Sea Buckthorn Seeds

Uses of Sea Buckthorn

Supplement use should be individualized and vetted by a healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian, pharmacist, or doctor. No supplement is intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease.

In herbal medicine, sea buckthorn has long been used to support the digestive system, enhance heart health, reduce inflammation, and treat skin disorders.

Sea buckthorn oil has also gained popularity as an ingredient in various skin care products. When applied topically, sea buckthorn oil is thought to have many benefits.

There is currently a lack of clinical trials testing both the medicinal and cosmetic effects of sea buckthorn. However, preliminary research has looked at several potential uses. We'll look at some of the potential uses and claims surrounding sea buckthorn here.

Eczema

Older studies suggest that oral sea buckthorn supplements may help treat atopic dermatitis. For example, a 1999 study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry tested sea buckthorn pulp oil on 49 people with atopic dermatitis. Researchers observed significant improvement in eczema symptoms among those who took sea buckthorn supplements every day for four months. However, more recent research suggests that supplements like sea buckthorn provide no benefit.

Wound Healing

Some nonhuman animal-based studies have suggested that sea buckthorn may promote wound healing when applied topically. For example, in a 2009 Food and Chemical Toxicology study, scientists found that topically applied sea buckthorn seed oil helped speed up the healing of burn wounds in rats.

However, It's important to mention that this study was not performed on humans. While the research is interesting, we cannot definitively say that these effects will happen in humans. More human research using sea buckthorn would need to be done before we could make further conclusions about sea buckthorn's effectiveness for wound healing.

Blood Sugar

A 2021 human trial out of China found that consuming a puree of sea buckthorn fruit for five weeks resulted in a slight decrease in fasting blood sugar. However, the study was small—including only 38 people. The participants had impaired glucose regulation (IGR).

Another small study of 18 males (sex assigned at birth) suggested that sea buckthorn berries decreased and delayed the insulin response after eating.

The antioxidant components of sea buckthorn are thought to be responsible for its potential blood sugar-lowering effects. Overall, the research in this area has been limited, and more comprehensive studies are needed.

Cancer

According to a short review, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components of sea buckthorn are thought to have anti-cancer properties.

However, the review points out that the research so far has been done on animals or in vitro (in a glass), This means human trials are needed before we can confirm the potential anti-cancer effects of sea buckthorn in humans.

Skin Care and Cosmetics

A review from 2017 reported various skin uses of sea buckthorn. According to the review, topical sea buckthorn may be helpful in:

Moisturizing the skin

Easing irritation

Treating acne

Healing aging-related damage