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Sea buckthorn benefits

Sea buckthorn benefits

Team ErbologyErbology

With rare omega-7, more vitamin C than an orange and an array of nutrients, there are plenty of sea buckthorn benefits for your body. Find out all about the healthy properties this Mediterranean berry offers.

May 12, 2023 6:59 pm

Feeling tired? Before you reach for a caffeine tablet or an energy drink, take a moment to remember the last time you felt naturally invigorated: standing on a hilltop with the crisp wind on your cheeks and your lungs full of fresh air.

Luckily, there’s a secret that will allow you to feel naturally energised whenever and wherever you choose, and it’s all down to a very special little berry.

While they might be new in our diets, sea buckthorn berries have been revered for their health benefits since ancient times. So much so, in fact, that sea buckthorn berries even play a role in Greek mythology…

Sea buckthorn in ancient Greece

If we journey back through time to ancient Greece, we find sea buckthorn berries growing on a narrow strip of land between the Aegean sea and the Corinthian gulf. Known as the ithsmus, this strip of land takes its name from the Greek word for ‘narrow’ or ‘neck’.

At the centre of the ithsmus, we find the ancient city of Corinth, which houses the fountain of Periene. Its cool spring water offers refreshment to weary travellers making their way through the sun-drenched city. It was also a favourite watering hole of one of the most iconic mythological figures of all time: Pegasus.

A symbol of dignity and power, Pegasus the white, winged horse is a famous character in Greek mythology. The hero, Bellerophron, discovered Pegasus by the fountain of Periene and tamed him, later riding Pegasus into battle against the fearsome Chimera. Bellerophron and Pegasus’s victory is one of the most beloved stories in Greek mythology.

Pegasus’s favourite nibble

He may have been a mythical beast, but even Pegasus had to stop and refuel occasionally. Legend has it that he would graze on the vegetation around the ithsmus, but he was especially fond of sea buckthorn berries. These bright, tart little fruits must have powered many an arduous flight around ancient Greece and Mount Olympus!

Their inclusion in the Pegasus myth suggests that the ancient Greeks were familiar with the benefits of sea buckthorn. Taking a leaf out of Pegasus’s book, they fed sea buckthorn to their finest racehorses in the hope that they would muster the legendary speed of the winged horse. Some scholars have thus, humorously, christened sea buckthorn ‘the Pegasus plant’.

But now, let’s fast forward to the present day. What is sea buckthorn, and why has there been a resurgence of interest in it?

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sea buckthorn benefits

"Legend has it that Pegasus was especially fond of sea buckthorn berries. These bright, tart little fruits must have powered many an arduous flight around ancient Greece and Mount Olympus."

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, including in the UK. However, the vast majority grows in China, Russia, Mongolia, northern Europe and Canada. Ours is grown in Romania, by independent organic farmers.

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.(2)(3) 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.(1)

sea buckthorn berry benefit

What are the 5 key benefits of sea buckthorn berries?

The locals in the Himalayan mountains refer to sea buckthorn as the ‘holy fruit’ – and it seems they may be on to something. In fact, sea buckthorn’s impressive nutrient profile and health benefits are likely responsible for the sudden upsurge in interest in this mythical berry.

The sea buckthorn berry has several potential health benefits due to its high levels of vitamins, antioxidants, omega-7 fatty acids, and other beneficial compounds. In summary, the five core benefits of sea buckthorn berry are:

  1. Immune system support: Sea buckthorn is rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which can help support the immune system and reduce the risk of infections. For example, vitamin C helps to stimulate the production of white blood cells, which help to fight off infections and diseases. The sea buckthorn juice, in particular, is an excellent source of vitamin C.
  2. Skin health: Sea buckthorn oil is a popular ingredient in skincare products due to its moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties. It may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, promote healing of wounds and burns, and improve overall skin health. The oil extracted from the pulp is especially rich in omega-7 fatty acids and carotenoids, while the seed oil is rich in vitamin E and omega-3, 6 and 9.
  3. Supports eye health: Sea buckthorn berries are a rich source of carotenoids, which are important for eye health. Carotenoids help to protect the eyes from oxidative damage and may help to reduce the risk of age-related eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.(13)(14)
  4. Cardiovascular health: Sea buckthorn may help support heart health by reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol levels, and improving blood pressure.(5)(7)(8)(9)
  5. Gastrointestinal health: Sea buckthorn may help support digestive health by lowering inflammation, aiding digestion, and protecting against stomach ulcers.

