We should never underestimate what is within our reach when talking about benefits for our health. Quite often, we so desperately try to find something new that will solve our health problems at once and do not notice that it has already been created by nature itself a long time ago and used for centuries by our ancestors! So why not put aside the search for ghostly placebo for a while and take a closer look at what has long been out there. Sea buckthorn is an invaluable natural source for human health and beauty. It has been around for centuries and ready to come to the rescue of human health.
THE PLANT
Sea buckthorn is a small shrub or rather a tree with small blue leaves. The plant is covered with thorns, and during fruiting, all the branches are covered with orange berries. Due to its smell buckthorn is sometimes called the “northern pineapple”.
BUCKTHORN IN MEDICINE
Buckthorn is native to East Asia. Greeks and Romans knew about this berry’s healing properties. Chinese and Tibetan healers widely used it in traditional medicine practices. Even though in ancient China sea buckthorn was known precisely as a plant for medical purposes, officially the plant was adopted in the pharmacopeia only in the 1970s. Not so long ago, buckthorn was used in Japan to make energy drinks for athletes!
Today, sea buckthorn oil is famous for its properties and available at any drugstore. The substance is produced by pressing the seeds from the berries. There is some oil in the pulp as well. It is used both in pure form and added to cosmetic and pharmaceutical remedies.
Sea buckthorn oil has enormous bactericidal properties. It can prevent the development of infection in damaged skin and mucous membranes. It also promotes skin regeneration, so it is widely used for recovery from burns and wounds.
Cosmetologists recommend sea buckthorn oil and berry pulp as face and hair masks. Elements contained in oil nourish skin cells and heal micro damages.
The oil is practically not used internally, although it can supplement the treatment of gastritis and ulcers. Inhalation with sea buckthorn oil is used to treat the lungs. Sometimes medicians use it to lubricate the affected tonsils.
BUCKTHOHORN HEALTH BENEFITS
Sea buckthorn tea is true salvation during winter colds when the body needs support. Also, this wonderful drink is a powerful protector of our health during the fall outbreaks of respiratory diseases. These orange berries contain ten times more vitamin C than lemons do. People should have long ago recognized buckthorn as a real superfood! We can only but wonder why buckthorn being such an invaluable natural source for human health and beauty has not been appreciated yet. These berries help improve concentration, refine the immune system, normalize blood pressure, and imbibe essential amino acids.
Buckthorn berries are the only product that contains both a huge amount of vitamin E and a high concentration of carotenoids (vitamin A). Consumption of these berries relieves inflammation and promotes wound healing. Vitamins E and A stimulate tissue regeneration, improve tissue metabolism and strengthen blood vessels. Just a few teaspoons of sea buckthorn oil will satisfy the daily required amount of vitamin E.
Buckthorn also contains a lot of vitamin B, K, and P. Sour taste of the berry is due to the abundance of different acids: malic, citric, tartaric, etc. They stimulate digestion and the production of gastric juice.
Let’s look through a few particularly striking examples of the benefits of this plant.
BENEFITS FOR EYESIGHT
Buckthorn berries are superior to all other possible products in terms of the content of substances important for human eyesight. Due to the carotenoids, the retina is better supplied with blood and oxygen, the eyes get less tired.
STRESS MANAGEMENT BENEFITS
Buckthorn berries and even the bark of the plant contain serotonin. This is the “happiness hormone”, which is essential for the normal function of the nervous system and good mood. The leaders in serotonin content are chocolate and bananas. However, the concentration of this substance in buckthorn berries is several times higher than in those two products mentioned above.
If you consume it regularly your central nervous system will gradually get into a normal state. It means that the feeling of fatigue will disappear, you will feel more energetic, and your mood will improve. Sea buckthorn is a natural stimulator, so for those of us who do not allow themselves caffeine-containing beverages, buckthorn tea is a real substitute.
ACCELERATED METABOLISM AND BEAUTIFUL SKIN
To treat inflammation and pimples we commonly use ointments and creams. No doubt, this method is effective, but one should remember that skin problems are, first of all, a consequence of malfunctions in the body. Sea buckthorn is a powerful tool for speeding up metabolic processes in the epidermis. That is why regular consumption of these berries can be so beneficial for skin health and hair growth.
SUPPORT FOR THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
To maintain immunity, which is especially important in the winter, the human organism needs vitamins B, A, and C, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, zinc, copper, manganese, potassium. All these vitally important elements are concentrated in sea buckthorn in abundance. Imagine that just a cup of buckthorn tea a day can help you forget about colds! Phytoncides in the chemical composition of buckthorn products are natural antibiotics that can be a remedy against sore throat, runny nose, and other bad effects of colds and viruses.
SLIM BODY
When we talk about metabolism boosters we should admit that buckthorn berries are many times more effective than popularly accepted grapefruit juice. Black tea with berries perfectly boosts the metabolism, reduces blood sugar and cholesterol levels as well. There is no need to add sweeteners or honey. At the same time, ginger, cinnamon, and a slice of fresh pineapple or orange will improve the taste and health benefits of the drink. Such tea is especially effective if you have it 15 minutes prior to meals or workouts at the gym.
Here follows a simple recipe of an extremely tasty and health-beneficial remedy!
Often we simply underestimate how useful, if not magical, some foods are within our reach. I hope that from now on, the next time you see sea buckthorn on the market, you won’t pass by and try the miraculous effects of this natural source of health!
