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Other health benefits of sea buckthorn |
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Most scientific studies on the subject of sea buckthorn focus on its benefits for health heart and its wound healing properties. Other studies tested effects of sea buckthorn on liver fibrosis, the genotoxicity of cisplatin and cytotoxicity of aminopyrine.
The Cancer Research Centre, Armenia, found that sea buckthorn juice possessed anti-genotoxic effect against cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapy drug used to treat various types of cancers but has a number of site effects, such as the formation of micronucleus in bone marrow cells and sperm abnormalities. The scientists found that treatment of rats with a low dose of sea buckthorn juice significantly decreased the number of the number of micronucleus in bone marrow cells and reduced the damaging effect cisplatin on sperm head [1]. Aminopyrine is a painkiller and fever reducer but is now rarely used because of its side effects. A Chinese study investigated the protective effect of sea buckthorn juice on the tumour formation in rats treated with aminopyrine. The found that the intake of sea buckthorn juice significantly increased the average life span of the rats and reduced the number of foci of carcinogenesis [2].
A Chinese study lead by Goa ZL showed that sea buckthorn may be a hopeful drug for prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis, a disease which is characterized by the replacement of normal tissue with fibrous tissue and the loss of functional liver cells. Goa ZL and co-workers treated fifty patients suffering from liver fibrosis with sea buckthorn extract for up 6 months. They found that those patients treated with the extract showed a significant improvement in liver fibrosis parameters [3].
One study could not find an influence of the intake of sea buckthorn on the number of common cold infections. However, the study found a significant influence of sea buckthorn intake on the serum levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and risk factor for cardiovascular disease [4].
[1] Nersesyan A, Muradyan R. " Sea-buckthorn juice protects mice against genotoxic action of cisplatin.
" Exp Oncol. 2004 Jun;26(2):153-5.
[2] Li Y, Liu H. " Prevention of tumour production in rats fed aminopyrine plus nitrite by sea buckthorn juice." IARC Sci Publ. 1991;(105):568-70.
[3] Gao ZL, Gu XH, Cheng FT, Jiang FH. " Effect of sea buckthorn on liver fibrosis: a clinical study." World J Gastroenterol. 2003 Jul;9(7):1615-7.
[4] Larmo P, Alin J, Salminen E, Kallio H, Tahvonen R. " Effects of sea buckthorn berries on infections and inflammation: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial." Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun 27.
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