Sea buckthorn is a deciduous winter-hardy shrub with yellow to orange 6 to 8 mm small berries, which remain on the shrubs throughout the winter . Sea buckthorn reaches 2 to 5 m in height. The sea buckthorn?s leaves are alternate and narrow are silver-grey colored. The small, yellow flowers appear in spring before leaves. Both male and female sea buckthorn plants are needed for fruit production. Commonly, Sea buckthorn is used for land reclamation and to prevent soil erosion because of its extensive root system and its ability to fix nitrogen and other nutrients.
The juice of the berries can be used to make juice but all parts (bark, leaves, fruits, seeds) can be used for the production of pharmaceuticals. Sea buckthorn oil is produced from the fruits and seeds.
Sea buckthorn is most frequently used for the treatment of diseases of skin and digestive tract. The most important properties of sea buckthorn anti-inflammatory, anti-microbiological , pain relief and the promotion of tissue regeneration. Sea buckthorn oil is also used to treat vaginal mucositis, cervical erosion, radiation damage, burn, ulcers, skin damage and mucositis.
The berries have very high levels of vitamin A and other carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin E and flavonoids. The vitamin C level of 3600 ppm is about 10 times higher than that of oranges. The seabuckthorn berries are are also rich in vitamins B1, B2, K and P.Because of sea buckthorns thorny nature, it is becoming popular for planting to deter trespassing animals and people.Despite the wide area where Seabuckthorn grows, few people in Europe or America make use of its medicinal properties. But in some countries like Tibet, China, Russia and Ukraine, Seabuckthorn oil is a popular home-made ointment for minor cuts, sunburn, and skin irritation; and its curative properties have been confirmed by scientific research. If you are able to harvest some Seabuckthorn berries, you can try preparing the oil yourself.
Why do we need anti-oxidants?
Smoking, drinking alcohol, exposure to environmental pollutants, and also exposure to ultraviolet light or nuclear radiation can all trigger the production of "free radicals" on the skin's surface, or inside the body. Free radicals are very simple compounds of oxygen, in which the innocent molecule has acquired an extra electron. Free radicals are very reactive particles and they aggressively attack all the surrounding molecules within the cell. The attacked molecules are oxidized, becoming structurally damaged and even making them toxic for the body. Vitamins with antioxidant properties form a natural line of defense against free radicals; they "catch" free radicals and neutralize them. These anti-oxidant vitamins, all present in Seabuckthorn oil, are vitamin A (derived from -carotene), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (-tocopherol).
For those of us not lucky enough to have a Seabuckthorn bush, or with no time to prepare the oil ourselves, fortunately it is available in ready-prepared form; as a liquid for use on the skin, or as capsules for internal use. The finished product is more often blended with an oil such as sunflower oil, olive oil and almond oil. Also on the market you can find a very concentrated extract (not blended), used by manufacturers of cosmetics and other products. Seabuckthorn oil standardized using carotenoids (not less than 170mg% and maximum 300-420mg%) and sum of tocoferols (not less than 110mg%).
The purity is very important; not every product is of a good standard. But one high-quality product I have found in Eastern Europe are the Rhamno-Fitt Seabuckthorn oil capsules produced by Biogal Rt. in Hungary. It does not contain any preservatives or chemical stabilizers. Each capsule contains 300mg of pure (not blended) Seabuckthorn oil, and provides 500 mcg of beta-carotene (1/6 of daily requirement) and 300 mcg of vitamin E (1/3 of daily requirement). The suggested dosage is 3 capsules per day.
Anti-Cancer activity
Anti-tumor activity of Seabuckthorn was demonstrated in many scientific works. Just mention one of them. Chinese scientists Li Y and Liu H from Shanxi Medical College, Taiyuan, China published an article (IARC Sci. Publ. 1991; 105, 568-70) in which three group of rats were fed a diet containing carcinogens: First group (control) drunk a tap-water, second group drunk water with Vitamin C and the third group drunk water together with Seabuckthorn juice. The result were intrigues. The average life span of rats in a group given Seabuckthorn juice was 270 days, when given ascorbic acid - 220 days and in control group only 195 days. Moreover microscopic examinations of the liver (main target of carcinogens) showed that Seabuckthorn juice can prevent tumor production more effectively comparing with ascorbic acid solutions and pure water.
Regenerative effects
These were discovered during experiments on patients with skin defects. Promotes recovery from colitis, healing of erosion of the cervix, of stomach and duodenal ulcers, and of burns affecting the mucous membranes. Also speeds recovery from external wounds and sores, e.g. bedsores.
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