The dried fruit was used in folk medicine for digestive problems, urinary tract and kidney disorders, rheumatism, gout, colds, and febrile conditions. Rose hip is usually taken for its vitamin C content and therefore suitable in vitamin-C deficiency. It is used for colds, intestinal conditions (such as constipation) and indigestion. It may be also used as a diuretic and to increase capillary strength.

Medicinal uses of rosehip have been recorded since the Romans. Rose hips and other parts of the rose plant have traditionally been used as folk medicine and as a nutritional food source in many countries and cultures around the globe. They have also been used by the indigenous people of the Americas. Rose hips have been used to supplement the diet, especially during food shortages.

Orally, rose hip is also used for stomach disorders including stomach spasms, stomach acid deficiency, preventing stomach irritation and ulcers, and as a "stomach tonic" for intestinal diseases. Rose hip is also used for diarrhea, constipation, gallstones, gallbladder ailments, lower urinary tract and kidney disorders, fluid retention (dropsy or edema), gout, back and leg pain (sciatica), diabetes, high cholesterol, weight loss, high blood pressure, chest ailments, fever, increasing immune function during exhaustion, increasing blood flow in the limbs, increasing urine flow and quenching thirst.