Sea buckthorn is used in medicine. medicinal plants

Sea buckthorn or buckthorn (golden tree or Siberian pineapple) is a shrub or small tree from the loch family, which has alternate leaves, simple, monoecious. Sea buckthorn blooms with one-cover regular flowers, each of which has a tubular two- or four-lobed perianth. Each flower has four to eight stamens. The ovary of sea buckthorn is upper and single-celled.

The fruit of a sea buckthorn bush or tree is a drupe-like false berry that develops from the receptacle. The sea buckthorn berry is juicy, inside it has one seed.

The roots of sea buckthorn are numerous. They give a lot of shoots - offspring. The type of sea buckthorn roots is superficial.

The sea buckthorn tree has many angular branches with thorns at the ends. In young shoots, the bark is covered with scales of a silvery hue, adult branches become brown with a hint of rust or black with age.

A bush or tree can reach a height of six meters under ideal soil and natural conditions.

The flowering time of sea buckthorn falls on April - May. Moreover, sea buckthorn can bloom both before the leaves bloom, and after. And the ripening time of fruits - drupes in sea buckthorn falls on August - September.

The taste of a ripe sea buckthorn berry is bitter, but as soon as the first frost hits, the bitterness from the fruits disappears, and the taste becomes sour-sweet, pleasant enough to eat a few fresh berries. Also, sea buckthorn, or rather its fruits, after frost acquires the aroma of fresh pineapple.

Leaves, branches of sea buckthorn are collected for pharmacological purposes at the end of summer, and the bark is collected in early spring. Sea buckthorn berries are harvested immediately after the first frost, in late autumn or early winter.

The method of collecting sea buckthorn berries is special - they are collected by sniffing. At a temperature not lower than minus ten degrees. The shelf life of frozen sea buckthorn berries is six months, no more.

Sea buckthorn grows throughout Ukraine, Russia, and the Caucasus. Ideal habitats for her are the banks of streams, rivers, lakes. Often sea buckthorn forms impassable thickets. This plant is cultivated in gardens and orchards.

Pharmacological properties

Leaves, bark, branches, berries and seeds of a sea buckthorn bush or tree are used as medicinal raw materials. The composition of the leaves and young branches of sea buckthorn includes tannins, dyes, flavonoids. The bark has a high percentage of alkaloids, the fruits contain sugar, organic acids, fatty oil, vitamins B, P, PP, K, C and F, carotene, folic acid, pigments, flavonoids and tannins. Sea buckthorn flowers contain a lot of essential oil. The seeds contain fatty oil, tannins, vitamins B1, B2.

Sea buckthorn oil is extremely useful because it has the following qualities: it acts as an anti-inflammatory, epithelizing, bactericidal, granulating and analgesic. With its help, radiation skin lesions, bedsores, frostbite, burns, eczema, skin tuberculosis, lichen, trophic ulcer, purulent acne, inflammation of the lips with pus and cracks, nasopharynx, female diseases (endocervicitis, colpitis, cervical erosion, epithelial ectopia) are treated. ).

With the help of suppositories with sea buckthorn oil, inflammation of the anal sphincter, catarrhal and atrophic proctitis, anal fissures, internal hemorrhoids, chronic enterocolitis are treated.

The use of sea buckthorn oil inside is prescribed for gastric and duodenal ulcers and during radiation therapy for esophageal cancer. Effective oil and atherosclerosis.

Sea buckthorn fruits are included in the diet of medical and dietary nutrition. They are recommended for use in peptic ulcer, beriberi or hypovitaminosis, after infectious diseases, as a means of strengthening the immune system, and after complex operations.

The juice of fresh sea buckthorn berries is applied externally for erosive skin lesions, ulcerative skin lesions. And in order to enhance the therapeutic effect, it is recommended to simultaneously take berries inside.

Sea buckthorn bark also has valuable therapeutic properties. The alcoholic extract of the bark of sea buckthorn buckthorn has a high raoprotective activity, and can significantly retard tissue growth. This is due to the action of serotonin, which is contained in the bark of the sea buckthorn tree. That is why an alcoholic extract of the bark is always prescribed for x-ray therapy in the treatment of malignant tumors.

