With one of the longest track records as a useful herb, Sea Buckthorn has made its way into modern health products as versatile and effective ingredient.
Ancient Greek scholars such as Dioscorides and Theophrastus wrote about it, and the plant is mentioned in the 8th century Tibetan medical book Rgyud Bzi. Even its scientific name acknowledges its health benefits: Hippophae, Latin for "shining coat," in honor of the healthy horses who were fed this nourishing plant. But sea buckthorn is not a secret known only to ancient times: the reddish-orange oil from this remarkable plant has been to outer space as the top secret ingredient in special supplements given to Russian cosmonauts for more than 20 years.
Sea Buckthorn In History
Sea buckthorn's earliest value in modern agriculture was not as a food or cosmetic crop, but as ground cover. Because the shrub can survive drought, cold weather and bad soil, and because it has unique, nitrogen-fixing qualities, it has been extensively planted across China and Canada to protect and enrich the soil in crop rotation cycles. The difficulties in harvesting the berries and seeds have only recently been overcome as recognition of the medicinal and cosmetic value of the plant has grown. Commonly used in China and Russia in foods and cosmetics, sea buckthorn oil has been widely studied in these countries but is not well known or easily available in the United States.
What's In It?
Because sea buckthorn has had to acclimatize to a wide variety of ecological conditions, it has become a valuable resource plant with multiple uses and functions. Sea buckthorn is rich in many vitamins, both in its fruit and seeds. Sea buckthorn can easily be called the King of Vitamin E among oils. The carotenoid content of its fruit (Vitamin A) is up to 28 mg/100 grams (fresh weight), twice that of mangoes, while the vitamin C content of its fruit can be as high as 2500 mg/100 grams berries, nine times more than that of cabbage.
The composition of sea buckthorn oil is quite complex. Its fruit oil contains 108 different kinds of compounds, and its seed oil contains 52 kinds of compounds. These are mainly made up of essential fatty acids such as linoleic and arachidonic acids, comprising more than 60% of its total fatty acid content. Sea buckthorn also contains phosphates, pigment, estradiol (hormone), catechol (astringent), flavonoids, serotonin, etc. There are 24 kinds of mineral elements in sea buckthorn, including calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, magnesium, iron, manganese and selenium, all possessing physiologically active properties. The high carotenoid content in conjunction with the other bioactive substances is responsible for its extreme skin repair properties. The use of sea buckthorn oil quickly regulates damaged skin or mucous membranes. Sea buckthorn oil also has anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and protective properties.
Skin Effects
Sea buckthorn oil is used in treating skin lesions caused by high-energy radiation (both from solar radiation and radiation therapy), and in the treatment of burns and wounds (it was widely used to treat Russian soldiers during the Afghanistan war), bedsores (decubitus), lesions and ulcers after preliminary antibiotic treatment of the damaged areas.
Sea buckthorn has proven to be equally effective in the treatment of acne. Intramuscular injections of 1 to 3 ml were used to supplement topical treatment with 5% ointment dressings. This improved the general condition, smoothed out knotting and suppressed new growth.
The effect of sea buckthorn oil can be attributed in part to its high proportion (approximately 30%) of palmitoleic acids in fruit pulp fat. These fatty acids, which occur extremely rarely in vegetable matter, are a component of sebaceous matter and can therefore aid in the healing of wounds. The seed fat also contains an unusually high amount of linoleic and linolenic acids. These highly unsaturated, physiologically active fatty acids have already been identified for treatment of topical eczema and can replace cortisone preparations in less serious cases.
In the field of medical applications, sea buckthorn oil has been used for treatment of burns, damage induced by radiation, cervical erosion, constipation, skin infection, gastric-intestinal ulcer, oral inflammation, eye disease, bedsores, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and for the purpose of general health care.
This versatile lotion is specially formulated with Sea Buckthorn oil, used for generations in Europe and Asia for its powerful healing properties and restorative effects on skin and other tissues. It accelerates healing for minor scratches, abrasions, burns, insect bites and bruises. It also eases general pain and swelling, as well as effectively treating scars. If you spend too much time in hard-soled shoes, or suffer from pain due to varicose veins, this powerful formula can help restore your tired, aching, feet and legs.