What's Inside Sea Buckthorn? The Full Nutrition Breakdown (With Numbers)

Last updated: 9 October 2026

Sea buckthorn is often called one of the most nutrient-dense fruits on earth — and for once, the hype holds up (2025 peer-reviewed review, ScienceDirect). A single small orange berry carries vitamin C, a rare full spread of omega fatty acids, vitamin E, carotenoids and nearly 200 bioactive compounds. Here's exactly what's inside, nutrient by nutrient, with the real numbers from published studies.

What nutrients are in sea buckthorn?

In short: an unusually complete package. Sea buckthorn combines a standout dose of vitamin C, all four major omega fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, plant pigments, and a long list of bioactive compounds — in one fruit. Very few foods bring all of these together. Let's break it down.

Sea buckthorn nutrition: the numbers

Nutrient	What studies report	For context
Vitamin C	About 275 mg per 100 g of berries in a commonly cited figure; the reported range across studies is roughly 53–896 mg	Orange about 50 mg, mango about 27.7 mg, banana about 8.7 mg per 100 g
Omega-7 (palmitoleic acid)	About 24% of the fatty acids in the berry oil used in one human trial; reported at 20–45% in pulp oil	Uncommon in plant foods
Other fats in that berry oil	Palmitic acid 22%, oleic acid 20%, linoleic acid 15%, alpha-linolenic acid 10%	Seed oil is richer in omega-3 and omega-6
Oil content	7.7–13.7% of the seed and 19–29% of the dried pulp in berries from northern Pakistan	Varies with altitude and variety
Bioactive compounds	Nearly 200 nutritional and bioactive compounds	Includes flavonoids, carotenoids, phytosterols

Sources: Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022; randomized trial, PubMed Central; Frontiers in Nutrition on sea buckthorn oils; FAO AGRIS record. These are figures for the fresh or dried berry, not for any particular bottle of juice.

Vitamin C — one of nature's richest sources

Sea buckthorn is famous for its vitamin C, typically around five times as much as an orange, gram for gram, in the commonly cited figures above. Vitamin C supports immunity, collagen formation and iron absorption. One important note: it's heat-sensitive, which is why cold-pressed juice retains far more of it than heat-processed versions. Amla is higher still in vitamin C — see our sea buckthorn vs amla comparison.

The rare Omega spread — 3, 6, 7 and 9

This is sea buckthorn's signature. Almost no other plant food delivers all four major omegas together. The real rarity is Omega-7 (palmitoleic acid) — genuinely uncommon in the plant world — which peer-reviewed research has studied for supporting the skin barrier and the body's mucous membranes (NIH-published study, PMC). Alongside it sit Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9.

Vitamin E and carotenoids

Sea buckthorn is rich in vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that supports skin and cell protection. Its deep orange colour comes from carotenoids like beta-carotene, which the body can convert toward vitamin A and which support skin and eye health.

Nearly 200 bioactive compounds

Beyond the headline nutrients, sea buckthorn contains close to 200 bioactive compounds — including flavonoids, polyphenols, phytosterols and amino acids. These work together as antioxidants and are a big part of why the berry is studied so widely.

Minerals and more

The berry also supplies minerals, including iron, potassium and calcium, along with other trace nutrients — modest amounts, but part of what makes it such a well-rounded whole food rather than a one-note supplement.

Why the whole berry matters

Here's the catch: these nutrients aren't all in the juice alone. The vitamin C sits in the pulp, the Omega-7 is concentrated in the pulp oil, the omega-3 and omega-6 sit mostly in the seeds, and the fibre is in the flesh. Strip the berry down — as many juices do — and you lose whole categories of nutrition. Using the whole berry is the only way to capture the full profile above.

Sea buckthorn nutrition at a glance

Vitamin C (very high), Vitamin E, Vitamin A precursors (carotenoids), Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9, flavonoids and polyphenols, phytosterols, amino acids, fibre, and minerals including iron — nearly 200 bioactive compounds in total.

The bottom line

Sea buckthorn earns its “superfood” label honestly: it's one of the rare fruits that combines vitamin C, four omegas, fat-soluble vitamins and a huge spread of bioactives in a single berry. To actually get that profile, choose juice that's whole-berry and cold-pressed — because both stripping and heat quietly remove the very things that make it special.

Try Mevva's cold-pressed sea buckthorn juice →

Frequently asked questions

Is sea buckthorn really that nutritious?
Yes. It's one of the most nutrient-dense fruits studied, uniquely combining high vitamin C, all four major omegas, vitamin E, carotenoids and nearly 200 bioactive compounds in one berry.

Does sea buckthorn have more vitamin C than oranges?
Yes — a commonly cited figure is about 275 mg per 100 g versus roughly 50 mg for an orange, though reported values range widely (about 53–896 mg) depending on variety, ripeness and processing.

What makes sea buckthorn's omegas special?
It's one of very few plant foods to contain Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 together, and it's a rare natural source of Omega-7 (palmitoleic acid) specifically.