Traditional medicine uses a decoction of the bark or leaf infusion of sea buckthorn for diarrhea (inside), rheumatism and gout (baths and poultices).

Since the fruits of sea buckthorn are a whole multivitamin complex, they are recommended to be used as a prevention of diseases of the immune system.

Recipes

It is produced commercially in dosages of fifty, one hundred and two hundred milliliters. It is used for burns, bedsores, radiation skin lesions. Apply to the affected areas with pipettes, gauze swabs. During the change of dressings, the affected areas must be washed from the old oil with a solution of penicillin.

Sea buckthorn oil is also prescribed for radiation anti-cancer therapy. It is taken in a dessert spoon three times a day throughout the course of treatment, and at the end of therapy, the oil continues to be taken for another three weeks.

With sea buckthorn oil, take a teaspoon up to three times a day, half an hour before meals.

In gynecological diseases, sea buckthorn oil is used in the form of gauze and cotton swabs intravaginally. Tampons are changed daily.

Store sea buckthorn oil in a dark and cool place.

Tincture of sea buckthorn fruits.

We take twenty-five grams of dry raw materials, pour a glass of boiling water, insist for four hours, filter.

A decoction of sea buckthorn fruits.

We take twenty grams of dry raw materials, cook in a glass of water for twenty minutes over low heat. We filter. Such a decoction is used for hair loss, externally.

Tincture on the fruits and leaves of sea buckthorn.

We take twenty grams of dry raw materials and insist it for six hours in warm boiled water (one glass). Then we filter the infusion. Take it should be a quarter cup three times a day.

Decoction of leaves and young shoots of sea buckthorn.

Boil ten grams of dry crushed raw materials for twenty minutes in a glass of water over low heat. We filter. Take with a dessert spoon four times a day.

A decoction of sea buckthorn seeds.

We take fifteen grams of dry raw materials, pour a glass of water and boil over low heat for ten minutes. Then we set aside from the fire and let it brew for another two hours. We filter. It is necessary to take a decoction one tablespoon four times a day for constipation.

Sea buckthorn juice.

Fresh leaves and fruits of sea buckthorn are crushed and juice is squeezed out of them. It is necessary to take juice in half a glass with milk (one tablespoon) and honey (teaspoon), three times a day before meals. But, with increased acidity of the stomach, sea buckthorn juice is not recommended.

A decoction of the bark of sea buckthorn.

We take a tablespoon of dry sea buckthorn bark, pour a glass of boiling water, boil for yapti minutes over low heat. Take a decoction for diarrhea in a tablespoon three times a day.

Painkillers from sea buckthorn leaves.

Wrap two to three tablespoons of fresh or dried sea buckthorn leaves in cheesecloth and dip in boiling water for two to three minutes. Then apply to the affected areas of the body.

Contraindications

Any drugs with sea buckthorn buckthorn are contraindicated in case of liver, gallbladder, with a tendency to diarrhea.

Sea buckthorn

Name: Sea buckthorn.

Other names: Golden tree, Siberian pineapple, sea buckthorn.

Latin name: Hippophaë rhamnoides L.

Family: Suckers (Elaeagnaceae)

Kinds: The sucker family - shrubs, less often trees, with alternate simple leaves, monoecious or dioecious. The flowers are regular, single-covered, with tubular perianth 2-4-lobed, 4-8 stamens, ovary superior, unilocular. The fruit is drupe-shaped, false, developed from the receptacle, juicy with one seed.
A significant amount of tannins, coloring substances, flavonoids was found in leaves and branches, alkaloids in the bark, sugars, organic acids, vitamins in fruits; in seeds - fatty oil; in flowers - essential little.

plant type: Large thorny shrub or small tree.

Roots: The roots are numerous, superficial, give many offspring.

branches: Branches are angular, ending in thorns. Young shoots are densely covered with silvery scales, adults are rusty-brown, sometimes almost black.

Height: Up to 6 meters.

Leaves: The leaves are simple, with a wedge-shaped base, dark green above, silvery below.

Flowers, inflorescences: The plant is dioecious, as the male and female flowers are on different trees. The ratio of male and female plants on the site should be 1:5, since male flowers do not bear fruit, but are necessary for pollination. It is possible to distinguish male plants from female plants only in early spring or autumn by the size of the buds: on male plants, the length of the buds is almost 2 times longer than on female plants. Flowers small, yellowish. The female ones are located on short pedicels of 2-5 pieces in the axils of branches and spines, the male ones are collected in short spikes.

flowering time: Blooms in April-May, before or during leafing.

Fruit: The fruit is an orange and red fleshy drupe of spherical shape. They remain on the branches until spring.

ripening time: Ripens in August-September.

Smells and tastes: The taste of ripe berries is bitter, but after the first frost, the bitterness disappears, and they become pleasantly sour, with the smell of pineapple.

collection time: Leaves and branches are harvested in summer and at the time of picking berries, bark - in spring. Berries are harvested in winter when they lose their bitterness and astringency.

Features of collection, drying and storage: Fresh berries are harvested by sniffing, frozen berries are shaken off at a temperature not lower than minus 10 ° C. In sunny weather, the fruits are not harvested, because when thawed, the shell is separated from the pulp. The shelf life of frozen food is 6 months.

Spreading: In Russia, sea buckthorn is found in the European part (Kaliningrad region), in the Caucasus, in Western (Irtysh and Altai regions) and Eastern (Angara-Sayan and Daur regions) Siberia; in Ukraine - in the Danube Delta.

habitats: Grows along the banks of rivers, streams, lakes and in floodplains, often forms impenetrable thickets. Used as a hedge, to strengthen railway and highway slopes. Widely cultivated in gardens and orchards.

Culinary use: Fruits are used to obtain juice, canned food, jams, marshmallows, jams, jelly and jelly are prepared from them, used to flavor drinks. Fatty oil is obtained from berries.

Signs, proverbs, legends: Folk wisdom says that the one who collected the fruits and leaves of sea buckthorn in the summer stocked up on vigor and health for the whole year. It is no coincidence that sea buckthorn is called “healing berry”, “health berry”, “healing gift of nature”, “miracle berry”, “vitamin plant”, “forest pharmacy”.

garden care: Sea buckthorn is a light-loving plant, quite drought-resistant, but not tolerant of stagnant groundwater. The plant is propagated by cuttings, but it is necessary to plant cuttings of a female and male plant at once (or 5-8 female and 1 male). Care is almost not required, it is enough to fertilize once every 3-4 years, and also to properly form a bush with pruning.

medicinal parts: Medicinal raw materials are leaves, young branches, bark, fruits, seeds.

Useful content: The fruits contain fatty oil, organic acids, sugar, vitamins K, B1, B2, B6, E, P, PP, F, C (up to 900 mg%), folic acid, carotene, pigments, tannins, flavonoids. For example, 100 grams of fruits contain 5-6 daily doses of vitamin A, up to 10 doses of vitamin C, a large amount of vitamin E (up to 20 mg%), up to 100 mg of vascular strengthening vitamin P. They contain more than 15 different trace elements - manganese, aluminum , silicon, titanium, boron, iron.
Fruit seeds contain fatty oil, vitamins B1 and B2, E, tannins. The leaves are rich in tannins and phytoncides, bioelements and vitamins (vitamin C, for example, up to 1400 mg%). The branches are rich in tannins, and the alkaloid serotonin, which is widely used as an antitumor agent, was found in the bark. In frozen fruits, vitamins are stored for up to 6 months.

Actions: Sea buckthorn oil has anti-inflammatory , bactericidal , epithelizing , granulating and analgesic properties, in connection with which it is successfully used to treat radiation damage to the skin, burns and frostbite, bedsores, skin tuberculosis, eczema, lichen, trophic ulcers, phlegmonous acne (purulent acne), Darier disease, cheilitis (inflammation of the lips with cracks and suppuration), ulcerative lupus, eye diseases ( trachoma, creeping corneal ulcers and so on), nasopharynx (sinusitis, chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, rhinitis) and oral cavity (pulpitis, periodontitis), female diseases (colpitis, endocervicitis, ectopic epithelium, cervical erosion).

In candles, sea buckthorn oil is effective for erosive and ulcerative proctitis, erosive and ulcerative sphincteritis(inflammation of the anal sphincter), anal fissures, catarrhal and atrophic proctitis and internal hemorrhoids in patients with chronic enterocolitis.

Inside, sea buckthorn oil is used for gastric and duodenal ulcers, and for radiation therapy of esophageal cancer. There are reports of effective treatment with sea buckthorn oil in patients with atherosclerosis. The inhibitory effect of sea buckthorn on the development of atherosclerosis is explained by the presence of linoleic and linolenic acids, tocopherols, carotenoids, phospholipids and plant sterols, which have the ability to help reduce the amount of total cholesterol, α-lipoproteins and total lipids in the blood serum. Some researchers note the weakening effect of sea buckthorn oil on the secretion of gastric juice.

Sea buckthorn fruits (whether fresh or processed) are widely used in medical and dietary nutrition. They are used for stomach ulcers, for diseases caused by a lack of vitamins (hypo- and beriberi), as a general tonic for patients who have undergone infectious diseases and complex surgical operations.

Juice from fresh fruits of sea buckthorn lubricates skin areas with lesions of an erosive or ulcerative nature (including lesions from x-rays). To enhance the therapeutic effect, fresh sea buckthorn fruits are included in the diet.

The bark has valuable therapeutic properties. Its alcoholic extract has a high radioprotective activity, delays the pathological growth of tissues (the action of serotonin). Therefore, the alcohol extract is recommended for use in combination with X-ray therapy for the treatment of malignant tumors.

In folk medicine, a decoction of the bark or an infusion of the leaves is given orally for diarrhea. In addition, the leaves are used in baths and poultices for rheumatic and arthritic pains.

Use restrictions: REMEMBER, SEA BUCKTHORN OIL IS CONTRAINDICATED FOR PATIENTS WITH ACUTE CHOLECYSTITIS, WITH A TENDENCY TO DIARRHEAS AND WITH PANCREATIC DISEASES!

Healing recipes:

Sea buckthorn oil . Pour the crushed dry fruits or dried pomace remaining after obtaining the juice with an equal (by volume) amount of olive or sunflower oil (preferably refined), mix thoroughly and keep the mixture for 24 hours in a heated oven or in a water bath at a temperature not exceeding 60 ° C . After that, squeeze the mixture through a nylon bag, and mix the resulting oil with a new portion of crushed dry fruits or dried pomace and heat again, as described above. Three-time repetition of the operation makes it possible to obtain high quality sea buckthorn oil. After a week of settling, the oil is filtered. Take 1 teaspoon 2-3 times a day 30-40 minutes before meals for gastric ulcer, and for radiation therapy of esophageal cancer - 1/2 tablespoon 2-3 times a day during the entire course of treatment and after it. completion - another 2-3 weeks.

Sea buckthorn oil is used as an external remedy. Apply sea buckthorn oil to the affected area of the skin cleaned from necrotic tissues with a pipette and apply a cotton-gauze bandage. Change the bandage every other day. A cotton swab moistened with sea buckthorn oil (5-10 ml per swab) is inserted into the vagina for 12-14 hours after preliminary douching (treatment course 2-3 weeks). Sea buckthorn oil is used for inhalation in chronic inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Endocervicitis. Endometritis. Haemorrhoids . Ectopic epithelium. Cracks in the anus.

