Background

• Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is found throughout Europe and Asia, particularly eastern Europe and central Asia. The plant's orange fruit and the oil from its pulp and seeds have been used traditionally for skin conditions, coughing, phlegm reduction, and digestive disorders.
• Sea buckthorn has been used for centuries in Mongolia, China, and Tibet. In Tibet, sea buckthorn is recommended for pulmonary disorders, cough, colds, fever, inflammation, abscesses, toxicity, constipation, tumors, and gynecological diseases. According to the Chinese Pharmacopeia, internal use of sea buckthorn is recommended as a pain reliever, cough suppressant, expectorant, digestive tonic, and blood flow promoter. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), sea buckthorn is mainly used as an expectorant and demulcent (soothing agent).
• In Russia, sea buckthorn seed and fruit oil have been used topically for eczema, psoriasis burns, frostbite, lupus, and cervical erosion, and internally for blood clots as well as eye disorders. In Tajikistan, sea buckthorn flowers are used to soften the skin. In other parts of central Asia, the leaves are used internally for gastrointestinal and skin disorders and topically for rheumatoid arthritis. In India, sea buckthorn fruit is used to treat lung, gastrointestinal, heart, blood, liver, and metabolic disorders.

References

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