What Is Sea Buckthorn ?
Sea buckthorn (genus Hippophaė) is a berry-bearing, hardy bush of the Elaeagnaceae , naturally found in Asia and Europe and also introduced in North and South America. It includes 6 species and 12 subspecies, of which Hippophaė rhamnoides, commonly referred to as sea buckthorn, sandthorn or seaberry may be a unique plant, currently being domesticated in several parts of the planet.
In Ladakh, sea buckthorn is grown in 11,000 hectares within the five valleys Leh, Nubra, Zanskar, Suru and Changthang. It grows above 10000 ft within the high altitudes of the Himalayas. This “Holy fruit of Himalayas” has been cherished by native Tibetans for it’s incredible nutritive qualities. The roots of seabuckthorn trees go down 200 ft deep into the bottom to collect enough nutrition so as to Survive harsh climate that’s why sea buckthorn Berries have many nutrition. It can survive both in ± 43°C approximately.
According to researchers and Scientists had declared that Sea buckthorn is the Super fruit than all other fruits as it contains 190 Bio active compounds. Sea buckthorn has plenty of nutrients which keep the body Healthy and prevent disease, along with cartenoids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, polyphenol and phytosterols.
Sea buckthorn is a richest source of natural fatty acids Omega 3,6,9 along with rarest fatty acid Omega 7. These essential fatty acids are needed to remain healthy and cannot normally be obtained from our diets today.
Why We Need Antioxidants ?
When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals. Smoking, alcohol intake, poor gastrointestinal system , pollution, sun rays, mobile rays, unbalanced diet and stress increases the incidence of free radicals. radical damage the cell, which is understood as oxidative stress. This further proves fatal for our cells and consequently our health deteriorates. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and supply protection from cell damage. If we don’t neutralize the free radicals then damage of cells and alteration of cells genetic qualities are often fatal. So, Antioxidants are required to avoid such damage.
ORAC value (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is that the antioxidants capacity of any food.
Orac Values of Fruits And Berries
12 times more Vitamin-C than Oranges. 3 times more vitamin-A than Carrot and most interestlying more Vitamin-E than all fruits
Sea buckthorn has been using in traditional Indian medicine to treat diarrhea, skin disorders, Ulcers, and cardiac disease, and to market tissue regeneration. Seabuckthorn berries and leaves are manufactured into various human and animal food and skincare products
Sea Buckthorn Oil
The most valuable components of the Sea buckthorn berries are their oils. Generally, the oil from the pulp/peel fraction is combined thanks to the problem involved separation. Both seeds and berry pulp have high total lipid content, including tocopherols, tocotrienols, carotenoids, also as omega-3 and omega-6 carboxylic acid families. Sea buckthorn oil is usually utilized in cosmetic products, especially topical products marketed for Aging Skin and Dry Skin. Sea buckthorn oil is employed in some Shampoos and other Hair care products.
The seed oil contains over 95% of the recoverable tocopherols which are present at a high concentration (140 mg/100 ml), 1% phytosterols and little amounts of tocotrienols. Radical-scavenging proanthocyanidins are often found within the seed. The oil contains significant amounts of β-carotene and vitamin E , making the oil of sea buckthorn an efficient medicine for several diseases. Oil from the juice and pulp is rich in palmitic (16:0) and palmitoleic acids (16:1), while the oil from the seeds contains unsaturated fatty acids of C18 type oils, linoleic (18:2) and omega-6 fatty acid (18:3). The oil from the seeds and juice also contain vitamin E and carotene. the ecu sea buckthorn pulp oil had palmitoleic (16:1n-7), palmitic (16:0) and oleic acids because the major fatty acids. The pulp oil is rich in α-tocopherol (120 mg/100 g oil).
Phytosterols are plant sterols, with structures almost like choles- terol, which on consumption are capable of lowering the plasma cholesterol in humans. Elevated blood cholesterol is one among the well
established risk factors for coronary heart condition , and lowering this indicator can impact on the incidence of heart condition . Phytosterols are the main constituents of the unsaponifiable fraction of sea buckthorn oils. the main phytosterol in sea buckthorn oil is sitosterol (β-sitosterol), with 5 avenasterol second in quantitative importance. Other phytosterols are present in relatively minor quantities. the entire quantity of phytosterol is sort of high in sea buckthorn and should exceed soyabean oil by 4–20 times. The sterolcontent in several varieties ranged from 1.3 to 2%.
Sea Buckthorn’s History And Facts
According to scientific studies all medicinal properties of sea buckthorn are almost like the legendary Sanjivani Booti, which was wont to revive Lord Shree Ram’s younger brother Lakshman ji. That’s why it also called Sanjivani Booti.
Mongolian emperor Changez khan want the good emperor of 13th century. He regularly wont to give sea buckthorn to his soldiers and their horses for increasing their strength and stamina.
Nutrtional compounds and health benefits of sea buckthorn are mentioned for hundreds of years in medicinal books of Europe and Asia. the traditional Tibetan medical book of 18th century "Sibu Yidian" describes sea buckthorn’s health and nutritional compounds in 30 pages.
In the 1980’s Russian Cosmonauts were supplementing their diet with sea buckthorn in their program and also used it to fight radiation.
Sea buckthorn is that the main a part of the diet for Chinese Olympians and in 2008 Olympics at Beijing, Sea buckthorn was the "National drink".
DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) of India has been researching on seabuckthorn for several years. Sea buckthorn is additionally a part of the most diet of soldiers of the Indian Army who are in high altitudes.
