The Unrevealed Secrets About Buckthorn Oil

 buckthorn oil

buckthorn oil

Updated on 3/26/2024
Martin AlvarezBy Martin Alvarez
Nutritionist/Dietitian Professional Guide
Learn More about Martin Alvarez

Buckthorn oil is extracted from sea buckthorn berries has been employed as a natural treatment for a wide range of conditions for thousands of years.

It is obtained from the sea buckthorn plant, also known as Hippophae rhamnoides, a tiny shrub native to the northwest Himalayas and grows at high altitudes. The berries, leaves, and seeds are all used in the extraction process. You can put it on your skin or consume it inside.

It is a cure commonly used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, and it is sometimes referred to as the holy fruit of the Himalayas. It is believed to provide a variety of health benefits, including a lower chance of cancer and heart disease, more vibrant hair and skin, and overall improved health.

Here is a list of 11 benefits of sea buckthorn oil that have been supported by scientific research.

1. High In A Variety Of Essential Nutrients

buckthorn

buckthorn

The sea buckthorn fruit has a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and other plant elements that are useful to your health. Because it is naturally loaded with antioxidants, it can help protect your body against the aging process as well as diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Its berries are particularly high in vitamins A, C, K, and E. In addition, they contain significant levels of the minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and zinc.

A high concentration of phytosterols can be found in the seeds and leaves of this plant. Phytosterols are a type of plant chemical that offers a variety of health benefits, one of which is that they prevent your body from absorbing cholesterol that comes from the food you eat. It is thought that consumption of sea buckthorn oil can lower the chance of developing cardiovascular disease in some people).

This oil, which may be obtained from either the seeds or the berries of the sea buckthorn shrub, is regarded as the most useful component of the plant.

It has a high concentration of palmitoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that is also present in the lipid layer of human skin. As a result, it is believed that this oil can hasten the healing process of wounds and maintain the health of your skin.

Sea buckthorn oil may also be one of the only plant meals that are known to supply all four omega-fatty acids, which is an interesting fact. In addition, more than half of the fat in this oil is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, both of which are types of unsaturated fat that are considered beneficial (1Trusted Source,2Trusted Source).

Summary

Many different vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants and other plant chemicals, are found in high concentrations in sea buckthorn oil. This oil may help maintain your health.

2. It Might Prevent Damage To Your Skin

buckthorn

buckthorn

Oil extracted from sea buckthorn berries has a long history of use as a folk remedy for skin conditions.

It has a high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, phytosterols, carotenoids, and vitamins E and K, all of which work together to preserve the integrity of your skin and encourage its natural renewal.

A palmitoleic acid is a form of lipid that is naturally present in human skin and can be used to cure burns and improve the healing of wounds. Sea buckthorn oil contains a high concentration of palmitoleic acid.

In addition, it is a rich source of linoleic acid (LA), the omega-6 fatty acid found in the highest concentration in human skin. According to the findings of several studies, LA may help treat psoriasis and acne, in addition to preventing dryness and scaling of the skin.

In addition to linoleic acid (LA), sea buckthorn oil also contains other omega-6 fats, including gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which has been shown to treat acne and reduce the severity of eczema.

In addition, the chemicals found in sea buckthorn oil show promise in terms of their ability to shield the skin from the potentially detrimental effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays.

It should come as no surprise that sea buckthorn is frequently included in a wide variety of anti-aging and wrinkle-reduction products. In addition to this, it is frequently found as a component in preparations designed to treat skin that is dry, irritated, flaky, or itchy.

Having said that, only a few of these allegedly beneficial effects have been investigated in human subjects. After using a sea buckthorn extract topically for 4–8 weeks, one of the only trials that are currently available found a reduction in the severity of psoriasis symptoms.

As a result, additional research must be conducted before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Summary

It's possible that applying sea buckthorn oil to wounds and burns will help them recover more quickly. Although more research is required, there is a possibility that it will improve acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

3. It May Be Beneficial To The Health Of The Heart

Health Of The Heart

Health Of The Heart

The health of one's heart may be improved in a number of ways by using sea buckthorn oil.

