Sea buckthorn juice

SEA BUCKTHORN JUICE: DETAILED INFORMATION

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L. Elaegnaceae family) is a spiny deciduous shrub that can grow up to 3 metres. Its fruit are fleshy and orange-ish in colour (1). Sea buckthorn grows in cold and arid areas of Europe and Asia (2), and in countries in northern Europe sea buckthorn berries are used to prepare delicious jellies and sauces, such as in the Gulf of Bothnia, between Finland and Sweden (1).

Sea buckthorn berries are rich in bioactive compounds: vitamins (C and E, folic acid, A, B_1, B_12, K, and P), flavonoids (isorhamnetin, quercetin, kaempferol etc.) carotenoids (b-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene), organic acids, unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids and micronutrients (2-3).

Sea buckthorn berries have huge therapeutic potential and have been used for over a thousand years in traditional Chinese medicine. They are an effective ally for combating colds, thanks to their high vitamin C content and antioxidant molecules: sea buckthorn berries strengthen the immune system (2) and are a powerful tonic to stimulate physical activity and reduce asthenia (1).

Their high vitamin content makes sea buckthorn berries the perfect ingredient for high nutritional value drinks. Did you know that Russian astronauts consumed sea buckthorn berries drinks to improve their health and resistance to stress? Also, during the Seoul Olympic Games, China chose it as the official drink for its athletes (4).

How to consume our sea buckthorn juice

Sea buckthorn juice can be consumed on its own or diluted in water (1 part juice to 4 parts water). You can add sugar, honey, stevia to taste, to give it a touch of sweetness. Shake before using.

SEA BUCKTHORN JUICE: BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Berdonces i Serra JL. Gran Enciclopedia de las plantas medicinales. Madrid: Tikal Ediciones, 2002.

2. Suryakumar and Gupta (2011) Medicinal and therapeutic potential of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.). J Ethnopharmacol 138: 268– 278.

3. Patel et al. (2012) Remedial prospective of Hippophae rhamnoides Linn. (Sea Buckthorn). ISRN Pharmacol 2012: 436857.

4. Stobdan et al. (2013) Nutritional attributes and health application of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) – A Review. Current Nutr Food Sci 9(2): 151-165.