The little-known sea buckthorn berry has been classified as a superfood due to its high and varied level of nutrients the plant contains, according to a new study published in the journal Food Research International.
A joint team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology and Canada’s University of Saskatchewan discovered that the berries have "huge bio-industrial potential which remains unexplored so far."
The Sea buckthorn berry, native to Europe and Asia, is bright orange in color and packed full of nutrients, including vitamins A, B1, B2, E, C and K, fatty acids, organic acids, amino acids, folic acid, lipids, carbohydrates, tocopherols, flavonoids, phenols, terpenes and tannins.
The biggest drawback with the plant is that it has an extremely short growing season and the berry has a very high water content, which makes it difficult to prepare.
The researchers also identified a number of knowledge gaps about the berry. It’s not yet known whether processing will reduce the berry’s potency, for instance, but the authors hope that this will "give impetus to new academic and R&D activities."