top of page

ABOUT SEA BUCKTHORN

An ancient plant, native to Scotland, packed with nutrition

IMG_1006.heic

IN THE UK FOR ALMOST A MILLION YEARS

Fossil records show that sea buckthorn was recorded in the late Beestonian stage and was widespread throughout the United Kingdom during the Hoxnian interglacial period (around 480,000 years ago).

Sea buckthorn is a hardy, and very thorny, pioneer plant that thrives in conditions where other plants cannot survive due to salinity, temperature, altitude, or soil pH. It is able to enrich the soil through its ability to fix nitrogen and its roots are excellent at capturing water runoff. Despite being native to parts of South East Scotland, its paleoethnobotany here has largely been lost in the mists of time…

HISTORICAL MENTIONS

Sea buckthorn has been treasured since ancient times for its endurance-enhancing and medicinal properties:

  Earliest Uses: Paleolithic hunter-gatherers in N.E Tibet and also Portugal used  sea buckthorn as a food source. In Ancient Greece, athletes like Pheidippides used sea buckthorn berries, believed to boost stamina for their marathon journeys, and Alexander the Great fed sea buckthorn to his soldiers and horses during his desert campaigns to restore strength and vitality.

  Classical & Ancient Medicine: Theophrastus and Dioscorides wrote about sea buckthorn's health benefits, and the Tibetan medical text Somaratsa (8th century) highlighted its healing powers. During the Tang Dynasty, it became essential to Tibetan medicine, while in Roman times, Pliny the Elder recommended sea buckthorn as a gallbladder cleanser.

  Medieval to Modern Times: Genghis Khan (ca. 1162–1227)relied on sea buckthorn to fuel his armies, and 7 centuries later in the 1940s, Russian scientists started to research its bioactive compounds.This led to sea buckthorn-based foods and creams for radiation protection for Russian cosmonauts and Chernobyl survivors. Sea buckthorn also became the official drink of the Chinese Olympic team in 1992, and even Everest climbers and the Indian Army use it to help with high-altitude endurance.

 

Today, sea buckthorn cultivation and research are widespread across Europe, with breeding programs in Canada, Eastern Europe, Germany, and the Netherlands, and courses at Finnish universities. The International Sea buckthorn Association continues to promote global research, sharing insights into sea buckthorn’s exceptional health properties.

From marathon runners and ancient warriors to space missions and Olympic athletes, sea buckthorn endures as a timeless source of resilience and strength.

6fa9c0_70967e24d2b8434f91402b675ec9f01e_mv2_d_2400_2395_s_2.webp

SEA BUCKTHORN IN THE MEDIA

bottom of page