Sea Buckthorn helps weight loss? Could it be? If you watched the Dr. Oz show, on June 2 2011, like I did, you certainly walked away thinking there was something to this. In short, Dr Oz shows a picture of 2 mice – one fat mouse and one skinny mouse. Both he said ate the same food except that the skinny mouse was also given the sea buckthorn. The mice looked dramatically different. After that, I went online to do some research on this stuff. Unfortunately many of of the people who praise sea buckthorn also seems to be selling it too – and none of them list any weight loss research. So, I decided to dig a little further to help you try to make sense of this.
Types of Buckthorn
There is more than one type of Buckthorn. You need to know this if you go to the health food store looking for this supplement. The types are:
- Alder Buckthorn (also called Frangula alnus or Rhamnus frangula)
- Buckthron (also called Cascara or Frangula purshiana or Rhamnus purshiana)
- European Buckthorn (also called Rhamnus cathartica)
- Sea Buckthorn (also called Hippophae rhamnoides). Some people write it as “C. Buckthorn” but it’s really sea buckthorn.
Alder Buckthron, Cascara and European Buckthorn are typically used as laxatives. They may also be dangerous if used long term and can interfere with some medications, so do not confuse these with sea buckthorn.
Although sea buckthorn doesn’t seem to be specifically listed as having laxative properties, after watching the Dr. Oz Show demonstration where food treated with sea buckthorn oil effortlessly slid down a glass tube, I wonder if it might also act as a laxative?
Sea buckthorn is rich in vitamin C (processing may reduce levels) and phytonutrients. As such it has antioxidant properties. This is probably why it may be found in some anti aging cosmetics.
Sea Buckthorn and weight loss
That mouse picture that Dr Oz showed on TV was pretty dramatic. Dr. Oz unfortunately didn’t say where the study that found this weight loss effect was published. That said, I may – or may not – have found it.
A study was published in 2011 in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agraculture and was titled Hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic effects of total flavonoids from seed residues of Hippophae rhamnoides L. in mice fed a high-fat diet.
In this study mice were fed a high fat diet for 4 weeks to raise their cholesterol levels. The mice were then given different amounts of sea buckthorn and simvastatin (a cholesterol lowering drug) while still eating the high fat diet.
Mice getting the sea buckthorn had lower body weights and reduced fat at the end of the study. Cholesterol levels were also reduced.
Now, I must say that I could only read the summary of this study (I wasn’t going to pay to read the whole thing if I wasn’t sure if this was THE study). Since I could not read the whole study I still have several questions.
I was also able to locate something that might be considered Sea Buckthorn weight loss research. This study, published in 2011 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition recruited 110 overweight women (80 completed the study). The women were given diets that contained either Bilberries, Sea Buckthorn, Sea Buckthorn phenolic extract, or Sea Buckthorn oil.
Researchers noted that both bilberries and sea buckthorn caused a statistically significant reduction in waist circumference. Bilberries appeared to reduce waist circumference more than sea buckthorn (1.2 cm vs. 0.008 cm respectively). That’s not a lot but it’s something I guess.
As far as I can tell, this seems to be the only human sea buckthorn weight loss study out there so far.
Dr. Oz recommended that a supplement that contained 500 mg of sea buckthorn oil would help people lose weight. But, where did he get this recommendation from? If anyone knows, let me know. I’m really curious.
Sea Buckthorn side effects
In healthy people, sea buckthorn seems safe to use. Sea buckthorn does appear to have a blood thinning effect and may interact with blood thinner medications (why didn’t Dr Oz mention this?) so people who are not “healthy” should speak with their doctor first.
Despite the glowing recommendation by Dr Oz, I can only find one one human study, which for weight loss, I feel was pretty pathetic, and a mouse study. As I learn of more about sea buckthorn research I will update this review. As it stands now, I’m not sure how much it might work, or if it works at all.
What do you think?
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I started taking Sea Buckthorn a couple weeks ago due to the Dr. Oz show AND the First Magazine claims. Haven’t noticed any real changes with my weight, but I’m not sure I am taking the correct formulation. Try to take 2 caps at breakfast, and 2 at dinner…1200mg total per day.
Vitamin Cottage folks were not at all knowledgeable about this supplement when I purchased it. I have the dried berry in capsule form. 300 mg. per capsule, Solaray brand, vegetarian (nutraceutical corp.). Anyone have any info on this particular capsule/brand? I see most people refer to the oil.
Regardless of this supplements ability to help with weightloss, I find it has other redeeming qualities.
Only time will tell!
I have been using the juice form of the sea buckthorn. I have roseacea and want to loose weight. I have been taking it for a week now and haven’t really noticed any changes. I want to know how much of the juice is to be taken and how often. The bottle says 1-3 oz a day and I have been taking 3oz before I go to bed at night.
I have more ordered but it is not here yet and I also ordered the African Mango capsules to take as well. My game plan for me is to take the capsules and the juice together and see what happens. If anyone has any info on how much juice to take and how often, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
Kristen, I would follow what they say to take. When your African mango gets there, I’d also just take that alone for a few days to see if you feel any different before taking both at the same time.
I can’t speak to the effectiveness of sea buckthorn, but I can speak to the Dr. Oz show. I have a Director level marketing position with a company that shall remain nameless. This year we were able to get our product plugged quite easily on the Dr. Oz show. The reviews they gave the product were glowing – and I know for a fact there was no research other than the information we provided.
The fact is, a lot of these shows “sell” their reviews and promotion of various products. Normally, I wouldn’t care but I find it disturbing that a show would endorse a surgical procedure (which one of our services are), and promote products without taking a personal look into the studies surrounding them. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, really. “Dr.” Phil has no Phd but that’s never seemed to bother most folks.
Marketer, thanks for mentioning this! I thought something fishy was going on a few weeks ago when I was watching “The Doctors” and noticed that Nopalea cactus juice (which I just reviewed for this site) sitting on the table next to the doctors and, while they didn’t mention it by name, they did say that people could go to their website to find out more about it. Sounded like the Doctors were an affiliate of the product.
Appreciate you taking the time to fill me in on this!!
Thanks for all the information and comments posted here. It’s great to read others personal experiences with SB. My sister heard about it in her veterinary classes for use on animals. After looking more into it we are going to order some capsules to take ourselves and I will be ordering some for my dog. My golden has food allergies and I hope this will clear it up. I will comment back if we have any results.
If you have a bad ANXIETY disorder DO NOT take sea buckthorn!!! It is like taking an energy drink which if you have a bad anxiety disorder you know will trigger anxiety and or panic. It feels like caffeine on the nervous system but less gittery but very mental.
I have never seen anything on SBB for weightloss, it’s really good for you skin though. For me, i had a cut that wouldn’t heal properly even after 2 years. I even got tested for diabetes which was negative. I’d heard about SBB and decided to try a CO extracted oil directly on the effected area for 2 weeks & worked. Based on composition of fat composition on the oil, not sure what it would do for weight loss.
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