Immune Support with Sea Buckthorn

By Seabuck Staff , published Aug 14, 2020

It is always important to focus on the health of our immune system. In times of stress, our immune system is weaker. When our bodies are working to fight off bacteria or viruses, we also experience stress on a cellular level. One simple way we can support a healthier immune system is with sea buckthorn oil.

Chemical Components of Sea Buckthorn Oil

The humble sea buckthorn (aka sea berry) contains many health supporting properties. It is rich in fatty acids and A variety of other health supporting components. Sea buckthorn oil is better known for it's fatty acid content, but what truly makes sea buckthorn stand out is the complexity of it's nutrition. The complex network of antioxidants, fatty acids, and bio-active nutrients make sea buckthorn oil a great option for anyone looking for a natural immune boost.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are molecules that act as antioxidants and help regulate stress in the body. They can help our body function better while protecting it from everyday toxins and stressors.

Flavonoids are classified into many groups including anthocyanidins, flavonols, flavanones, isoflavones and more. Some specific flavones that we’ve probably heard of before include kaempferol or quercetin, and these types of flavonols can be found in fruits and vegetables. There are well over 5,000 categories of flavonoids and they’re abundant in plant material. 

All the parts of the sea buckthorn plant are highly nutritious, even the leaves and bark. Sea buckthorn berries have been found to contain a variety of flavonoids, including flavones, catechins, flavonols and leucoanthocyanidins. Other flavonoids found in other parts of sea buckthorn include aglycones, quercetin, and isorhamnetin. 

How Flavonoids Support Immunity

The primary way that flavonoids support the body is through antioxidant action, and helping to neutralize free radicals in the body. They can help prevent inflammation, boost the action of vitamin C, and protect blood vessels, among other benefits.

Part of the body’s natural immune reaction includes inflammation, so flavonoids may be extremely helpful when we are trying to fight a bug. Try pairing a vitamin C supplement with a dose of sea buckthorn oil to boost the vitamin C effects.

Superoxide Dismutase

Superoxide dismutase is an enzyme which works by breaking down harmful oxygen molecules in the cells. Although we need oxygen to live, on a cellular level, it gets a bit more complicated.

Oxygen splits into single atoms with unpaired electrons, which are unbalanced. These unbalanced electrons move through the body looking for an electron to pair with. This process actually causes damage to other cells like DNA in the body. When we hear talk about “free radicals”- this is what is being discussed.

What Free Radicals do

If you're having a hard time understanding free radicals, imagine that you have a strong magnet, which will represent an unbalanced electron (free radical).

Imagine that you have a backpack that's full of everything you need- your cell phone, your credit cards, and an assortment of other everyday items.

Now, imagine what would happen if you tossed the magnet into your backpack. It would try to attach itself to everything inside- causing damage to everything it touches.

Free radicals or unbalanced electrons work the same way in our bodies.

Superoxide dismutase helps to break down those free radical oxygen molecules in our cells. Because of this neutralizing effect, it’s thought that superoxide dismutase (SOD) can help prevent cellular damage in the body. There appears to be a link to harmful oxygen molecules and certain diseases.

Some studies have shown that SOD may also be extra supportive when the body is attempting to fight bacterial infections. Overall, SOD is great for subduing oxidative stress in the body and is only one part of the many components in sea buckthorn that could help our immune system stay healthy.

Omegas

Sea buckthorn oil is special because of its variety of omega fatty acids, including 3,6,9 &7. Sea buckthorn seed oil contains omegas 3,6 and 9  while sea buckthorn berry oil primarily has omegas 6 and 7. 

Sea buckthorn seed oil has a near perfect balance 1:1 ratio of omegas 3 and 6. This balance is excellent for human health, because there isn’t an overabundance in omega 6. Omega 3 and 6 help immune system function overall.

The omega 7 found in sea buckthorn berries is thought to have positive effects on the mucous membranes in the body, especially for helping with cellular dryness. While we only have a preliminary understanding or how omega 7 helps the body, many people love to use the oil as a supplement for dryness. 

The overall combination of omegas and antioxidants are excellent for fighting dryness and soothing mucous membranes.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant when it comes to effects on immune system health. One study found that vitamin E enhanced resistance against several pathogens. First, the study showed that in animals Vitamin E helped fight infectious diseases.

Next, they studied humans and had similar results. The conclusion was that vitamin E is an important part of keeping the immune system strong. Sea buckthorn oil is rich in vitamin E.

Adding Sea buckthorn oil to our daily routine is a great way to enhance our vitamin E intake. Since it is not always easy to add more new vitamins to our daily routine, this is a great thing! This super oil is the key to reaching healthier immunity efficiently.

 

 

Supporting Immunity Everyday with Superfood

Supporting a healthy immune system is something we will think about before we even get sick. The best way to keep our immune system strong is to eat a healthy diet, exercise, and include nutrient rich superfoods like sea buckthorn oil.

Sea buckthorn oil is an amazing option for daily immune support because of its vast pool of antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and other bioactive nutrients. For daily immune support we recommend Omega 7 Complete or a combination of our pure organic sea buckthorn oil products.

 

 

 

References

Gęgotek, Agnieszka et al. “The Effect of Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) Seed Oil on UV-Induced Changes in Lipid Metabolism of Human Skin Cells.” Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 7,9 110. 23 Aug. 2018, DOI:10.3390/antiox7090110

Gutiérrez, Saray et al. “Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Immune Cells.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 20,20 5028. 11 Oct. 2019, DOI:10.3390/ijms20205028

Lee, Ga Young, and Sung Nim Han. “The Role of Vitamin E in Immunity.” Nutrients vol. 10,11 1614. 1 Nov. 2018, DOI:10.3390/nu10111614

Mishra KP, Chanda S, Karan D, Ganju L, Sawhney RC. Effect of Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) flavone on immune system: an in-vitro approach. Phytother Res. 2008;22(11):1490-1495. DOI:10.1002/ptr.2518