Sea Buckthorn Overview

 

1. What is Sea Buckthorn?


Sea Buckthorn berries are small, bright orange or yellow fruits which grow on a shrub. It’s a fairly forgiving plant and grows in many different places around the world, with the vast majority growing in China, Russia, Mongolia, northern Europe and Canada. 


It has a tart, surprisingly tropical flavour, tasting almost like a combination of lemon, pineapple and gooseberry. Sea Buckthorn is becoming better known in the culinary community, and dishes and cocktails containing Sea Buckthorn have made it onto many a high-class menu. As a flavour, it pairs particularly well with citrus fruits such as orange.


Sea Buckthorn is also known by a couple of alternative names, including Seabuck, Seaberry, Sandberry, and Hippophae. This latter name comes from ancient times, too. As noted above, the ancient Greeks liked to feed Sea Buckthorn to their horses, and whilst it might not have converted them into Pegasus himself, it did encourage them to gain weight and develop a shiny coat. Hippophae comes from the latin words ‘hippo’, or horse, and ‘phaos’, to shine.


2. What does Sea Buckthorn do for the body?

Sea Buckthorn is rich in various vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds. It's naturally full of antioxidants, which help protect your body against aging and illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Its berries are especially rich in vitamins A, C, K, and E.


This superfruit has been used historically as a beauty treatment, an energy booster and to treat a wide variety of ailments. In ancient Greek times, it was even fed to horses to support health & vitality and was noted to give them shiny fur. Sea Buckthorn's botanical name literally means “tree that makes horses shine”.



3. What are the key nutrients in Sea Buckthorn?

Sea buckthorn is a superfood from the Himalayas. Full of essential minerals like Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, vitamin E, Vitamin K, Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9, and the rare Omega 7 and many antioxidants. It contains carotenoids, tocopherols, flavonoids, lipids and ascorbic acid, which help in maintaining overall health. Sea Buckthorn is well-known for its antioxidant and anti-ageing properties. It helps to maintain energy, build stamina and improve skin quality, and helps support a healthy cardiovascular system. Sea buckthorn oil may also help manage Psoriasis lesions through the inactivation of reactive oxygen species and down-regulation of NF-kB protein.


4. What vitamins are in Sea Buckthorn?

The berries are a rich source of vitamins A, C, K, E and P as well as malic acid and citric acid. Sea-buckthorn oil also contains sterols, fruit acids (malic acid, citric acid), phenolic compounds, tannins, phospholipids, anthocyanins, sugars, pectins and mineral salts including sulfur, selenium, copper and zinc 


5. Is Sea Buckthorn a protein?

The wild Sea Buckthorn is a cold tolerant unique plant with beneficial value of medicinal and cosmetic products. About 7.2% of wild Sea Buckthorn berries belongs to seeds and the protein in seeds composed 37.79%, while the protein in shells equal to 15.25%.


6. What problems does buckthorn cause?

Common buckthorn can inhibit recreational activities in areas where it has become established. Its dense stands can make it difficult to walk along established trails. Common buckthorn also harms the aesthetic value of natural areas by reducing the abundance and variety of native species such as wildflowers.


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.


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


7. What is the best way to take Sea Buckthorn?

Our pure seed and berry oil are food grade, making them safe to take orally or slather on your skin. It can be dropped into smoothies, salad dressing, sauces or any food or beverages that you make at home. Don't heat Sea Buckthorn oil (it could lose some of its nutrients) — add it to already cooked items.


8. How long does it take for Omega 7 to work?

Over 92% found that Omega 7  worked in 6 weeks or less. That's high praise indeed for a natural product!


9. Is Sea Buckthorn Anti inflammatory?

Yes. 

The possible mode of action of SBKT was found through inhibition of reactive nitrogen species, and downregulation of NF-κB protein and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, the present data suggest that Sea Buckthorn oil can be used as an anti-inflammatory and anti-psoriatic nutraceutical.


10. Does Sea Buckthorn contain vitamin B12?

Analysis shows 100 g of dry matter contained as much as 37.01 µg of vitamin B12. This means that Sea Buckthorn may be the richest source of vitamin B12 among all plants.


11. Is Sea Buckthorn high in sugar?

Sea Buckthorn berries were shown to contain good fiber content (6.55%, 25 DV%), high quality of protein (3.12%, 6.24 DV%) containing: histidine, valine, threonine, leucine and lysine (with AAS 24.32, 23.66, 23.09, 23.05 and 21.71%, respectively), and 4.45% sugar that provides only 79 calories.


12. Does Sea Buckthorn have vitamin D?

Sea Buckthorn oil includes a variety of vitamin A, B1, B2, C, D, E, K and P, as well as amino acids, folic acid and 20 mineral elements.


13. Is Sea Buckthorn good for controlling cholesterol?

Dietary supplementation of Sea Buckthorn seed oil markedly reduces cholesterol, oxy-LDL and triglycerides in hypercholesterolemic subjects though it's effect on subjects with normal blood pressure and cholesterol is less pronounced.


14. Is Sea Buckthorn a Superfood?

Its true superfood status comes from all the benefits it brings the body both inside and out. The Sea Buckthorn berry holds high amounts of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber.