New Research: Sea Buckthorn for a Healthy Weight

We’re huge fans of sea buckthorn. You might even call us expert sea buckthorn aficionados, which is why some recent research published in the Journal of the Science of Food Agriculture caught our attention. It’s all about our favorite berry but grown in a new geographical location – North America.

This is an exciting opportunity to look at how sea buckthorn grows outside of its native environments, how geography affects nutritive quality, and what the future potential is for sea buckthorn grown in the soil of North America.

Sea buckthorn is a hardy bush that produces berries that are notoriously rich in nutritional and natural medicinal properties. Sea buckthorn is one of the richest sources of antioxidants in the world. More than 90% of the world’s sea buckthorn is grown in the plant’s natural habitat that spans Northern Europe, Mongolia, and China – which means those of us in the Western world must travel some distance to access the best sea buckthorn in the world.

But, back in the early 2000s, the sea buckthorn plant was introduced to the soils in Newfoundland, Canada. The introduction followed governmental research that piqued interest based on the crop’s commercial potential.

Sea buckthorn oil is highly valued throughout the world for its wellness and beauty properties, and its commercial potential is huge. But, there’s one caveat – it has to be of the highest quality to earn respect, and it’s not always clear upfront how geographical elements can affect the nutritional and polyphenolic value of a plant.

What this research led by Professor Fereidoon Shahidi at the Memorial University of Newfoundland discovered is that the unique composition of Canadian cultivars of sea buckthorn is both interesting and promising.

Findings discovered a total of twenty-four compounds in the sea buckthorn seeds and sixteen in the pomace. Among these are compounds that displayed a noticeable anti-obesity potential when looked at in vitro, along with also displaying anti-diabetic potential.

This is important. Obesity rates, especially in the United States, are rising, and with them, so are obesity-related health conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic inflammation. If sea buckthorn becomes more accessible and more affordable in North America, there’s some great potential here for helping people improve their health and quality of life.

Is this to say that sea buckthorn is the new “nature’s Ozempic”? No, not at all. There’s currently not enough research to even begin thinking about making those claims, but this research does show some very intriguing potential that we’re for sure going to be keeping our eye on.

From a global perspective, sea buckthorn is potentially one of the most economically and ecologically important crops in the world. Discovering that sea buckthorn plants introduced into non-native areas offer exceptional benefits is huge. Sea buckthorn has the potential to become the leading natural source of antioxidants in Canada, and the whole of North America.

At SIBU, we’re in love with our T7® Turkestanica species of sea buckthorn, but this current research has us excited about sea buckthorn’s role maintain a healthy weight and natural, sustainable health in the future.