Sea buckthorn (lat. Hippophaё) is a shrub-woody plant of the loch family, distributed almost throughout Eurasia, mainly in regions with a temperate climate. Almost all parts of this useful plant – berries, bark, leaves and roots – are used in medicine, cosmetology and cooking.
The honor of discovering useful properties rightfully belongs to the ancient Greeks – they were the first to use young branches with sea buckthorn berries to treat sick horses. Seeing the amazing effect, they began to use the plant to treat people.
Sea buckthorn composition
The chemical composition of sea buckthorn is unusually diverse. Fresh berries contain a large amount of ascorbic acid – up to 300 mg per 100 g, a whole group of B vitamins, provitamin A, folic acid, which is especially important during pregnancy, tocopherol. Of the trace elements, it is worth highlighting – iron, magnesium, sulfur, boron, silicon. Of great value is sea buckthorn oil – a fatty oil that is found in the seeds of the fruit.
Useful Properties
The beneficial properties of sea buckthorn are manifested with the regular consumption of fresh berries, which reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, strengthens the heart muscle, and supplies the body with the necessary dose of vitamins. The combined action of vitamins C and P increases the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, reduces the risk of blood clots and blockages, and normalizes cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
There is an opinion that a decoction of sea buckthorn bark helps with cancer, from fresh leaves – from rheumatism and colds. In Tibetan medicine, the plant is used to treat diseases of the blood and cardiovascular system.
Sea buckthorn oil has a unique anti-inflammatory and wound healing effect. It treats inflammation, abscesses, trophic ulcers, burns and bedsores, and is used in the treatment of senile cataracts in humans and animals. Sea buckthorn oil is used in gynecology to treat many female diseases such as colpitis and cervical erosion. Sterilized oil is good for sinusitis if you inject 5 ml into the sinuses.
Most of the beneficial properties of sea buckthorn are preserved during processing, so the berries can be dried or preserved in cooking. They make excellent compotes, fruit drinks, preserves, vitamin teas.
