Sea Buckthorn Leaf Tea Analysis

Sea Buckthorn leaves contain most of the biological compounds found in the berries.  In fact they contain more of some things like protein.  The leaves are 24% protein.  There was a time when a lot of attention was paid to the development of a process for producing leaf proteins.  It never really caught on.  Lately pea protein is a favorite among vegetarians as a supplement.  Is there a market for Sea Buckthorn protein?  Back to the analysis of Sea Buckthorn leaves.

All you need to do is dry some leaves and you have your green seabuckthorn tea.  For a more detailed description of how to process seabuckthorn leaves into a slightly less green and a toasted complexness added see this previous post.  

Nutrients and Antioxidants Present in Sea Buckthorn Leaves

Alpha-tocopherol -a form of vitamin E
Amino acids - contains 18 amino acids the body needs.  Here are some I could verify.

  • Serine - important in metabolism, precursor to many amino acids
  • glycine - protein precursor, especially to collagen 
  • aspartic acid - participates in gluconeogenesis, controlling blood sugar lows
  • threonine - helps provide energy to cells through the citric acid cycle
  • alutamic acid - difficult to research, best guess is a neurotransmitter, could be a good thing
  • lactamic acid - similar to lactic acid, a biologic middle man for metabolism
  • phenylalanine - needed for epinephrine, dopamine, norepinephrine, melanin 
  • proline - critical for connective tissue

Astralagin - flavinoid
Beta carotene - Vitamin A
Boron - 
Calcium - bones, teeth, neurotransmitter, muscle contraction
Catechins - phenol, antioxidant + wow! lots more
Copper - facilitates iron uptake
Ellagic acid - antioxidant and may prevent DNA binding to carcinogens
Ferulic acid - antioxidant with anti-tumor characteristics
Kaempferol - wide range of biological activity, a real powerhouse compound.  Benefits including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, antiosteoporotic, estrogenic/antiestrogenic, anxiolytic, analgesic, and antiallergic activities.
Iron - nice to have if you have blood circulating
Isorhamnetin - anti-oxidant
Manganese - one of the oldest trace minerals in living things.  Involved in many processes.
Magnesium - lots of uses in the body, ex: treating ADHD, Lyme disease, migraines and more.
Niacin - blood lipid lowering properties. 
Omega-3 - anti-inflammatory, reduced risk of dementia, vital for normal metabolism
Omega-6 - precursor to prostaglandins
Pantothenic acid - important to energy metablolism in the cell
Potassium - brain and neuron function, osmotic balance
Quercetins - antiviral, bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory,
Riboflavin - wide role in intermediary metabolism
Salicylic acid - pain and fever reduction
Tannins - antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic
Vitamin C - antioxidant, immune system support, anti-histamine.
 
 

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