Sea Buck thorn - Another Super Fruit

What is Sea Buckthorn?

Sea buckthorn is the latest fruit to gain "superfood" status since goji, mangosteen and acai. It's an orange berry that has been used medicinally in Asia and Europe for hundreds of years, where its health benefits are renowned. Now, it's the West's turn to reap the benefits of this truly awesome fruit.

Sea buckthorn primarily grows in shady areas in colder climates such as China, Russia, and Canada. Every part of the sea buckthorn plant is used for healing - the small branches, leaves, skin, pulp and seeds. It can boost your immune system, heal serious skin ailments such as eczema and radiation burns, and help to fight fatigue and boost energy.

Listing of Sea Buckthorn Health Benefits

Sea buckthorn, a plant which produces the orange-colored sea buckthorn berry, and is grown primarily in the mountainous and colder regions of China, Russia and Canada, is rapidly becoming popular throughout the world for the hundreds of potential benefits it provides, both nutritionally and medicinally. Whether taken internally, in the form of a juice, tea or supplement, or applied topically to the skin in oil, lotion or cream form, sea buckthorn is beginning to earn a reputation as a "super fruit" for its ability to both heal and prevent a wide array of illnesses and conditions.

• Acne: The anti-inflammatory agents in sea buckthorn, such as quercetin and salycins, together with the immune boosting fatty acids mentioned above, work in harmony to help address the 3 main culprits of acne: immune system, hormone imbalances and chronic inflammation. Read more about Sea Buckthorn and Acne.
  
• Anti-aging: Rich in vitamin A and vitamin E, sea buckthorn can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and retard premature skin maturation.
  
• Chemotherapy: The flavonoids in sea buckthorn can help cancer patients recover more rapidly from the effects of radiation and chemotherapy treatment.
  
• Cardiovascular benefits: Sea buckthorn is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3, omega-6, omega-7 and omega-9 oils, which experts believe can significantly help improve heart health and drastically reduce a person's risk for heart attacks and strokes.
  
• Cell repair and rejuvenation: Studies show that sea buckthorn can aid significantly in the repair and rejuvenation of the body's cellular structure.
  
• Cerebral health: The fatty acids, flavonoids and carotonoids found in sea buckthorn not only help reduce the risk of stroke, they promote overall brain health and memory.
  
• Cholesterol control: The flavonoids and essential fatty acids in sea buckthorn help to increase the good cholesterol (HDL) in your blood and reduce your risk of conditions such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Also, phytosterols reduce the amount of cholesterol that you take in during meals.
  
• Fatigue: Sea buckthorn is rich in many important vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin E, and can help reduce some of the more common symptoms of fatigue such as low energy and muscle tension. Sea buckthorn may even help promote a more restful night's sleep.
  
• Gastrointestinal health: Sea buckthorn seed oil is an effective treatment for gastric ulcers as it normalizes the output of gastric acid and helps to reduce inflammation in the stomach and other gastrointestinal organs. Click here to discover additional internal benefits of Sea Buckthorn.
  
• Hair: The oils and fatty acids contained in sea buckthorn can improve overall hair health and lends itself to a healthy and natural-looking shine. In addition, preliminary trials seem to indicate a correlation between the use of sea buckthorn and a reduction in the onset of premature hair loss.
  
• Hypertension or high blood pressure: Extracts from all parts of sea buckthorn - bark, juice, leaves and oil - can be effective in treating high blood pressure. Its essential fatty acids help to lower blood pressure, and some research suggests that increasing flavonoids (which are abundant in sea buckthorn) intake also benefits hypertension.
  
• Immune system: Sea buckthorn is rich in vitamin C which can help boost the immune system and helps to fight off disease.
  
• Liver: Clinical trials have shown that sea buckthorn can help normalize liver enzymes and immune system markers in those with inflammation or cirrhosis of the liver, and may help prevent the harmful effects of many substances high in toxicity.
  
• Menopause: Sea buckthorn is a natural lubricant and helps to relieve vaginal dryness that may occur during menopause.
  
• Skin diseases: Several studies have investigated sea buckthorn's ability to treat conditions such as acne, dermatitis, eczema, skin lesions and rosacea. Its skin-healing abilities are due to its high essential fatty acid, flavonoids, protein, and vitamin content.
  
• Sun Block: Sea buckthorn naturally absorbs the sun's harmful UV rays which can cause skin damage and may lead to skin cancer. Read more about the external health benefits of sea buckthorn here.
  
• Triglycerides: Sea buckthorn helps to lower these blood fats that can also contribute to heart disease and stroke.
  
• Ulcers: This fruit improves the health of mucous membranes in the gastrointestinal tract. Research involving rats indicate that the seed and pulp oils can prevent and cure gastric ulcers, possibly because of its phytosterols.
  
• Vitamin C (300-1600mg/100g)
  
• Vitamin E (162-255mg/100g)
  
• Vitamin A (11mg/100g)
  
• Vitamin B1 (0.04 mg/I00g)
  
• Vitamin B2 (0.56 mg/I00g)
  
• Wound and burn healing and skin rejuvenation: Palmitoleic acid, which is just one of the fatty acids produced by sea buckthorn, is a naturally occurring substance in the skin. Thus, sea buckthorn has proved very effective in the treatment of wounds, burns dermatitis and even cancers of the skin.
  

These are just a few of the many nutritional and healing benefits of sea buckthorn, and as research continues on this apparent "wonder drug" even more benefits are apt to surface.

Other Benefits

Sea buckthorn extract has a number of other internal uses, including treatment for radiation burns in cancer patients, chronic fatigue, depression, immune boosting in those prone to colds and flu, poor appetite, and regulation of the endocrine system.

In summary, sea buckthorn oil, whether taken as a juice, tea or capsule has a wide range of uses and is effective in the treatment of cardiovascular, cerebral and gastrointestinal disorders, along with helping to address many common conditions afflicting both men and women.