The Health Benefits of Sea Buckthorn

The common name for hot water and lemon (a popular digestif in Italy) is called a camarillo— a warming, immune-system revving drink that helps promote healthy digestion and adrenal function.

The Garden Collage Staff are huge fans of drinking hot water and lemon in the morning, because it has several health benefits– but what about hot water and sea buckthorn?

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a bright orange berry native to Europe and Asia that has up to 15 times the vitamin C found in oranges and lemons, and it’s also high in protein, vitamin E, omegas, and organic acids.

Sea buckthorn’s leaves and flowers can be used to treat arthritis, gastrointestinal ulcers, gout, and skin rashes, while its berries can prevent infections, improve eyesight, slow the aging process, treat asthma, improve blood pressure, and lower cholesterol– among many other medicinal uses.

Topically, sea buckthorn is used in anti-aging products, but we’ve found that our favorite way to use the berry is by mixing its juice with hot water– effectively making a “sea buckthorn camarillo”.

In Ancient Greece, sea buckthorn was fed to horses to help keep their coats shinier (the scientific name, Hippophae, means “shiny horse”). Today, the berry is consumed by humans for much the same reason– to improve quality and health of everything from the skin and hair to digestion and the immune system.

Much like hot water and lemon, a little splash of sea buckthorn in hot water makes for a tangy, calming drink whose nutrients are best absorbed when consumed in the morning. [easyazon_link identifier=”B003BI2A4W” locale=”US” tag=”gardcoll03-20″]Sea buckthorn juice[/easyazon_link] can be purchased in most health food stores, but you can also grow the berry yourself. It works well in deciduous climates and requires little maintenance– it even improves the quality of the soil!

Simply juice the berry, mix about a tablespoon into a mug of hot water, and enjoy!

Read about Native Restaurant in London, where local sea buckthorn is used as a replacement for lemon in desserts.