Berry Berry! Leh Berry!!!!
Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) of the family Elaeagnaceae, known as Leh Berry is a thorny shrub of 9-12 m height with ample branches. These plants have a life span of 100-150 years. The plant can tolerate winter temperatures as low as -43 degrees Celsius to summer temperatures up to +40 degrees celsius, and it is considered drought tolerant. Seabuckthorn grows naturally in Ladakh without much human intervention. This actinorhizal plant has distinctive characteristics to grow in the low fertile soil of cold deserts. Seabuckthorn is among the first plant species that can grow in any barren land. Sea buckthorn achieved a unique status in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh because of its medicinal and therapeutic potentials. Each part of the plant viz fruit, branch, leaf, root, and thorns have been traditionally used as medicine, nutritional supplement, fuel, and fence, and therefore, Seabuckthorn is generally called as ‘Golden Bush,’ ‘Wonder Plant,’ ‘Ladakh Gold,” or ‘Gold Mine’ of cold deserts.
In Ladakh, during the olden days, seabuckthorn plants were also planted to control soil erosion due to water flow. In the ten-year-old plant, the root extent is 537 cm horizontally and 127 cm vertically. Due to the substantial root system, seabuckthorn plantation is being done around the water channel to check erosion. The roots of Seabuckthorn have a symbiotic association with bacterium belonging to the genus Frankia. This association fixes atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, thus increasing soil fertility in deserts. It is estimated that seabuckthorn plantations fix 180 kg nitrogen per hectare every year. Therefore, Seabuckthorn plants are also considered suitable soil binders. It has separate male and female plants. Female plants bear fruits in the fourth year of age, and fruiting continues up to 60 years.
A study instituted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare points out that nearly 70% of the total land under Seabuckthorn cultivation in India is found in the Ladakh region. Still, only 5% of this fruit is being harvested, around 500 tonnes. However, a positive sign is that over the last twenty years, the economic viability of Seabuckthorn berries has been on the rise, with prices seeing a five times increase. Due to the enormous scope for growth of the Seabuckthorn industry, the govt has taken the development of Seabuckthorn under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and is also looking at incorporating global best practices related to Seabuckthorn cultivation, harvesting, and processing. Another reason for the corporation of Seabuckthorn globally might be its hardy and immune nature as it can be grown in the vast and barren regions of Ladakh with minimal requirement and care.
The fruits of sea buckthorn are the richest source of vitamin C, E, Flavonoids, Oils rich in essential fatty acids. In Ladakh, pregnant ladies and children are given the sea buckthorn fruit called sastalulu as a vitamins supplement. Oil extracted from sea buckthorn seeds, pulp, tender branches, and leaves are used to make different kinds of life-saving drugs and medicines to combat numerous diseases because of antibacterial, analgesic, and regenerating tissue properties.
The medicinal value of Seabuckthorn was recorded as early as the 8th century in the Tibetan medicinal study Sowa Rigpa classic rGyud Biz (Four Text of Fundamental Tibetan Medicine). There are a lot of popular Seabuckthorn-based formulations in various pharmacopeias of Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine). The local ethnic doctors known as Amchi prescribes the fruit seed and bark to check cold, malnutrition, skin diseases, and lung problem.
We talked to Amchi (Doctor) Tenzin Tenpa, presently a lecturer at Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh, and earlier worked at the National Institue of Sowa Rigpa (NISR), Leh. Doctor Tenpa talked about the potencies of Seabuckthorn in traditional Tibetan Medicine. However, Seabuckthorn is used in many medicines as compounds with other ingredients. However, for some health issues, it is used primarily. Amchi Tenpa says, “Seabuckthorn’s single potency is that, it is used an excellent expectorant. Along with using as an expectorant, it also stops the blood in sputum when someone has hemoptysis. In a nutshell, we can say that it helps relieve lung congestion by detoxifying the lungs. Another single potency of Seabuckthorn is liver detoxification and it promotes digestion”. Dr. Tenpa also explains that Seabuckthorn helps regulate irregular periods and helps with many gynecological issues.
Modern research has supported the medicinal properties of Seabuckthorn.
In this regard, Syed Sheeraz Mehdi, a researcher at Himalayan Ecological and Conservation Research Foundation (HECRF) Kargil, Ladakh, has done some valuable researches that are as under:
The flavonoids and the oils from Sea buckthorn have several potential health applications. There are mainly five areas of research that have been focal points for their use:
Most of the work done in the oncology area has been with laboratory animals. A group in India headed by H.C. Goel (Dept. of Radiation Biology, Institute Of Nuclear Medicine and Sciences, New Delhi) has published several reports on the potential of ‘Hippophae’ extract to protect the bone marrow from damage due to radiations and also showed that extract may help in faster recovery of bone marrow cells. The seed oil has been found to enhance non-specific immunity and to provide anti-tumor effects.
Scientific evidence has amply proved that the flavonoids present in the Sea Buckthorn juice decrease the cholesterol level and improve cardiac functions. For example, there is a liquid preparation of Sea Buckthorn flavonoids with Carthamus (Safflower), intended to treat coronary heart diseases and sequelae of heart attack and stroke by improving blood circulation and restoring cardiac function.
‘Hippophae’ is traditionally used in the treatment of gastric ulcers, and laboratory studies confirm the efficacy of the seed oil for this application. Its function may be to normalize the output of gastric juice.
A clinical trial demonstrated that Sea Buckthorn extracts helped normalize liver enzymes, serum bile acids, and immune system markers involved in liver inflammation and degeneration.
Coming to food items, in Ladakh, Seabuckthorn berries are used in the preparation of juices, jams, squash, and wines. Tsas Ladakh, a Hyper-local, Avant grade plant-based restaurant in Ladakh, is on a mission to source all the ingredients locally. This will keep the sanity of local culture and a step towards reducing the carbon footprint. The Chefs are themselves going to villages searching for the best local ingredients. Among the elements, Seabuckthorn is one of the main items of Tsas’s kitchen.
Mr. Aman Singhal, Sous Chef at Tsas Ladakh, along with Tsas Ladakh team, went to different villages of Ladakh to know the different types of Seabuckthorn. He shared his findings wherein he expressed that out of all the Seabuckthorn found in Ladakh, the Seabuckthorn berries of Nubra region are different. It’s large, sweeter, and less acidic, making it more palatable. He shared a fantastic scene of the Seabuckthorn auction in villages. There is an annual meeting by the Gram Panchayat, where every seabuckthorn procurer bids for the entire forest and wild patches throughout the village. The bids go into lakhs (8.5 lakhs in 2021), and the sum of the money for bidding is then distributed among all village households, and a small amount is kept for village upkeep by the panchayat. The winning bidder will have to further provide wages to labourers (mostly villagers) for harvesting the Seabuckthorn from the wild. The production in Nubra is around 25-300 tons. At Tsas, the team is trying to pair Seabuckthorn with lots of exciting ingredients like dark chocolate, lavender, paprika, and so on, thus making new wholesome fascinating dishes. Another inclusion of Seabuckthorn will be done in the form of puree, seabuckthorn gel, or pana cotta. Due to the acidic nature of Seabuckthorn, the team is planning to use it as an alternative for tamarind to introduce acidity in dishes as tamarind is not grown in Ladakh, sourcing it from outside will be an addition to the carbon footprint.