Sea buckthorn oil - a thick liquid of red-orange color with a characteristic taste and smell, consisting of a mixture of carotene, vitamin E and organic acids.
If the task is to obtain oil in the maximum amount, then the fruits must be harvested by the beginning of their overripeness and softening, when they accumulate the most oil, that is, not earlier than mid-September. The fruits are washed with warm water (not higher than 60 ° C) and dried until all the water has dried in the shade, the juice is squeezed out and the pulp is collected (pomace, leftovers after pressing). The pulp with seeds is laid out in a thin layer in the sun and dried, stirring and rubbing the lumps, after which they are crushed in a coffee grinder (the better it is crushed, the more completely the oil is extracted).
The pulp (pomace from the fruit) is placed in a vessel, poured with refined sunflower or olive oil (the oil layer should exceed the pulp by 3-4 cm). The prepared mixture should be kept on low heat for 1 hour so that its temperature does not rise above 40-50 ° C, and stir occasionally; put the broth for 3-4 weeks in a dark, cool place and shake once a day.
Then the oil is drained, the pulp is squeezed through several layers of gauze or dense fabric, filtered, allowed to stand in a dark place until transparent and drained from the sediment. Store it in a completely filled vessel with a cork in a cool place for a year.
The resulting oil can be enriched. To do this, it is heated to 40-60 ° C, and a new batch of pulp is poured into it. This operation can be repeated 3-4 times. Having done all this several times, they get 1.5-2 times more concentrated oil, although there is no particular need for this. It is possible in another way. Juice is squeezed out of the berries and defended in a cold place. The oil will float to the surface and be skimmed off. This oil is considered the highest quality.
The remains of the fruit (pulp) after extracting the juice and obtaining oil can be used to make multivitamin tea.
Use the oil in the form of tampons in the treatment of cervical erosion and inflammation of the vagina, colpitis, endocervicitis and endometritis. With hemorrhoids, microclysters, lotions are made, and the inflamed surface is lubricated.

Get well!

Buckthorn is the most famous plant from the genus Sea buckthorn, which includes only two species. Its second species, sea buckthorn willow, grows only in some parts of East Asia. But buckthorn is well known from Western Europe to Pakistan.

It is known for its many medicinal properties.

The decorative and medicinal properties were known back in Ancient Greece, as a confirmation, there are quite a few references to it in ancient literature. This small tree or dioecious shrub belongs to the Lokhov family and grows in the temperate climate of Europe and Asia.

Sea buckthorn belongs to ornamental plants, as its appearance will decorate any garden plot and park. The height of the tree is 3-5 m, its trunk is covered with gray bark. On thin, even branches with thorns is a linear-lanceolate gray-green foliage. The shrub blooms in late April - early May, before the leaves bloom. By the end of August, the crop ripens on the tree. Sea buckthorn fruits are round drupes, which are often called berries in the common people. It is better to collect drupes after the first frosts, as they become tastier, the bitterness goes away and a pleasant sour taste remains.

Planting sea buckthorn is best in sunny areas, with loose.

Important! In order for sea buckthorn to bear fruit, it is necessary to plant 2 trees on the site - male and female, then with the help of the wind they will be pollinated and produce a crop.

The fruits and leaves of sea buckthorn are a real storehouse of useful substances. They contain vitamins A, B, C, PP, H and E.

Also in the plant are:

essential oils;
tannins;
folic acid;
flavonoids;
carotene;
Sahara.

This product is rich in potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and magnesium. The combination of mineral salts and acids, which has the scientific name "electrolytes", is also present in this product and is very beneficial for the body.

100 g of fruit contains 82 kcal. This product has the following BJU indicators (per 100 g):

1.2 g proteins;
5.4 g fat;
5.7 g of carbohydrates.

Did you know? If you eat only 100 g of sea buckthorn per day, you will get the daily rate of essential vitamins and minerals.

The rich and varied chemical composition of this plant makes it very useful for humans. Sea buckthorn is indicated for:

treatment of gout and rheumatism;
increase immunity, due to the high concentration of vitamins;
treatment of colds and viral diseases;
improve digestion and activate the production of digestive enzymes;
removal of inflammatory processes, their internal and external manifestations;
treatment of diseases of the oral cavity, gums and teeth;
therapy and prevention of gynecological diseases;
treatment of hemorrhoids;
cancer prevention.

In addition, she:

helps with burns;
is a diaphoretic and diuretic;
promotes healing and resorption of sutures, scars and scars;
relieves pain;
is an important component of dietary and health nutrition.

Medicinal properties

It is noteworthy that almost all parts of the plant - leaves, bark, and drupes - are beneficial to the human body, but the range of their use is somewhat different.

