Sea Buckthorn - Very Beneficial Herb for Skin Problems

Hippophae rhamnoides Elaeagnaceae

A deciduous, thorny shrub that can reach a height of 5m, sea buckthorn grows on dry, sunny slopes all over Europe, but mainly beside fast flowing streams in the Alps, along the Rhine and on Scandinavian coasts. It is sometimes planted to bind soils together and to help to prevent soil erosion, especially in coastal areas. It has long been important in Tibetan medicine and is used traditionally in China, Monf!.olia and Russia. Sea buckthorn has long, narrow silvery leaves that are similar to those of the willow. Small, yellow-green flowers appear bifore the leaves in spring and are followed by orange berries on the female plants.

Parts used

Berries

The berries are rich in vitamin C and have a very high oil content.When pressed , the berries produce a juice that can be drunk just as it is or made into a syrup.

Constituents

The amount of vitamin C contained in the pulp is high: 200-600mg per 100g (ten times the amount present in lemons). The pulp is also a source of flavonoids, betacarotene, vitamin E and a small quantity of oily substances, mainly saturated fatty acids including palmitic acid (known for its benefits to the skin), and also monounsaturates. The seeds possess oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly linoleic and alpha-linoleic acids). 

Medicinal uses

Sea buckthorn juice is a natural source of vitamins, particularly vitamin C; three dessertspoons of the juice provide an adult's daily needs. Vitamin C promotes resistance to infection, and is especially recommended for exhaustion and during convalescence. Pregnant women, sportsmen and smokers are also advised to take it. Vitamin C also facilitates the synthesis of collagen (necessary for healthy skin) and helps the body to absorb iron.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant and together with other antioxidants found in sea buckthorn berries (vitamin E, carotene and flavonoids) it helps to defend the body from free radicals. Indian researchpublished in the Journal of Ethnopharmaco/ogy in 2002 verified this activity, showing that leaf and fruit extracts of sea buckthorn radicals in vitro.

Finally the oil is valuable for treating dry skin and it also helps cut and wound . It calms skin irritations and cures infections.

In 2002 Chinese researchers found that sea buckthorn's seed and pulp oil demonstrated both preventative and curative effects against gastric ulcers induced experimentally in rats.

PREPARATION AND DOSAGE

TO TREAT exhaustion, lack of vitality PURE JUICE OR SYRUP Drink 1-3 dessertspoons a day in a glass of water.

TO TREAT dry skin. cuts and wounds SEED OR PULP OIL Apply the oil, or a preparation with a base of the oil to the affected area once or twice a day.

CAUTION

Avoid taking sea buckthorn juice or syrup at the end of the day as it can have a slightly stimulating effect due to its vitamin C content.

IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST CONSULT A DOCTOR

Cultivation

Sea buckthorn can be grown from young plants or seeds sown in autumn. It thrives in well-drained. sandy soil with plenty of sunshine.