The berry from Hippophae rhamnoides, a plant called the sea buckthorn, has been used for centuries in Asia and Europe as a medicinal herbal product. Rich in antioxidant vitamins, healthy fatty acids and other nutrients, Hippophae rhamnoides is currently used in a range of products, from skin creams, dietary supplements, and edible oils.
   Hippophae rhamnoides is a thorny shrub that grows 2 to 4 feet in height. The Hippophae rhamnoides berry is about half a centimeter in diameter and turns bright orange as it ripens by September.

Benefit of Hippophae rhamnoides L., family Elaeagnaceae
Hippophae rhamnoides herb has been used for skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, and burns and it may also reduce inflammation.

Hippophae rhamnoides for inflammation reduction
Effects of Hippophae rhamnoides berries on infections and inflammation: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2007.
Hippophae rhamnoides berries may reduce CRP, a marker of inflammation, and a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. C-reactive protein (CRP) is produced in the liver and is a known marker for inflammation. Increased levels of CRP are a good predictor for the onset of both type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Petra Larmo from the University of Turku recruited 233 healthy subjects and randomly assigned them to receive Hippophae rhamnoides or placebo product for 90 days. The daily berry dose was 28 g (frozen sea buckthorn berry puree). The daily dose contained 16 mg flavonol glycosides (the glycosides of isorhamnetin were the most abundant), 15 mg vitamin C, and 1 mg alpha-tocopherol. Calculated as aglycones the total daily amount of flavonols was about 8 mg. At the end of the study significant differences were observed between the groups. Supplementation with sea buckthorn was associated with a reduction in CRP.

Hippophae rhamnoides composition
Hippophae rhamnoides berries has a high amount of vitamin C and E content, essential minerals and amino acids, carotenoid and phenolic pigments, phytosterols, and essential fatty acids.

Uses of Hippophae rhamnoides
This berry can be used for juices, jellies, tea, and marmalades.

History of the Hippophae rhamnoides botanical name
It is said that the Greeks gave seabuckthorn leaves to their horses and noticed the coats of the horses turned shiny. Thus, the botanical name of Hippophae. Hippo means horse and phaos means to shine.

Farming methods influence composition of herbs
Effect of Different Organic Farming Methods on the Phenolic Composition of Sea Buckthorn Berries.
J Agric Food Chem. 2009 February. Heinäaho M, Hagerman AE, Julkunen-Tiitto R. Heinäaho M, Hagerman AE, Julkunen-Tiitto R. Faculty of Biosciences, Natural Product Research Laboratories, University of Joensuu, Post Office Box 111, Joensuu FIN-80101, Finland, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056.
The effects of different organic cultivation methods on the berry phenolics of two Finnish sea buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides L. ssp. rhamnoides ) cultivars, 'Terhi' and 'Tytti', were studied in an experimental field at a coastal area in Merikarvia, western Finland. Cultivation methods included different fertilizers (designed for organic cultivation), mulches (organic and plastic), and land contours (flat land versus ridged beds). Two experiments were conducted: The first, a fertilization experiment, allowed for the estimation of the effects of cultivar, fertilizer, land contour, and all of their interactions. The second experiment, a mulch experiment, allowed for the estimation of the effects of mulch, land contours, and their interactions for the cultivar 'Tytti'. There are significant differences between the cultivars and cultivation methods. The concentrations of quercetin derivatives 1-3, isorhamnetin 3,7-diglucoside, quercetin-3-glucoside-7-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-glucoside, isorhamnetin 3-glucoside, and flavonoid derivative 3 were higher in 'Tytti' than in 'Terhi', while concentrations of isorhamnetin-glucoside 2 and 3 were higher in 'Terhi' than in 'Tytti'. Flat land increased the concentrations of isorhamnetin 3,7-diglucoside, isorhamnetin-glucoside 1, quercetin derivatives 2 and 4, and condensed tannins. Mulch did not have any significant effect on the concentrations of phenolic compounds. These results indicate that the phenolic accumulation in berries of studied Hippophae rhamnoides cultivars seems to be mainly dependent upon cultivar selection and soil structure.

Hippophae rhamnoides questions
Q. I am currently taking a supplement called Thai-Go which is mangosteen juice. It also contains Hippophae rhamnoides. I am also taking Supercritical Omega-7 by New Chapter which has sea-buckthorn and is supposed to help alleviate vaginal dryness. Do these two products give me too much sea-buckthorn?
   A. There are no established values and safe levels of Hippophae rhamnoides, therefore it is difficult to give any such advice. Plus, one person may tolerate a high dosage of Hippophae rhamnoides while another may not.