caffeine-free” Green Tea Extract supplements are available nowadays.

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What are the Green Tea Extract Benefits to our Health?

What are the green tea extract benefits to human health? Is the research complete? Are there proven results? Here’s a look at the answers to those questions.

What first began as a satisfying beverage, healthier than drinking coffee or sodas all day long, has now become a common component of diet aids, multi-nutritional supplements and even chewing gum. This is due largely to published reports containing the results of scientific studies.

It seems to increase fat oxidation and insulin sensitivity during exercise, which is why it is being promoted as a fat burner. It has cancer-preventative activity, may reduce the risk of heart disease, and appears to be beneficial in type II diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, Crohn’s disease, arthritis and a number of other health problems.

It has natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Because chronic inflammation and oxidation are two of the big causes of cellular aging, green tea extract benefits every cell of the human body and may extend your life-span.

Some would say that all sounds too good to be true, but we know what the causes of aging are. We also know that specific nutrients and extracts counter those processes. Whether or not we can live longer healthier lives depends on a variety of different things. Lifestyle, of course, plays a role, as does one’s diet. But, most health experts, nutritionists and naturopaths agree that multi-nutritional supplements can help.

They must be properly formulated and include different nutrients that are known to work together. A tablet with an enteric coating is the best method of delivery, because of the detrimental affect that stomach acid has on many nutrients. In foods, the fiber and other components protect the essential nutrients, somewhat. But, nutritional supplements, without an enteric coating have no protection. In other words, you cannot expect to see the green tea extract benefits, unless it makes it to your upper intestine, where it can be fully absorbed.

The best supplements are not found in discount stores and they are a bit more expensive than the multi-vitamins that you are probably taking every day, but they are well worth the expense. There is no doubt in my mind about that. I have experienced the benefit, myself, and so has the rest of my family. We get the green tea extract benefits and much more.

Generally speaking, we feel better. We rarely have colds or other viral infections. We have more energy. We sleep better. Our skin and hair looks healthier. And, I know that we are doing everything that we can to protect our long-term health.

The supplements that we take include antioxidants to fight free radical damage, anti-glycation agents, because glycation is just as dangerous as free radical damage, and anti-inflammatories to reduce the effect that foods and toxins have on our bodies. They also contain methylation agents, because methylation is needed to form various compounds necessary for continued good health. If you want the best value for your money, find a supplement that provides all of these things, as well as the green tea extract benefits. If you have a couple of minutes to spare, please take a look at my website now.

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Teatime


Yogi Tea
Chocolate Aztec Spice

Ingredients:
Cocoa shells, cinnamon, liquorice, carob, barley malt, cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon extract, vanilla extract, black pepper, ginger extract, vanilla beans.

www.yogitea.nl/yogitea_gb/ExoticTeas/Choco.html

Verdict: With a spoonful of sugar it almost tasted like desert. Not bad. Perhaps I should try to add a dash of milk!

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose

A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. [1]

The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.

The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).[2][3]

Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products.

The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in Southeast Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.

The flowers of most species roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.

The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips. Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also eat the seeds.

While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia have densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.

Roses are popular garden shrubs, as well as the most popular and commonly sold florists’ flowers. In addition to their great economic importance as a florists crop, roses are also of great value to the perfume industry.

Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.
Twentieth-century rose breeders generally emphasized size and colour, producing large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong sweet scent.

Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even tropical climates, especially when grafted onto appropriate rootstock.

Rose pruning, sometimes regarded as a horticultural art form, is largely dependent on the type of rose to be pruned, the reason for pruning, and the time of year it is at the time of the desired pruning.

Most Old Garden Roses of strict European heritage (albas, damasks, gallicas, etc.) are shrubs that bloom once yearly, in late spring or early summer, on two-year-old (or older) canes. As such, their pruning requirements are quite minimal, and are overall similar to any other analogous shrub, such as lilac or forsythia. Generally, only old, spindly canes should be pruned away, to make room for new canes. One-year-old canes should never be pruned because doing so will remove next year’s flower buds. The shrubs can also be pruned back lightly, immediately after the blooms fade, to reduce the overall height or width of the plant. In general, pruning requirements for OGRs are much less laborious and regimented than for Modern hybrids.

