SEA BUCKTHORN

Sea Buckthorn berries (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) grow on deciduous shrubs, mostly in Central Asia and Europe. Used for more than twelve centuries, sea buckthorn is very popular in China and is also widely used in India. The shrubs have dense and stiff branches, with large thorns, and very small orange berries that are soft and juicy. The berries are astringent, sour and oily.

Sea buckthorn berries contain essential fatty acids, the omegas – 3, 6, 9, and the relatively rare omega-7 fatty acid (palmitoleic acid), as well as various other fatty acids. They are a rich source of plant compounds; carotenoids, xanthophylls, phenolics, flavonoids, catechins, phytosterols and polysaccharides. The berries are also rich in vitamin C, and a good source of iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamins E, K, B1, B2, B6 and folic acid.