Sea Buckthorn – a Unique Storehouse of Vitamins

I keep this bright sunny berry frozen for healthy fruit drinks. Sea buckthorn is truly a storehouse of vitamins, known for its healing properties since ancient times.

Sea buckthorn is a small shrub or tree with small bluish leaves. The plant is covered with thorns, and during fruiting all the branches are strewn with orange berries. They tightly cling to the branches, sitting in groups, which is where the name “sea buckthorn” comes from.

Sea buckthorn is also called the “northern pineapple” because to many people the smell of this berry resembles pineapple. Not all varieties of sea buckthorn are edible.

Sea buckthorn is native to East Asia. The berry was known to the Greeks and Romans, and was widely used in Chinese and Tibetan medicine. But over time their healing properties were forgotten and the bushes, since they were growing very actively and were extremely prickly, were destroyed. After the 19th century, the situation returned to normal, but at first sea buckthorn was grown only as a decorative hedge. And only after a while the berry and its oil were appreciated again.

Officially, sea buckthorn was included in the pharmacopeia only in the 1970s, although even in Ancient China this plant was known specifically as a medicinal plant. In Greece, sea buckthorn was fed to horses, noticing that the quality of their skin and mane became much higher. The Greek name of this berry was translated as “glossy (or shiny) horse.”

Currently, sea buckthorn grows throughout Eurasia, even in Altai and Siberia. Sea buckthorn is also found in the tropics of India and Pakistan.

Benefits of sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn is one of the richest berries in vitamins and microelements. Moreover, it is one of the few berries that retains vitamin C even after heat treatment and freezing.

Sea buckthorn relieves inflammation and promotes wound healing. Vitamins E and A stimulate tissue regeneration, improve tissue metabolism and strengthen blood vessels. Just a few teaspoons of sea buckthorn oil will satisfy the daily need for vitamin E. It is rare to find products in which vitamin E was in such a high concentration and simultaneously with carotenoids (vitamin A).

Sea buckthorn also contains a lot of vitamins B, K and P. The berry has a sour taste due to the abundance of various acids: malic, citric, tartaric and others. They stimulate digestion and the production of gastric juice.

Sea buckthorn stimulates the immune system. This occurs due to the high concentration of vitamin C and phytoncides. Although the latter are few in number, they still have a positive effect on our immunity.

The berries and even the bark of sea buckthorn itself contain serotonin. This is the “hormone of happiness”, necessary for the functioning of the nervous system and good mood. The leaders in serotonin content are chocolate and bananas, although in fact there is several times more of it in sea buckthorn.

Possible side effects

• The laxative effect of sea buckthorn fruits is known, so don’t eat too much of these fruits if you are prone to diarrhea or have recently had food poisoning. If there are no contraindications, it is optimal to eat no more than 50 grams of berries at a time.

• Children over the age of one year can be given a little diluted sea buckthorn juice. For kids who are prone to allergies under 3 years of age, it is better not to take risks.

• Sea buckthorn oil is extremely useful for peptic ulcers, but berries and juice are contraindicated. The acids in the berries greatly increase the secretion of gastric juice, which can provoke an exacerbation. For the same reason, sea buckthorn should not be eaten if you have gastritis with high acidity.

• Berries are prohibited during exacerbation of diseases of the liver and pancreas. If you have kidney or gallstones, sea buckthorn berries should be eaten with caution.

• There is also a risk of allergies.

Use of sea buckthorn in medicine

Oil

Sea buckthorn oil is very famous and can be found in any pharmacy. It is prepared by squeezing the seeds from the berries, although there is also some oil in the pulp.

The oil is used both in its pure form and added to cosmetics and pharmaceutical preparations. Sea buckthorn oil has bactericidal properties, preventing the development of infection in damaged areas of the skin and mucous membranes. This product also promotes skin regeneration, so it is widely used for recovery after burns and wounds.

Berries

Cosmetologists recommend sea buckthorn oil and berry pulp as masks for the face and hair – they nourish cells and heal micro damages.

The oil is practically not used internally, although it can be used to supplement the treatment of gastritis and ulcers.

Inhalations with sea buckthorn oil are used to treat the lungs, and they also lubricate the affected tonsils.

Use of sea buckthorn in cooking

Sea buckthorn is not often eaten fresh, as it is quite sour and bitter. But this berry is perfect for fruit drinks and various preparations with sugar and honey.

Healthy sea buckthorn tea recipe:

Sea ​​buckthorn 200 gr.

Fresh ginger 30 gr.

Honey 100 gr.

Orange 2 pcs.

Cinnamon ½ tsp.

Boiling water 1l

Pour a small amount of boiling water over the prepared berries.

Grate well washed ginger.

Add grated ginger and the pulp of one orange to the sea buckthorn. Beat the mixture with a blender.

Add honey and cinnamon.

Pour in the juice of another orange and the remaining boiling water. Stir the mixture and let it brew.

TODAY’S TIP: If you pour the remaining tea into small molds and freeze, you will have fresh tea whenever you want. Simply remove the frozen concentrate from one mold, pour boiling water over it, and the tea is ready. It will not lose its healing power, since the vitamins contained in sea buckthorn are not destroyed by freezing and heating.