To begin, it contains a high amount of phytosterols, compounds found in plants with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These functions help protect your body from being damaged and from diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

These substances also help restrict the absorption of cholesterol from the foods you eat, which can help prevent the buildup of LDL, or "bad," cholesterol in your blood vessels and arteries.

Additionally, sea buckthorn oil is a rich source of quercetin, an antioxidant that has been directly associated with a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Although one older study suggests that sea buckthorn oil may help reduce the chance of developing heart disease by decreasing the formation of blood clots, more recent studies are required to confirm these findings.

People who had high blood pressure and took 0.15 teaspoons (or 0.75 mL) of sea buckthorn oil every day had their blood pressure levels drop, according to the results of a trial that lasted 30 days. Those who had high cholesterol had decreases in their levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol).

However, the effects on persons who already had normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels were more muted than those seen in those with abnormal readings.

According to the findings of another study, sea buckthorn extracts may lower cholesterol levels in individuals with poor heart health but did not affect healthy participants.

Summary

Oil extracted from sea buckthorn berries may be beneficial to your cardiovascular system since it lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, and prevents blood clots. Having said that, its effects may be most pronounced in individuals who have compromised cardiovascular health.

4. May Lower Blood Sugar Levels

Lower Blood Sugar Levels

Lower Blood Sugar Levels

There is some evidence that sea buckthorn oil can aid in the prevention of diabetes and support healthy blood sugar levels.

Studies conducted on animals suggest that it may assist in lowering blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin secretion as well as insulin sensitivity.

In general, your chance of developing type 2 diabetes is reduced both by how well your body is able to produce insulin and by how responsive your cells are to the hormone's effects.

However, relatively few human researchers have explicitly investigated the effect of sea buckthorn oil on decreasing blood sugar levels.

One of the few trials conducted in recent years had 38 patients with impaired blood sugar management, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. These individuals drank either 3 ounces (90 mL) of sea buckthorn fruit purée or a placebo every day for a period of 5 weeks.

After ingesting the sea buckthorn fruit purée rather than the placebo, they considerably reduced the amount of sugar in their fasting blood. However, after five weeks, there was only a 0.14 mmol/L decrease in the patient's fasting blood sugar levels, which is a reduction that is regarded as relatively insignificant.

In addition, this study's sample size was quite small. Overall, there is a need for a study that is more exhaustive.

Summary

Sea buckthorn may help enhance insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, and blood sugar levels, all of which may protect against type 2 diabetes; however, additional research is needed in this area. Sea buckthorn was originally used in traditional Chinese medicine.

5. It Might Give Your Immune System A Boost

Give Your Immune System A Boost

Give Your Immune System A Boost

There is some evidence that sea buckthorn oil can help protect your body from illnesses.

The high concentration of flavonoids found in the oil is what most experts believe to be responsible for this effect. The healthy plant chemicals known as flavonoids may help to boost your immune system by raising your resistance to infections.

In a study conducted using test tubes, sea buckthorn oil was shown to be protective against influenza, herpes, and HIV viruses.

Additionally, sea buckthorn oil has a high concentration of antioxidants, which may help protect your body from pathogens and other potentially harmful substances.

Having said that, there is a lack of studies on humans.

Summary

Because it has a high concentration of beneficial plant elements such as flavonoids and antioxidants, sea buckthorn oil may assist your body in its battle against infections. Nevertheless, additional investigation is required.

6. It Could Be Beneficial To The Liver's Health

 Liver's Health

Liver's Health

There is some evidence that oil extracted from sea buckthorn can help keep the liver healthy.

This is because it includes good fats, vitamin E, and carotenoids; all three of these components can potentially protect liver cells from being damaged.

In a prior study, rats with damaged livers showed considerable improvement in indices of liver function after receiving sea buckthorn oil.

People with cirrhosis, an advanced form of liver disease, who took 15 grams of sea buckthorn extract three times daily for six months showed a significant increase in their blood markers of liver function compared to those given a placebo. This study was conducted by an older researcher.

Despite the fact that these results appear to be promising, there is a need for more recent human investigations in humans.

Summary

Although additional research is required, preliminary findings suggest that compounds found in sea buckthorn may improve liver function.

7. May Inhibit The Growth Of Cancerous Cells

cells

cells

In sea buckthorn oil, you'll find compounds like flavonoids and antioxidants, both of which may have anticancer benefits.

