Everything You Wanted to Know About Sea Buckthorn

By Admin Email , published Dec 22, 2014

Hello friends! Our "Wonders of Sea Buckthorn' blog is here to address the burning questions we get every day here at the home office. This time we are focusing on clearing up some misconceptions that we get asked about all the time. Where does sea buckthorn actually come from? What the heck is palmitic acid, and should you be afraid of it? We are going to answer these popular questions today!

Does Sea Buckthorn Come From The Ocean?

The misunderstanding is due to the name and from the actual content of SBT. Sea buckthorn is high in omegas. The most well-known sources of omegas tend to come from the ocean: fish oil, krill oil and algae oil. People who know that fact but don’t know the facts about SBT sometimes get confused. When they hear that “sea” buckthorn has omegas sometimes think that it too, comes from the ocean. 

Sea buckthorn plants survive extreme temperatures in rocky or sandy terrains. They often grow along ocean shorelines, which explains the “sea” part of its name. They are tree-like shrubs with huge, sharp, thorns and bright orange berries. The berries and the seeds inside of them have great nutrition and are the source of our oils.

Sea buckthorn does not come from the ocean. In fact, it is a far superior source of omegas because it has no contamination like many ocean based products do. It is a beneficial crop, is sustainable and does not damage the delicate eco-system of the ocean in any way!

Should I Stay Away from Sea Buckthorn Because of Palmitic Acid?

Palmitic acid is the most common fatty acid found in animals and plants. As a plant that is high in fatty acids (omegas), sea buckthorn, too, contains palmitic acid. There were studies that showed that pure form of this fatty acid can cause health problems.

Yes, refined or isolated palmitic acid could do some damage if set free in your body. Luckily, refined and isolated palmitic acid only exists in laboratories. When you eat palmitic acid, it comes inside of food, along with other kinds of fatty acids. That means the body can process it the correct way- rather than how it handles the isolated form of the fatty acid.

In sea buckthorn oil, palmitic acid also exists with Omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9. The other fatty acids balance out the negative effects of palmitic acid. Our livers convert extra palmitic acid into Omega-9, which also mitigates side effects.

No. You shouldn’t worry about palmitic acid in sea buckthorn. Did you know that olive oil contains the fatty acid? Human breast milk contains high levels of palmitic acid. SBT remains to be a great, healthy alternative to animal based omegas. Not only is it balanced, it’s packed with tons of other vitamins and nutrients that other sources don’t come close to.

We will be back soon with more of your most popular SBT questions. Do you have any burning questions you just need to know about SBT? Please email us today at info@seabuckwonders.com.