Modern hybrids, including the hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, modern miniatures, and English roses, have a complex genetic background that almost always includes China roses (R. chinensis). China roses were evergrowing, everblooming roses from humid subtropical regions that bloomed constantly on any new vegetative growth produced during the growing season. Their modern hybrid descendants exhibit similar habits: Unlike Old Garden Roses, modern hybrids bloom continuously (until stopped by frost) on any new canes produced during the growing season. They therefore require pruning away of any spent flowering stem, in order to divert the plant’s energy into producing new growth and thence new flowers.

Additionally, Modern Hybrids planted in cold-winter climates will almost universally require a "hard" annual pruning (reducing all canes to 8"–12" in height) in early spring. Again, because of their complex China rose background, Modern Hybrids are typically not as cold-hardy as European OGRs, and low winter temperatures often desiccate or kill exposed canes. In spring, if left unpruned, these damanged canes will often die back all the way to the shrub’s root zone, resulting in a weakened, disfigured plant. The annual "hard" pruning of hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. should generally be done in early spring; most gardeners coincide this pruning with the blooming of forsythia shrubs. Canes should be cut about 1/2" above a vegetative bud (identifiable as a point on a cane where a leaf once grew).

For both Old Garden Roses and Modern Hybrids, any weak, damaged or diseased growth should be pruned away completely, regardless of the time of year. Any pruning of any rose should also be done so that the cut is made at a forty five degree angle above a vegetative bud. This helps the pruned stem callus over more quickly, and also mitigates moisture buildup over the cut, which can lead to disease problems.

For all general rose pruning (including cutting flowers for arrangements), sharp secateurs (hand-held, sickle-bladed pruners) should be used to cut any growth 1/2" or less in diameter. For canes of a thickness greater than 1/2", pole loppers or a small handsaw are generally more effective; secateurs may be damaged or broken in such instances.

Deadheading is the simple practice of manually removing any spent, faded, withered, or discoloured flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. The purpose of deadheading is to encourage the plant to focus its energy and resources on forming new offshoots and blooms, rather than in fruit production. Deadheading may also be perfomed, if spent flowers are unsightly, for aethestic purposes. Roses are particularly responsive to deadheading.

Deadheading causes different effects on different varieties of roses. For continual blooming varieties, whether Old Garden roses or more modern hybrid varieties, deadheading allows the rose plant to continue forming new shoots, leaves, and blooms. For "once-blooming" varieties (that bloom only once each season), deadheading has the effect of causing the plant to form new green growth, even though new blooms will not form until the next blooming season.

For most rose gardeners, deadheading is used to refresh the growth of the rose plants to keep the rose plants strong, vibrant, and productive.

The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.

Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.

Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.

Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. ‘Rose’ means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).

The rose is the national flower of England and the United States[4], as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose), and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York[5] (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.

Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
Roses are often portrayed by artists. The French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté produced some of the most detailed paintings of roses.

Henri Fantin-Latour was also a prolific painter of still life, particularly flowers including roses. The Rose ‘Fantin-Latour’ was named after the artist.

Other impressionists including Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne have paintings of roses among their works.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia (the word Rose itself is from Persian) then spread through Arabia and India, but nowadays about 70% to 80% of production is in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk in Bulgaria, with some production in Qamsar in Iran and Germany.[citation needed]

The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by the Iranian rose water from Qamsar. In Bulgaria, Iran and Germany, damask roses (Rosa damascena ‘Trigintipetala’) are used. In the French rose oil industry Rosa centifolia is used. The oil, pale yellow or yellow-grey in color, is sometimes called ‘Rose Absolute’ oil to distinguish it from diluted versions. The weight of oil extracted is about one three-thousandth to one six-thousandth of the weight of the flowers; for example, about two thousand flowers are required to produce one gram of oil.

The main constituents of attar of roses are the fragrant alcohols geraniol and l-citronellol; and rose camphor, an odourless paraffin. β-Damascenone is also a significant contributor to the scent.

Quotes
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii
O, my love’s like a red, red rose/That’s newly sprung in June — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
Information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Mark Twain, Roughing It
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.

Police Searching for Unregistered Offenders
State Police have been checking up on offenders and are searching for those who haven’t been following the law.
Read more on WSAZ NewsChannel 3 West Virginia

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Not exactly a photograph


It’s a cyanotype. But I did make in photo class. Here’s a photo of it

Cabinet

Now Foods Green Tea Extract, 250 Capsules / 400mg

• 250 Capsules
• Serving Size: 1 capsule

NOW Green Tea Extract offers a convenient way to obtain the active constituents of Green Tea in a concentrated form. Green Tea Extract contains numerous compounds, including Polyphenols and Catechins, that provide potent antioxidant benefits. The free radical scavenging properties of Green Tea Extract act through multiple mechanisms to support overall health and well-being.



