Sea buckthorn
Hippophae rhamnoides · 沙棘
Fruits. Chinese Medicine, Modern nutrition and Ayurveda.
Also called Shaji, Sallow-thorn, Seaberry
Pinyin: Shā Jí
Limited safety data in pregnancySea buckthorn is a thorny shrub whose orange berries are pressed into juice and oil, mainly sold for vitamin C and healthy oils.
Did you know? Sea buckthorn grows in poor, sandy soil because its roots partner with soil bacteria that pull nitrogen from the air.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Wounds, burns & bites. Oil is applied to burns and skin injuries in folk and some clinical settings. The trials are small and the results are unclear.Traditional proof
- Digestion & gut health. Traditional uses include stomach pain and poor appetite. Human trials are few and small.Traditional proof
- Colds, flu & immunity. The juice is high in vitamin C. Trials of sea buckthorn itself are too few to prove any immune benefit.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
In traditional Chinese medicine the fruit is used to move blood, resolve phlegm and support the spleen and stomach. Tibetan medicine has used it for lung and phlegm problems.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Astringent, Antioxidant, Vulnerary. Energy: warming.
- Chinese medicine
- 沙棘 Invigorate blood. Nature: warm. Flavour: sour, astringent. Enters the Liver, Stomach and Large Intestine channels.
How people take it
Juice is often diluted and sweetened because the fruit is very sour. Oil is taken as a capsule or rubbed on the skin. No standard dose is set.
Food, juice, oil, capsule and topical.
Where to get it
Grows as a thorny shrub in cold, dry areas of Asia and Europe, including the Himalayas, Mongolia, China, Russia and Scandinavia. Sold as juice, oil, jam and capsules. Key nutrients: vitamin C, vitamin E and omega-7 fat (palmitoleic acid).
Be careful
The fruit is generally safe as food, but large amounts of the very sour juice can upset the stomach. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not well studied, so most people avoid medicine-strength doses. Product quality varies.
Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Both are sour, vitamin C-rich berries often blended into teas and juices.
The honest take
Sea buckthorn is a real source of vitamin C and unusual healthy oils. Most of its health claims come from lab work, animal tests and small human trials. Claims that it works as a cure-all are not supported by the evidence.