It’s worth noting that we need more research to fully understand the potential health benefits of sea buckthorn, and that the effectiveness of sea buckthorn products may vary depending on the specific extraction method and dosage.

sea buckthorn health benefits

What are the key nutrients in sea buckthorn?

The leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits of the sea buckthorn plant are all used for their medicinal properties. Here are some of the main nutrients that sea buckthorn berries contain:

  • Omega-7 fatty acids: Sea buckthorn berries are one of the few plant sources of omega-7 fatty acids, which are beneficial for skin and cardiovascular health. These fatty acids may help to reduce inflammation and improve the health of the skin and mucous membranes.
  • Vitamin C: Sea buckthorn berries are a rich source of vitamin C, with 100 grams of the berries providing around 450-800mg of vitamin C, which is several times more than the daily recommended intake for adults.
  • Carotenoids: Sea buckthorn berries are rich in carotenoids, which are pigments that give the berries their deep orange colour. The carotenoids in sea buckthorn berries include beta-carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin, and lutein, all of which have antioxidant properties and are important for eye health.
  • Vitamin E: Sea buckthorn berries are also a good source of vitamin E, which is an important antioxidant that helps to protect cells from damage. The berries contain both tocopherols and tocotrienols, which are two forms of vitamin E.
  • Flavonoids: Sea buckthorn berries are rich in flavonoids, which are plant compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The flavonoids in sea buckthorn berries include quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin.
  • Minerals: Sea buckthorn berries are a good source of several minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus.

These nutrients work together to provide a wide range of health benefits, making sea buckthorn berries a valuable addition to a healthy diet.

Note that various sea buckthorn products have different nutritional profiles. For example, the sea buckthorn oil cold-pressed from the pulp is rich in omega-7 fatty acids and beta-carotene, while the juice is rich in vitamin C.

Sea buckthorn berries are an excellent source of omega-7

These little berries boast an impressive collection of unsaturated fatty acids, including rare omega-7.

While some of the omega fatty acid family have become quite well known in the health and wellness world (such as omega-3, which supports our anti-inflammatory function), omega-7 is less famous. However, just like the other omegas, omega-7, also known as palmitoleic acid, is immensely healthy for us.

Omega-7 acids act as signalling molecules which facilitate communication between fat and muscle tissue in our body.(5)(6) Many studies on omega-7 fatty acids relate to their ability to fight the harmful effects of metabolic syndrome – a worrisome combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity – and support cardiovascular health.(5)(7)(8)(9)

While omega-7 is very good for us, it’s quite hard to get hold of, and is rarely found in plants. Thankfully, though, we have sea buckthorn berries; their pulp is the richest plant source of omega-7 in the world.

sea buckthorn mocktail

Sea buckthorn is rich in beta-carotene

The vibrant orange colour of these little berries can be partially attributed to a pigment called beta-carotene.

Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid found in plants such as sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. It is the most common type of pro-vitamin A, which is the type of vitamin A we can source from plant-based foods. Our body must convert beta-carotene into vitamin A before reaping its benefits.(10)(11)

Active vitamin A, or retinoid, plays an important role in healthy vision and immune function, as well as cell and bone tissue growth.(10)(12)

Studies at the National Eye Institute have shown that vitamin A, in combination with vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and copper, reduced the risk of advanced macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of age-related blindness.(13)(14)

One berry boasts more vitamin C than an orange

When we think of a natural source of vitamin C, often oranges comes to mind first. But what if we told you that a single sea buckthorn berry contains eight to sixteen times more vitamin C than an orange? It’s a pretty impressive fact, considering how much smaller a sea buckthorn berry is than an orange!(15)(16)

A 100-gram serving of sea buckthorn boasts 400 to 800mg of vitamin C. Meanwhile, 100 grams of orange provides just 53mg.(16)

Vitamin C is important to our immune system and heart health. It helps our body to convert cholesterol into bile acids and, as a result, helps lower our blood cholesterol levels. What’s more,  vitamin C increases the absorption of iron, a key component of haemoglobin, and protects our body from the damage caused by free radicals, toxins and pollutants.(17)

Vitamin C also contributes to the formation of collagen. Collagen is a protein which gives many of the tissues in our body structure, like our skin and connective tissues like ligaments and tendons.