* Picture may be of different size or flavor

Rating: (out of 4 reviews)

List Price: $ 21.99

Price: $ 8.31

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Aromatic Apricot Pina Colada Cupcake


Light spearmint cupcake is cradled inside a ripe apricot and then slathered with a coconut butter cream and doused in an agave rum pineapple syrup…all for your pleasure.
Recipe to follow soon.

Vanilla Cake:
½ cup Soy Cream
½ cup Tofutti brand Sour Cream
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable margarine
¾ cup raw sugar
3 teaspoons spearmint extract
6 tsp spearmint tea

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line mini tins
with cupcake liners. Seep tea in soy creamer.
Cream margarine and sugar two
minutes – beat in spearmint.
Mix all dry ingredients together and then alternate soy cream-dry-soy cream. Add the sour cream at the last and incorporate then fill liners 2/3 full and bake 10 minutes. Cool completely.

White Coconut Butter cream:
¾ cup vegetable margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons Coconut Cream

Beat all ingredients until fluffy – pipe onto cup cakes.

Pineapple Rum Sauce:
½ cup pineapple juice
3 tbsp agave syrup
3 tsp rum

Mix well.

Serve with apricots – pour sauce over cuppie and apricots.

24 cuppies

Wild Clover


Historically, Wild clover, sometimes called Red clover, has been used for cancer and respiratory problems, such as whooping cough, asthma, and bronchitis.
It is on a list of herbs used by the National Center for complimentary and alternative medicine
The flowering tops of the Wild clover plant are used to prepare extracts available in tablets and capsules, as well as in teas and liquid forms.

Black Tea Cake


Ingredients: 1 1/2 Cups White Flour, 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder, 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon, 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger, 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Red Pepper, 2 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, 1/2 Cup Strongly Brewed Golden Monkey Tea + tea leaves(optional), 1/2 Cup Butter, 1 and 1/2 Cup White Sugar, 3 Eggs, 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract, Dark Chocolate Icing (optional)

In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and spices. Whisk until well combined and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and half of the butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat and set aside.

Beat together the sugar and remaining butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, tea, and chocolate mixture. If desired, add the steeped tea leaves as well for added texture and flavor. Beat well, being careful not to splatter. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour batter into two greased 8-inch cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350° F.

When the cakes are baked, allow to cool. Once the cakes are cool, assemble the cake layers with your favorite rich chocolate icing, or simply garnish with sprinkled powdered sugar and ground cinnamon.

Note: Golden Monkey Tea is a kind of black tea.

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Question by Corey Osmon: can i drink green tea and take green tea extract pills at the same time?
im buying green tea extract pills for acne and I was wondering if I should buy green tea bags to drink also or will that be like.. a green tea overdose lol?

Best answer:

Answer by Adamo
Pretty difficult to overdose on green tea, it’s very mild. You would have to drink about 5 cups and take at least 2-3 pills to have any bad effects.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

China Glaze White Tea Extract Manicure Soak .5oz

• nail treatment

China Glaze White Tea Extract Manicure Soak .5oz

List Price: $ 7.45

Price: $ 3.95

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Climbing Rose


From my set entitled “Roses”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607214064416/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718…

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose

A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. [1]

The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.

The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).[2][3]

Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products.

The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in Southeast Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.

The flowers of most species roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.

The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips. Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also eat the seeds.

While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia have densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.

Roses are popular garden shrubs, as well as the most popular and commonly sold florists’ flowers. In addition to their great economic importance as a florists crop, roses are also of great value to the perfume industry.

Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.
Twentieth-century rose breeders generally emphasized size and colour, producing large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong sweet scent.

Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even tropical climates, especially when grafted onto appropriate rootstock.

Rose pruning, sometimes regarded as a horticultural art form, is largely dependent on the type of rose to be pruned, the reason for pruning, and the time of year it is at the time of the desired pruning.

Most Old Garden Roses of strict European heritage (albas, damasks, gallicas, etc.) are shrubs that bloom once yearly, in late spring or early summer, on two-year-old (or older) canes. As such, their pruning requirements are quite minimal, and are overall similar to any other analogous shrub, such as lilac or forsythia. Generally, only old, spindly canes should be pruned away, to make room for new canes. One-year-old canes should never be pruned because doing so will remove next year’s flower buds. The shrubs can also be pruned back lightly, immediately after the blooms fade, to reduce the overall height or width of the plant. In general, pruning requirements for OGRs are much less laborious and regimented than for Modern hybrids.

