The superfood that fueled Alexander and his Macedonian Army’s conquests

Scientists believe that a superfood berry was widely consumed by Alexander the Great and his Macedonian army as they set out to conquer the known world in the 4th century BC.

The orange fruit, hippophaes, also known as the sea buckthorns, was a regular item in the army’s staple.

Scientists note that hippophaes contains 192 vitamins which are all absorbable by the body.

Ancient Greeks had actually observed that sick or wounded horses would heal when chewing the plant’s leafs.

In this knowledge lies the Greek etymology of the word hippophaes, which stands for “ippos” (horse in Greek) and “phaos” (eat).

After this discovery, it became an essential stimulant for warriors in all military campaigns, offering greater endurance and strength.

Sea buckthorns with the ranges of its eight subspecies can be located from the Atlantic coasts of Europe across to northwestern Mongolia and northwestern China.

It was therefore easily accessible to Alexander and his troops as they unleashed an unprecedented military campaign through Asia and northeast Africa, creating one of the biggest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to northwestern India.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Thomas Lessman License: CC-BY-SA 

Preventing infections, improving sight, and slowing down the aging process

The plant is quite undemanding when it comes to location. It prefers chalky and sandy soil so it can grow on rocky mountain ledges as well as on seaside dunes.

In modern day medicine, its berries are used for preventing infections, improving sight, and slowing down the aging process.

Sea buckthorn leaves and flowers are utilized for treating arthritis, gastrointestinal ulcers, gout, and skin rashes caused by infectious diseases such as measles.

A tea containing sea buckthorn leaves is used as a source of vitamins, antioxidants, protein building blocks (amino acids), fatty acids and minerals; for improving blood pressure and lowering cholesterol; preventing and controlling blood vessel diseases; and enhancing  immunity.

Scientists warn nevertheless that the appropriate dose of sea buckthorn depends on several factors such as the user’s age, health, and several other conditions.

At this time there is not enough scientific data to determine an appropriate range of doses for sea buckthorn. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important.

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Carl Axel Magnus Lindman License: CC-BY-SA