This is the main medicinal raw material of this plant. Sea buckthorn fruits:

used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, both in classical and traditional medicine;
indicated for beriberi, reduced immunity, during viral and colds;
due to the high content of vitamins, they greatly facilitate recovery after long-term illnesses and operations;
promote hematopoiesis;
improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Sea buckthorn fruit juice is used for external use, for dermatitis, irritation, burns and ulcerative lesions of the skin.

Tincture of fruits and leaves to strengthen the body: 20 g of dry fruits of sea buckthorn are poured into 200 ml of warm water and left to infuse for 6 hours. After the specified time, the infusion is filtered and taken 50 ml 3 times a day.

Oil from the fruits of this plant is highly valued in folk and classical medicine, as well as cosmetology. This product is incredibly useful because:

has anti-inflammatory properties;
acts as an anesthetic;
helps with skin diseases of various etymologies, including bedsores, abscesses, burns and frostbite;
candles with this oil are considered a safe and effective remedy for hemorrhoids and anal fissures;
effective in the complex therapy of gastric and duodenal ulcers, as well as the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Sea buckthorn oil is used as follows:

With a stomach or duodenal ulcer, 10-15 ml before meals.
For the treatment of gynecological diseases, cotton swabs are moistened in it and injected vaginally.
On burns, wounds, abscesses and other skin lesions, a gauze compress soaked in sea buckthorn oil is applied.

Bark

An alcohol extract is made from the bark of this tree, which is indicated for cancer patients during chemotherapy. Also, traditional healers emphasize the effectiveness of a decoction of sea buckthorn bark for diarrhea.

Did you know? Sea buckthorn fruits contain 1000 times more happiness hormone (serotonin) than bananas and chocolate.

A decoction of the bark of sea buckthorn from diarrhea: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of bark is poured with 200 ml of boiling water and simmered over low heat for 5 minutes. The finished broth is cooled and filtered. Take as needed 3-4 times a day.

A decoction and tincture of sea buckthorn leaves are used for:

treatment of rheumatism and gout;
strengthening the immune system;
improve liver function;
normalization of vision;
douching for gynecological diseases.

Compresses for local anesthesia from sea buckthorn leaves: dried or fresh leaves are wrapped in a bandage or gauze, then dipped in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. When the lotion has cooled to a tolerable temperature, it is applied to the sore spot.

Harm and contraindications

While the fruits, foliage, and bark of this plant are extremely beneficial, there are a few occasions when they should be avoided, namely:

individual intolerance and allergic reactions;
with pancreatitis and cholecystitis;
during the acute course of hepatitis and peptic ulcers.

In order for this medicinal plant to bring maximum benefit to the body, it must be properly prepared. The foliage is harvested either before flowering, or at the end of August, along with the harvest.

And the bark - at the very beginning of spring. The collection of drupes can be started in August or postponed until frost, it all depends on how you plan to prepare them.

Important! It is advisable to store dried blanks, leaves, fruits and bark in cardboard boxes or bags made of natural material. The room where they are stored should be cool and dry.

Methods for harvesting sea buckthorn:

For drying, whole fruits are needed, that is, harvested immediately after ripening. They are washed and dried, and then dried in an oven at a temperature not exceeding 50 ° C, or dried in the fresh air, but this requires approximately 60 sunny days in a row, and this is not always possible.
You can also freeze sea buckthorn on twigs or after picking the fruits and placing them in a container. This method allows you to save fortified drupes until the next season.
Another way to store sea buckthorn is to put it in jars and fill it with cold boiled water, then tightly close the lid and put it in the refrigerator or cellar.
The leaves are dried in a well-ventilated area. The collected raw materials must be laid out on thick paper and left away from sunlight. Periodically, the leaves need to be mixed and turned over so that they do not get moldy and evenly dry out.
The bark is also dried in rooms protected from light with good air circulation.

Deserves special attention sea buckthorn oil- it is incredibly useful, and it will not be difficult to cook it at home. To do this, you need to take ripe drupes, rinse them and squeeze the juice. Then the remaining cake is dried and ground in a mortar or coffee grinder.
Sea buckthorn powder is poured with vegetable oil (olive or sunflower), heated to 60 ° C in a ratio of 1: 2. The mixture is allowed to brew for 24 hours and filtered. After that, the oil is ready for use for medicinal purposes. The remaining cake can be refilled with oil and used for cosmetic or culinary purposes.