Modern hybrids, including the hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, modern miniatures, and English roses, have a complex genetic background that almost always includes China roses (R. chinensis). China roses were evergrowing, everblooming roses from humid subtropical regions that bloomed constantly on any new vegetative growth produced during the growing season. Their modern hybrid descendants exhibit similar habits: Unlike Old Garden Roses, modern hybrids bloom continuously (until stopped by frost) on any new canes produced during the growing season. They therefore require pruning away of any spent flowering stem, in order to divert the plant’s energy into producing new growth and thence new flowers.

Additionally, Modern Hybrids planted in cold-winter climates will almost universally require a "hard" annual pruning (reducing all canes to 8"–12" in height) in early spring. Again, because of their complex China rose background, Modern Hybrids are typically not as cold-hardy as European OGRs, and low winter temperatures often desiccate or kill exposed canes. In spring, if left unpruned, these damanged canes will often die back all the way to the shrub’s root zone, resulting in a weakened, disfigured plant. The annual "hard" pruning of hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. should generally be done in early spring; most gardeners coincide this pruning with the blooming of forsythia shrubs. Canes should be cut about 1/2" above a vegetative bud (identifiable as a point on a cane where a leaf once grew).

For both Old Garden Roses and Modern Hybrids, any weak, damaged or diseased growth should be pruned away completely, regardless of the time of year. Any pruning of any rose should also be done so that the cut is made at a forty five degree angle above a vegetative bud. This helps the pruned stem callus over more quickly, and also mitigates moisture buildup over the cut, which can lead to disease problems.

For all general rose pruning (including cutting flowers for arrangements), sharp secateurs (hand-held, sickle-bladed pruners) should be used to cut any growth 1/2" or less in diameter. For canes of a thickness greater than 1/2", pole loppers or a small handsaw are generally more effective; secateurs may be damaged or broken in such instances.

Deadheading is the simple practice of manually removing any spent, faded, withered, or discoloured flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. The purpose of deadheading is to encourage the plant to focus its energy and resources on forming new offshoots and blooms, rather than in fruit production. Deadheading may also be perfomed, if spent flowers are unsightly, for aethestic purposes. Roses are particularly responsive to deadheading.

Deadheading causes different effects on different varieties of roses. For continual blooming varieties, whether Old Garden roses or more modern hybrid varieties, deadheading allows the rose plant to continue forming new shoots, leaves, and blooms. For "once-blooming" varieties (that bloom only once each season), deadheading has the effect of causing the plant to form new green growth, even though new blooms will not form until the next blooming season.

For most rose gardeners, deadheading is used to refresh the growth of the rose plants to keep the rose plants strong, vibrant, and productive.

The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.

Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.

Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.

Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. ‘Rose’ means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).

The rose is the national flower of England and the United States[4], as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose), and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York[5] (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.

Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
Roses are often portrayed by artists. The French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté produced some of the most detailed paintings of roses.

Henri Fantin-Latour was also a prolific painter of still life, particularly flowers including roses. The Rose ‘Fantin-Latour’ was named after the artist.

Other impressionists including Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne have paintings of roses among their works.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia (the word Rose itself is from Persian) then spread through Arabia and India, but nowadays about 70% to 80% of production is in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk in Bulgaria, with some production in Qamsar in Iran and Germany.[citation needed]

The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by the Iranian rose water from Qamsar. In Bulgaria, Iran and Germany, damask roses (Rosa damascena ‘Trigintipetala’) are used. In the French rose oil industry Rosa centifolia is used. The oil, pale yellow or yellow-grey in color, is sometimes called ‘Rose Absolute’ oil to distinguish it from diluted versions. The weight of oil extracted is about one three-thousandth to one six-thousandth of the weight of the flowers; for example, about two thousand flowers are required to produce one gram of oil.

The main constituents of attar of roses are the fragrant alcohols geraniol and l-citronellol; and rose camphor, an odourless paraffin. β-Damascenone is also a significant contributor to the scent.

Quotes
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii
O, my love’s like a red, red rose/That’s newly sprung in June — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
Information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Mark Twain, Roughing It
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.

Korean Ginseng Extract (Tea)


Placebo or not, this stuff has kept me off caffeine for the past month — and I feel much better for it. Damn expensive though.

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