WHAT ARE SEABERRIES?

THE SEABERRY

The neon-orange seaberry only weighs about 1g, but it certainly punches above its weight in terms of what it can give our bodies.

Seaberries have a unique, tangy, citrus-like taste. People compare it to mango, passion fruit and apricot. In Russia it's even known as the Siberian pineapple. 

Seaberries are widely regarded as a functional food. This means that when consumed as part of a normal diet, they demonstrate physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic diseases over and above their basic nutritional function.

We think this is because the seaberry has two distinctly healthy characteristics - it’s very high in antioxidants and it contains omega oils.

Sadly, not many of us can honestly say that we are never stressed. Unfortunately, stress can cause significant oxidative damage to our bodies. There are many other common causes of oxidative damage in our daily lives such as air pollution, mobile phone signal, UV radiation and Wi-Fi. 

Seaberries are an excellent source of antioxidants as they contain high quantities of vitamin C, E and A. Antioxidants help our bodies to repair and defend against oxidative damage. Antioxidant rich seaberries will really help to support and boost our immune system. 

For vitamin C in particular, seaberries are an excellent source, with up to ten times more than oranges. Our bodies cannot make vitamin C and they cannot store it very well either. It is important for our diet to supply our daily needs.

The seaberry is also a source of fibre, which is the main food source for millions of ‘friendly bacteria’ that call our gut home. Our gut lining hosts the majority of the cells that make up our immune system so it’s definitely something to look after. 

Another unique property of the seaberry is that it contains the full complement of omega oils (3,6,7,9), also known as essential fatty acids (EFA’s).  Again, our diet has to supply the EFA’s as our bodies cannot make them.

Seaberries are the only known fruit source of omega 7 (palmitoleic acid). Omega 7 helps to hydrate, heals and protects our bodies biggest organ - the skin. 

There are internal benefits too; omega 7 assists with the overall health of our mucous membranes. We tend to think mucus is unpleasant, but it’s actually really important for our respiratory system, our digestive function and even our eyes. 

We hope you are beginning to see exactly why we are so excited to be growing this wonderful healthy fruit. 

THE PLANT

Our main focus is of course on the fruit itself- the seaberry. However, we thought you might be interested in learning a little more about the plant itself.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides) is part of a family of small trees and shrubs, native to temperate regions and generally found in the northern hemisphere.  As well as across the Himalayas, sea buckthorn can be found in China, Mongolia, Russia and throughout Northern Europe. Here in the UK it’s mostly found on our coastline. 

It’s a woody, deciduous, perennial plant that can grow up to 8m tall, although 2-4m is more common. It’s characterised by narrow, shiny, silvery-green leaves and as the name suggests lots of fierce thorns. 

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about sea buckthorn is its pioneering ability to adapt and grow in all manner of soils. It can also endure temperature extremes from -40°C to +40°C. We think this makes it a resilient and versatile plant that should be able to adapt to the inevitable challenges of climate change.