What is Omega 7?

Omega-7, also known as Palmitoleic acid, is a monounsaturated fatty acid found in some animal, vegetable, and marine oils (from algae or fish). It is a rare omega fatty acid that only recently has gained global exposure for its benefits and unique qualities. Omega-7 is present in all body tissues, mostly in skin and fat tissue [I].

What is omega 7 found in?

A rich source of omega 7 is found in the pulp of sea buckthorn berries. This essential fat is rare in the plant kingdom and from animal sources. The sea buckthorn plant has been used to treat a wide variety of diseases in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine, as well as in many cultures around the world, for centuries.

What are the suggested health benefits of omega 7 ?

Skin health

Omega 7 and other components of sea buckthorn oil are wonderful for supporting the health of skin. It can help to restore the skin's natural omega balance, protecting skin cells and supporting cellular health [ii] [iii].

Gastrointestinal tract

Unhealthy mucous membranes are the cause of several prevalent digestive health problems. Omega 7 rich sea buckthorn oil helped the repair process of gastric tissue and mucosa in studies.

Omega 7 has been shown to improve the health of gastric mucous membranes and aid in the healing of chronic ulcers [iv].

Vaginal dryness

Oestrogen is important for the structure and functioning of the urogenital area, whereby proper regeneration of tissues is important to maintain elasticity of the tissues. Thus omega 7 is considered a good alternative to conventional hormone treatment in menopausal and post-menopausal women with vaginal dryness. Improvements in vaginal dryness were seen compared to placebo group in a study on 116 postmenopausal women [v].

Dry eyes

Omega-7 preserves the tear secretion and suppresses inflammation in the lacrimal gland which produces tears. A study was conducted on mice with results to this effect [vi].

Safety

Side effects

Very few side effects from sea buckthorn have been reported. In some people who had high blood pressure, swelling, headache, dizziness and palpitations were noted [vii].

Interactions

Sea buckthorn can act as a blood thinner, causing bleeding. It may also cause low blood sugar in people with diabetes who take medication to lower blood sugar. Combining sea buckthorn with blood-thinning drugs or supplements could raise your risk of bleeding.