Now you know how the fruits, foliage and bark of sea buckthorn are used for medicinal purposes. This plant can help in solving a variety of health problems, as well as strengthen the immune system and help the body recover from long illnesses and operations.

And folk recipes for combating various ailments, which include this plant, allow you to make a medicine yourself, at home.

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Sea buckthorn has medicinal properties due to a large number of active substances, such as vitamins C and E, flavonoids and beta-carotene. Thanks to them, the aging process of the body slows down, the work of the cardiovascular system is stimulated and the body's immunity is strengthened.

Sea buckthorn has medicinal properties due to a large number of active substances, such as vitamins C and E, flavonoids and beta-carotene

Morphology and origin

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) was described in Tibetan medical books of the 8th century AD. e. In ancient Greece, sea buckthorn was fed to horses so that they had a shiny coat, hence its name: hipp - horse, and phaos - glossy. Currently, sea buckthorn is an ornamental shrub in gardens and parks, and more recently it has been grown for food. Several varieties have already been obtained with larger fruits than the wild form, with a pleasant taste without bitterness. The description of its pharmacologically active substances in laboratory conditions made it possible to actively use the various properties of plant extracts from it.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) is a species of plant from the Elaeagnaceae family. It is found in Europe and Asia, up to China, mainly along the coasts. The plant is not demanding on the soil, it can grow on sandy soil. It is resistant to frost and drought, does not like very strong soil salinity, and tolerates air pollution well.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) was described in Tibetan medical books of the 8th century AD. e.

Characteristics of the plant: sea buckthorn is a strongly branched shrub, less often a low tree, reaching a height of 1.5 to 6 m. Its appearance resembles fluffy willow species. Grows slowly. Young shoots of sea buckthorn end with sharp thorns. The bark on the trunk and branches in the longitudinal direction cracks, peels off in pieces, usually dark brown, sometimes black. Kidneys are ovoid, golden-copper hue. Shoots with thorns form lateral branches in the form of thorns of the second row. The leaves are narrow and soft, have a length of up to 7 cm, the edges are slightly bent. Inflorescences are small, on branches until leaves appear - from March to May. The fruits are orange, juicy, fragrant, with a characteristic sour-tart taste. They contain a lot of vitamins (A, B, C and E). Berries remain on the plant all winter until spring. They are tasteless because they contain little sugar. After winter frosts become sweet.

Sea buckthorn is widely distributed in many countries due to low soil requirements, resistance to drought and air pollution, and has great decorative value. The abundantly fruiting bushes are especially beautiful. Under the weight of ripening bright fruits, the branches bend to the ground and often break.

Sea buckthorn grows well in a sunny place, tolerates low soil salinity, loves calcareous soils. It grows poorly on wet, swampy, cold, heavy, clayey, dense soils.

Sea buckthorn is the most common type of plant. The taste of its berries is very specific - sour and tart, so they don’t eat it in its pure form, but use it to make oils, jams and other products. The fruits of the plant have many different medicinal properties, and are also rich in vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the human body.

Sea buckthorn is a perennial plant. This is a dioecious tree that can grow up to 4-5 meters in height.

The main feature of this plant is the presence of thorns, which complicate the harvest. It is advisable to wear thick gloves so as not to prick your hands. Most fruit trees do not have such a defense mechanism. Many branches grow on the trunk, which are densely covered with hard and sharp spikes about 2 centimeters long.

The bark of sea buckthorn has a grayish-brown tint. Foliage - linear-lanceolate, entire marginal about 8 centimeters in length. They have a light green color with a silvery tinge, like that of an olive tree.

When the tree begins to bloom, the flowers have a different color. Male specimens are dark brown in color. Each flower can have 4 pistils, all inflorescences are collected in a “spikelet” of 10-15 pieces up to one centimeter long. Unlike husband. signs of flowers, females have stamens. They have a greenish color, and the inflorescences are collected in brushes of several things. Flowering begins in late April and early May.

