Alexander the Great's Horse Bucephalus' Superfood Takes Over Markets

Sea buckthorn, the berry that the great commander chose to feed his horse and which left its “mark” in the history of that time, has found its place in “modern Greece”.

A variety of sea buckthorn that is cultivated and found only in Siberia has fully adapted to the Greek climate. As the climate crisis becomes increasingly evident in our country's traditional cultures, many are having difficulty responding and adapting to these new conditions.
However, the tree culture, which has flourished in our country since the time of Alexander the Great, not only does not seem to be “worried” by these weather conditions, but seems to be quite “suited” to them.

«This crop can be considered one of the most profitable in Europe. The soil conditions of Greece have adapted these varieties in terms of yield, profitability and quality.“ says Nikos Doukas, CEO of Ippofae Hellas.

In Greece, they grow a variety that is found only in Siberia and is fully adapted to the Greek climate. The good thing, according to Mr. Doukas, is that “they have no thorns” and that the berries “don’t get stuck” on the branch, which makes harvesting easy. An American company has created a harvesting machine that has helped to dramatically reduce production costs.

For producers, growing sea buckthorn is one of the most profitable. Especially for Greek producers, the selling price is very competitive.

In China, where huge areas are cultivated, up to 25 million hectares, the selling price is 2 euros per kilogram.. In Greece at the same time it achieves 2.5 euros per kilogramand if we add to this the particularly low production costs, then the profit of the Greek producer is many times higher.

This is one of the main reasons for the attractiveness of the crop.Many people want to “switch” to sea buckthorn, especially in the region of Thessaly, where great disasters occurred.“, – notes Mr. Doukas. According to the expert, in our country they grow the most delicious and sweet sea buckthorn berries in the world. To this should be added its large size (3 times larger than the Siberian). All this leads to a better price from the manufacturer of the product.

However, patience is needed for the harvest to pay off, since the bush begins to bear fruit only after the 3rd year. And production fully develops during the 5th-6th year with an average yield of 1.5 tons per hectare.

The main ones The regions where sea buckthorn is grown in our country are Thessaly and Macedonia. The floods that hit the region completely destroyed 300-400 acres of plantings. It is noted that in Greece, before the natural disasters, cyclones “Feomeni” and “Daniel”, the area of ​​territory planted with sea buckthorn was more than 300 hectares.

«Thus, our main production is now located in Macedonia.“, notes Mr. Dukas, where the production volume reaches about 150 tons. Agricultural products are purchased by a company, which, in turn, produces the world's first 100% natural sea buckthorn juiceThe absence of added sugar made the Greek product attractive to foreign markets such as Italy and the United States, which have shown great interest in it.

Sea buckthorn got its botanical name Hippophae rhamnoides from the Greek hippos “horse” and phaos “light, radiance”Indeed, according to a legend dating back to ancient times, Alexander the Great fed his horses sea buckthorn leaves and fruits to give their coats and manes a shine. Thus, the first traces of the plant's use date back thousands of years. Sea buckthorn is a real treasure trove of useful substances. It contains more than 190 biologically active components, including vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, E, flavonoids, amino acids, phenols, beta-carotene, folic and organic acids, as well as 20 mineral elements.. Useful properties:

1. Strengthening the immune system: High vitamin C content helps strengthen the immune system.
2. Skin health: Sea buckthorn oil is used to treat skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis, and to speed up wound healing.
3. Heart and vascular health: vitamins and antioxidants in sea buckthorn help improve the condition of the cardiovascular system.
4. Digestion: Sea buckthorn helps improve digestion and maintain liver health.
5. Vision: Vitamin A and carotenoids improve vision and protect eyes from damage.

Sea buckthorn oil is often used in cosmetics due to its regenerating and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps moisturize the skin, reduce inflammation and protect against ultraviolet radiation. Contraindications: Although sea buckthorn is beneficial, it can thin the blood, so people with blood diseases should use it with caution.

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