Looking young is a huge part of feeling young. A lot of salespeople are keenly aware of this. We can say with confidence that Ponce de Leon wasn’t the only person searching for a fountain of youth.
Just look at the plethora of beauty products out there with more or less the same promise:
“Use this, and you will look and feel younger.”
The anti-aging cosmetic industry does billions of dollars in business every year. But a much more effective way of looking youthful is to work on your general good health.
Beauty really does originate deep inside. There’s a reason for the expression “blooming with good health.” The healthier you are, the better you look. One aspect of that is a sharp, youthful mind.
You feel young when you can rely on your brain to deliver what you expect, when you want it. And if your skin happens to look younger in the process, well, that’s just a nice little side effect.
But you don’t have to choose. Recently I stumbled across a fruit that can help you get both.
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides) is a berry-yielding shrub found over a vast region from the Atlantic coast of Europe to western China. It’s widely known for its wondrous ability to promote youthful-looking skin.
Because it thrives in extreme, harsh conditions, the sea buckthorn is a super-fruit packed full of nutrients that make it tough and resilient. No surprise, these nutrients can also benefit us humans.
In some places it’s even called the “Holy Fruit.”1
The Tree that Makes Horses Shine
There are some fascinating stories surrounding these miracle berries. In ancient Greece, old, worn-out and war-scarred horses were set free to die in the wilderness, a sign of respect for a life of useful work and battle.
The soldiers were flabbergasted when the horses returned from forests containing sea buckthorn sporting a shining, healthy coat and a youthful gait. So it’s said the Greeks called it “the tree that makes horses shine.”
Since then, many other cultures across the world have celebrated the health benefits of this fruit.
Currently, sea buckthorn is being used to treat conditions ranging widely, from stomach discomfort to impaired vision, from skin care to cancer.2
And it may also be a big help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
Regular readers of Natural Health Insiders know that omega-3 fatty acids are great for the brain, especially when the diet includes plenty of B vitamins. Sea buckthorn is packed with plenty of both. If you’re on the lookout for a non-animal, environmentally sound source of omega-3s, sea buckthorn oil could be your ticket.
And as with many other berries, sea buckthorn boasts strong antioxidant power. The shrub’s polyphenols are said to work wonders against oxidative stress and damage caused by free radicals in the body.3
A Versatile Berry
Like most other fruits, sea buckthorn can be made into jams, jellies, pies, or a simple juice. The berries have a bitter, tart flavor, so when juicing many people prefer to add a sweetener like apple, grape or pineapple.
According to a study conducted by the School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, a juice made with just 20% (one-fifth) sea buckthorn still packs enough punch to benefit cognitive performance.4
It may be a challenge to find fresh, raw sea buckthorn, but oil extracts, powders and supplements are widely available. I don’t know which brands are the best. Most seem to be for topical skin care, but some are meant to be taken orally.
With every new discovery (and sometimes a really old one) comes a new opportunity to take advantage of the natural wonders that we’re given. This sounds to me like one worth checking out.
