Sea buckthorn (Hipphophae rhamnoides) is a medicinal plant long used in herbal medicine. Sea buckthorn fruit is sometimes used in sweet treats including jams, pies, and drinks.

Available in supplement form, sea buckthorn extract contains a variety of essential fatty acids and antioxidants (including vitamin C, vitamin E, and anthocanins).What Is Sea Buckthorn Used For?

In herbal medicine, sea buckthorn has long been used to stimulate the digestive system, enhance heart and liver health, and treat skin disorders. Today, sea buckthorn is touted as a natural remedy for the following health problems:

• arthritis
• diabetes
• eczema
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• inflammation
• rosacea

In recent years, sea buckthorn oil has gained popularity as an ingredient in skin-care products. When applied topically, sea buckthorn oil is thought to moisturize the skin, ease irritation, treat acne and heal aging-related damage.1

There is currently a lack of clinical trials testing the effects of sea buckthorn. However, preliminary research suggests that sea buckthorn may offer a number of health benefits.

Eczema

Sea buckthorn supplements may help treat atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema), according to a 1999 study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.2 In tests on 49 people with atopic dermatitis, researchers observed significant improvement among those who took supplements containing sea buckthorn pulp oil every day for four months. However, more recent research suggests that supplements like sea buckthorn provide no benefit.3

Wound Healing

Findings from animal-based research suggest that sea buckthorn may promote wound healing when applied topically. In a 2009 study in Food and Chemical Toxicology, scientists discovered that topically applied sea buckthorn seed oil helped speed up the healing of burn wounds in rats.4

In a small 2010 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that sea buckthorn may help keep blood sugar in check and protect against type 2 diabetes.5 In an experiment involving 10 healthy, normal-weight volunteers, the study’s authors discovered that adding sea buckthorn berries to meals helped prevent a post-meal spike in blood sugar.

Sea buckthorn fruit is likely safe when consumed in amounts typically found in food. The fruit is also likely safe when taken by mouth for medicinal purposes.

It’s important to keep in mind that supplements haven’t been tested for safety and dietary supplements are largely unregulated. In some cases, the product may deliver doses that differ from the specified amount for each herb. In other cases, the product may be contaminated with other substances such as metals.

Also, the safety of supplements in pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and those with medical conditions or who are taking medications has not been established. You can get further tips on using supplements.

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