SeaBuckthorn Concerns and Harms

1. Is Sea Buckthorn toxic?

Sea Buckthorn is not toxic under normal circumstances and under appropriate use conditions.

That being said, some other members of the family could be toxic to humans and animals. For example, the ingestion of the green or ripe fruit of the Karwinskia humboldtiana (buckthorn), a bush known in Mexico as coyotillo or tullidora, causes a flaccid, symmetric, progressive, and ascending palsy of the lower limbs, which, in severe cases, can cause bulbar palsy and death. 

Rhamnus cathartica, colloquially known as common buckthorn, is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to Europe. This plant is hazardous to humans and most animals; all parts of it are mildly poisonous.

Other wild Buckthorn berry species while highly prized by birds, can be toxic to mammals, including humans. The Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System indicates "Buckthorn poisoning symptoms are usually mild and are limited to abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The berries are slightly poisonous and can irritate the skin. Named after the laxative effects its berries induce when eaten, purging buckthorn is a small, spiny tree native to England and Wales and throughout Europe.

Please exercise caution when procuring products and make sure you are aware of the source.

2. Does Sea Buckthorn interact with medications?

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) can interact with Sea Buckthorn. Sea Buckthorn might slow blood clotting. Taking Sea Buckthorn along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

People with diabetes or who are on blood sugar-lowering medication should also talk to a healthcare provider about whether Sea Buckthorn is a suitable supplement to take

3. Does Sea Buckthorn affect hormones?

The flavones in Sea Buckthorn are phytoestrogen that can exert estrogenic or anti-estrogenic actions depending on concentration, so it is possible that the SBL increased the ADSL gene expression in liver via its estrogenic activity.

4. Who should not take Sea Buckthorn?

Sea Buckthorn may also interfere with certain medicines that treat gastrointestinal conditions, heart rhythm problems, cancer, or autoimmune diseases. Avoid using Sea Buckthorn if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. There is not enough information to prove its safety. The FDA does not regulate supplements.