Sea buckthorn is often credited with improving the health and resilience of our skin, bones, gums and teeth, and this is, at least in part, down to its incredible vitamin C content.

peach sorbet ingredients

Sea buckthorn juice benefits

If we’ve convinced you to give this super berry a try, the good news is that it’s easy to incorporate it into your daily routine. The sea buckthorn product you choose really just depends on how you’d like to use it.

If you’re fine with tart flavours and want a refreshing drink to kick off your day, we’d recommend our Organic Sea Buckthorn Juice. Add a few tablespoons to water, orange juice or smoothies to smash your daily vitamin C goals before breakfast. Alternatively, our Sea Buckthorn Shots come in a handy on-the-go size which can be easily grabbed on the way out to work.

omega 7

Sea buckthorn oil benefits

Finally, if you’re particularly interested in sea buckthorn’s skincare benefits, we recommend our Organic Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil.

To make 1 litre of our oil, we cold-press 50 kilos of fresh sea buckthorn berries. As a result, our oil is rich in omega-7 fatty acids. It contains approx. 37g/100g of omega-7.

Take a small amount (20 to 40 drops) every day, or apply it to your skin and hair directly. The oil retains the vivid orange colour of the berry, so we like to dilute it in a little carrier oil, such as almond oil, first.

Many people love to use sea buckthorn oil for its nourishing effects on the skin.

Sea buckthorn oil is also very popular as a natural remedy for the symptoms of menopause. Head over to our article about how sea buckthorn oil can help with menopause symptoms to find out more.

Baking, snacking and more

If you prefer sweeter flavours and want to incorporate sea buckthorn into a dish you already enjoy, you have lots of options. Swap your normal granola for our Organic Tigernut Granola with Sea Buckthorn. Not only will you benefit from the berries, but it’s also a natural, gut-friendly prebiotic.

Or, get creative with our Sea Buckthorn Powder. Perhaps the most versatile of all the different forms, it can be sprinkled over breakfast bowls, blended into smoothies, and added into baking. The choice is yours.

Baked goods also a great opportunity to include a handful of Dried Sea Buckthorn Berries, which are as lovely baked into cookies as they are stirred into porridge.

Top sea buckthorn benefits

In short, sea buckthorn berries play a key role in the immune system, normal vision and cardiovascular health. They also look after your mucous membranes, help with healthy body responses to inflammation and contribute to collagen development, which in turn naturally slows ageing.

Related reading

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  • References

    (1) History and Classical Note of Sea Buckthorn, 2014.

    1. “Sea-Buckthorn – Hippophae Rhamnoides – Overview”, Encyclopedia of Life.
    2. Edwards, Sarah E, et al. “Sea Buckthorn”, Wiley Online Library, Wiley-Blackwell, 20 Feb. 2015.
    3. Sarich, Christina. “23 Health Benefits of Sea Buckthorn: The Miracle Berry”, Natural Society, 2014.

    (5) “Omega-7 Protects Against Metabolic Syndrome”, LifeExtension.com, 2014.

    (6) Cao H, Gerhold K, Mayers JR, Wiest MM, Watkins SM, Hotamisligil GS. Identification of a lipokine, a lipid hormone linking adipose tissue to systemic metabolism. Cell. 2008 Sep 19;134(6):933-44.

    (7) Grundy, Scott M., et al. “Definition of Metabolic Syndrome”, American Heart Association, American Heart Association, Inc., 2004.

    (8) “About Metabolic Syndrome”, American Heart Association.

    (9) “Metabolic Syndrome”, Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2018.

    (10) Wong, Cathy. “The Health Benefits of Beta-Carotene”, Verywell Fit.

    (11) Dabfm, et al. “Vitamin A: Health Benefits, Best Foods, and More”, Dr. Group’s Healthy Living Articles, Global Healing Center, 2016.

    (12) Harvard Health Publishing, “On Call: Vitamin A and Macular Degeneration”, Harvard Health.

    (13) “Macular Degeneration | AREDS and AREDS2”, National Eye Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    (14) Gutzeit, D, et al. “Vitamin C Content in Sea Buckthorn Berries (Hippophaë Rhamnoides L. Ssp. Rhamnoides) and Related Products: a Kinetic Study on Storage Stability and the Determination of Processing Effects”, Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2008.

    (15) “Sea Buckthorn Berries – Sea Buckthorn Health Benefits”, Fermented Foods and Probiotics.

    (16) “Vitamins and Minerals”, United States Department of Agriculture.

    (17) Chambial, Shailja, et al. “Vitamin C in Disease Prevention and Cure: An Overview”, Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, Springer India, 2013.

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