For example, sea buckthorn is high in quercetin, a type of flavonoid that has been shown to aid in the destruction of cancer cells.

Other antioxidants included in sea buckthorns, such as carotenoids and vitamin E, may also contribute to the fruit's protective effects.

Extracts of sea buckthorn have shown promise in a small number of in-vitro and animal studies for their potential to inhibit the spread of cancer cells.

Additional evidence from studies conducted on animals suggests that sea buckthorn may protect healthy cells from the side effects of radiotherapy, a conventional cancer treatment.

Bear in mind that these effects have not been examined in human beings; hence, additional research is required.

Summary

Oil extracted from sea buckthorn berries contains various plant compounds that have anticancer properties. However, there is a lack of research on humans.

8 Eleven Additional Prospective Advantages

digestion

digestion

It has been claimed that sea buckthorn oil has additional health benefits; however, not all of these claims are supported by scientific evidence. Those who have the most supporting evidence include the following:

It may be beneficial to digestion. Animal research suggests that sea buckthorn oil may be beneficial in treating and preventing stomach ulcers.

It has the potential to alleviate menopausal symptoms. Sea buckthorn has been shown to be an effective alternative treatment for vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women who are unable to take estrogen. This treatment may also reduce vaginal dryness.

It can provide relief for dry eyes. According to one study, consuming sea buckthorn on a daily basis was associated with less eye irritation and redness.

It's possible that this will make your hair look better. The sea buckthorn fruit has trace amounts of lecithin, a form of lipid that has the potential to reduce the quantity of the oil that is produced by your hair. It also has the potential to help mend broken hair and restore the hair's suppleness.

It is essential to keep in mind that most of these studies are on a rather small scale, and very few involve actual people. As a result, additional investigation is required before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Summary

There is some evidence that sea buckthorn can provide additional health advantages, including a reduction in inflammation and treatment for menopause symptoms. However, additional research is required, particularly on human subjects.

Possible Adverse Reactions To Sea Buckthorn Extract

Buckthorn

Buckthorn

Oil extracted from sea buckthorn berries has been utilized for several millennia and is generally regarded as risk-free.

It seems that side effects are uncommon. Having said that, a few subjects in an older study reported an increase in digestive problems and joint discomfort after consuming sea buckthorn oil for three months. This was after the participants had been taking the oil.

The idea that sea buckthorn is harmless is supported even further by research conducted on animals and found no sign of toxicity following a short period of use.

Having said that, there are no safety studies conducted on humans at the moment; thus, it is difficult to draw solid conclusions regarding safe dosages or periods of use.

In addition, there is presently no data on the safety of sea buckthorn consumption for women who are pregnant or nursing, for children, or when combined with pharmaceuticals or other supplements.

If, after swallowing sea buckthorn oil or applying it to your skin, you have any symptoms that cannot be explained, you should cease using it immediately. If your symptoms do not improve, you should make an appointment with your primary care physician.

Summary

It is generally accepted that sea buckthorn oil is risk-free. However, there is not enough research on the long-term safety or dose. Some people may develop symptoms related to their digestive system or joint pain when utilizing it.

The Bare Essentials

buckthorn

buckthorn

Oil extracted from sea buckthorn berries is a popular form of alternative treatment for a wide range of conditions.

Because it contains so many different nutrients, it has the potential to make your skin, immune system, liver, and heart healthier. Additionally, there is some evidence that it can help protect against diabetes as well as certain types of cancer.

The usage of sea buckthorn oil in traditional medicine dates back thousands of years, and there don't seem to be many negative side effects associated with its consumption. However, before incorporating it into your regular practice, it is strongly recommended that you discuss the matter with your primary care physician.

Bottom Line

buckthorn

buckthorn

Give this a shot today: Oil extracted from sea buckthorn berries is widely used as a natural treatment for both the hair and the skin, and it is frequently included in over-the-counter beauty products like shampoos and face creams. Try it out with these straightforward and uncomplicated steps.

If you want greater versatility, you should buy the oil on its own so that you can consume it in addition to using it on your hair and skin. Buying buckthorn oil on its own will allow you to add it to your diet.