The fruits of sea buckthorn buckthorn have a light green color before ripening. After maturation, a bright orange color. The drupes are usually oval, small. But they densely cover the branches, so that they may not be noticed under a large number of fruits. In one mature tree, you can collect several buckets of berries. Fruit ripening ends closer to mid-autumn.

Usually, sea buckthorn can be found in Europe and Asia, as well as in Transbaikalia, Altai, the Caucasus and even in the southern territories of Siberia.

Sea buckthorn grows very well even in the wild, therefore it is able to create entire impenetrable thickets in its natural environment. It grows well in sandy soil, in river valleys, near rivers. You can practically not take care of these trees, as they themselves quickly adapt to the climate, and they can take water from underground.

Sea buckthorn can be propagated by seeds, diversion of root pagons or seedlings.

Video “Description”

From the video you will learn many interesting facts about sea buckthorn.

Chemical composition

The description of the chemical composition of sea buckthorn fruits mainly depends on the plant variety, place of growth, time of harvest, etc., therefore it may differ.

Buckthorn sea buckthorn contains a lot of vegetable fats, which do not contain cholesterol. Thanks to carotene, the oil has an orange color. There are also many vitamins of groups B, C, E, K, R. All of them are needed by the human body for the normal functioning of important vital systems. The fruits contain folic acid, betaine, phosphorolipids, glucose, sterols and triterpene substances. There are different organic natural acids: malic, tartaric and citric.

The chemical composition includes tannins, which are useful for healing tissues in the body, as well as many micro and macro elements: iron, magnesium, silicon, aluminum, calcium and potassium, sodium, lead, nickel, molybdenum and even strontium. Heavy metals are contained in scanty amounts, so there will be no harm to health.

Medicinal properties

Given the description of the chemical composition, it should be concluded that sea buckthorn is very useful not only for the prevention of diseases, but also for their treatment.

Pharmacognosy involves a thorough study of various raw materials of animal or vegetable origin. After a series of studies on sea buckthorn products, many useful properties of the fruit have been established. Berries have an antibacterial and antiseptic effect, destroying the pathogens of typhus, salmonellosis, dysentery. Useful substances can improve digestion, activate the production of digestive enzymes, gastric juice and bile for the normal breakdown of complex compounds. Sea buckthorn stimulates the immune system, increases the body's resistance to infections and viruses. Also, with the regular use of drugs based on sea buckthorn or folk remedies, the number of red blood cells in the blood increases, and the level of hemoglobin increases.

Sea buckthorn berries reduce the intensity of dystrophic processes in the human body, damage to liver cells.

The oil improves the regenerative abilities of the body. As a result, the layers of the epithelium heal faster, the tissues of the internal organs are more actively restored. Inflammation, ulcers, swelling pass faster.

Thanks to this characteristic, sea buckthorn can be used in the diagnosis of many diseases. If a person has no contraindications to its use, you can regularly take various remedies based on these berries in order to improve the functioning of the body.

Application

Sea buckthorn juice with pulp is recommended as an adjuvant for low acidity of gastric juice, hypokinesia of the stomach and intestines, and atonic constipation. It is also used in the complex treatment of patients with toxic hepatitis and for the prevention of occupational diseases as a multivitamin remedy.

Sea buckthorn oil is used for radiation damage to the skin, thermal and chemical burns, bedsores, trophic ulcers, etc. Cleaned from necrotic tissues, the wound or ulcerative surface is washed with a solution of penicillin or other antibiotics. Sea buckthorn oil is abundantly applied to the damaged area and a bandage is applied. Bandages are changed every other day. The treatment is carried out until the appearance of granulations filling the wound surface.

Contraindications

Like any other natural products, there are a number of contraindications to the use of sea buckthorn and products based on it. You can not take it when diagnosing pancreatitis, stomach ulcers, high acidity, with acute cholecystitis, as well as with pathology of the biliary tract.

Special attention should be paid to the sensitivity of the human body to the components of sea buckthorn. If after its use there are signs of an allergic reaction, then you need to stop taking medicines based on these berries.