Sea buckthorn is a superfruit star on the rise, and increased media attention from the likes of Dr Oz makes it an ingredient to watch, says Jeff Hilton from the Integrated Marketing Group.

Speaking with NutraIngredients-USA at the IFT annual meeting and food expo in New Orleans, Hilton told Stephen Daniells that supply can easily cope with the potential demand for oral and topical applications.

“Supply is unending,” said Hilton. “It’s harvested by a number of fair trade companies and others that are there […] I’ve seen photographs that one of our clients took during the harvest itself and it’s just everywhere.”

The whole plant

The berries from sea buckthorn are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, whilst the juice of sea buckthorn berry has been shown to contain contains proteins, vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, different mineral and organic acids.

Sea buckthorn oil has been reported to have a number of other health applications, including atopic eczema, other skin problems related to deficient regeneration, UV radiation stressed skin, mouth dryness, mouth ulcers, gastric ulcers, urinary tract inflammations, cervicitis, genital ulcers, sinus inflammation and eye dryness.

The plant also provides a source of omega-7, described by Hilton as the “elusive omega”. While consumers may not be aware of omega-7 and its benefits, the success of omega-3 does make consumer education easier, he said.

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