Sea Buckthorn Tea Benefits: What Research Shows & How to Brew

Sea buckthorn tea is usually a leaf-based herbal infusion, not a drink made from the orange berry. Cherker’s loose leaf tea and tea bags are blends containing sea buckthorn leaves together with mint, oregano, rose petals, yarrow, caraway and an ingredient currently described as “local tea”.

Research has measured phenolic compounds, taste characteristics and laboratory antioxidant activity in sea buckthorn leaves and leaf infusions. However, evidence specifically showing health benefits from drinking brewed sea buckthorn leaf tea in humans remains limited. A laboratory extract, animal experiment or berry-oil clinical trial should not be presented as proof of what one cup of leaf tea does.

This guide focuses on three practical questions: how to brew Cherker’s two tea formats, what leaf-tea research can reasonably tell us, and what to check before drinking a blend that contains yarrow.

What is sea buckthorn leaf tea?

Sea buckthorn is commonly identified as Hippophae rhamnoides, a shrub in the Elaeagnaceae family. Its leaves may be dried and steeped in water as a herbal infusion.

The leaves and berries come from the same plant but are different raw materials. Research on berries, pulp, seed oil or pulp oil does not automatically apply to a leaf infusion. Cherker already has a separate guide explaining that distinction: Sea Buckthorn Leaves vs Berries.

What is in Cherker sea buckthorn tea?

The current Cherker product pages list the following ingredients for both the loose leaf tea and tea bags:

• sea buckthorn leaves (Hippophae rhamnoides);
• mint;
• oregano;
• “local tea”;
• rose petals;
• yarrow;
• caraway.

The loose leaf product page identifies yarrow as Achillea millefolium. The term “local tea” is not specific enough to identify a plant ingredient. A complete ingredient declaration should use a recognised common name and, where ambiguity is possible, the botanical name.

This matters particularly for any caffeine claim. Sea buckthorn leaves themselves are not ordinary tea leaves from Camellia sinensis, but the caffeine content of a blend depends on every ingredient. Cherker should retain a “caffeine-free” statement only after confirming that the ingredient called “local tea” is caffeine-free or after testing the finished product.

How to brew Cherker sea buckthorn tea

Follow the directions on the physical pack you are using. At the time this article was reviewed, Cherker’s online product pages listed:

Cherker should align these instructions with its packaging images before publication. The loose-leaf back-label image currently shows 1 teaspoon in 300 mL for 2 minutes, while the tea-bag back-label image shows 1 bag in 300 mL for 3–5 minutes. The product page and the pack should not give customers different instructions.

Brewing steps

1. Use the amount shown on the current pack.
2. Add the stated amount of hot or freshly boiled water.
3. Steep for the time printed on the current pack.
4. Remove the tea bag or strain the loose leaves.
5. Taste before deciding whether to add honey or another sweetener.

A longer steep generally extracts more flavour and may increase bitterness or astringency, but research on unrelated commercial samples does not establish one universally “perfect” brewing time for Cherker’s blend. The product’s validated sensory and brewing instructions should control.

What does sea buckthorn leaf tea taste like?

Sea buckthorn leaf infusions are generally more herbal and astringent than the sharply sour berry pulp. Cherker describes its loose leaf blend as lightly aromatic with floral and garden-herb notes, and its tea bags as lightly minty with floral and herbal character.

A peer-reviewed study examined 18 commercial sea buckthorn leaf teas purchased in China. Under the study’s own laboratory preparation—1 part tea to 50 parts water, steeped at 80°C for 5 minutes—trained panellists detected bitterness and astringency in all 18 samples, although intensity and overall acceptance varied widely.

The study also found substantial differences between products in phenolic composition and in-vitro antioxidant-assay results. Those findings support a modest conclusion: leaf variety, processing, particle size and brewing conditions can change the taste and measured chemistry of the infusion. They do not prove that every sea buckthorn tea tastes the same or provides the same composition.

Sea buckthorn tea benefits: what has actually been studied?

Phenolic compounds have been measured

Researchers have identified phenolic compounds in sea buckthorn leaves and in prepared leaf-tea samples. The study of 18 commercial teas quantified compounds including ellagic acid, rutin, quercitrin, catechin, epicatechin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin-related glycosides. The amounts varied considerably between samples.

Another study published in Scientific Reports analysed 50% ethanol extracts made from sea buckthorn leaves and twigs and reported a broad range of phenolic compounds together with other constituents. That work helps describe the plant material, but a concentrated ethanol extract is not equivalent to a cup made by steeping Cherker’s blend briefly in water.

Laboratory antioxidant activity has been measured

Sea buckthorn leaf-tea studies have used assays such as DPPH, ABTS and FRAP. These are laboratory methods that measure how a prepared sample behaves in a defined chemical system.

They do not establish that drinking the tea prevents disease, improves immunity, lowers cholesterol or produces a particular benefit in the human body. Assay results also depend on the method, extraction, units and test conditions, so numbers from different studies should not be used as a simple brand-ranking system.

Human evidence for brewed leaf tea remains limited

A 2026 review of sea buckthorn research describes substantial work on berries, oils, extracts, isolated compounds and foliage. It also highlights persistent problems with standardisation and the gap between preclinical research and reliable clinical evidence.

For sea buckthorn foliage, much of the cited biological research involves concentrated extracts, cells or animal models rather than ordinary brewed leaf tea consumed by people. Therefore, the accurate consumer-facing statement is:

Human evidence specifically establishing health benefits from drinking brewed sea buckthorn leaf tea is currently limited.

Cherker should not claim that this tea treats, prevents, manages or cures cholesterol problems, diabetes, infection, inflammation, stress, digestive disease or any other condition.

Does sea buckthorn leaf tea contain vitamin C?

Cherker has not published a vitamin C test for the brewed tea. Therefore, this tea should not carry a quantified vitamin C claim based on testing of Cherker’s berry pulp.

The berry pulp result of 106.74 mg/100 mL belongs to a specific submitted pulp sample. It cannot be transferred to leaves, a tea blend or a prepared infusion.

For help distinguishing sample forms and reading report units, see How to Read a Sea Buckthorn Lab Report.

Loose leaf tea or tea bags?

Choose loose leaf tea if you prefer measuring and brewing your own pot. Choose tea bags if convenience matters more.

Storage

The current product pages state that both formats should be stored in a cool, dry place and are best before 24 months from packaging.

Keep the package closed between uses and protect it from moisture. If the tea develops visible mould, an unusual damp smell or signs that moisture has entered the pack, discard it.

Who should be careful because the blend contains yarrow?

Cherker’s blend contains yarrow, identified on the loose leaf page as Achillea millefolium. The European Medicines Agency’s monograph concerns defined yarrow herbal medicinal preparations, not Cherker’s seven-ingredient food blend. It nevertheless provides useful precautionary context:

• people with hypersensitivity to yarrow or other plants in the Asteraceae family should not use yarrow medicinal preparations;
• safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established, so use is not recommended in the absence of sufficient data;
• use in children under 12 is not recommended because adequate data are lacking.

Cherker does not publish the measured amount of yarrow per serving, so this article cannot compare one cup with an EMA medicinal dose. The cautious approach is to ask a qualified healthcare professional before regular use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for a child under 12, or where there is a known allergy to yarrow or related plants such as chamomile, ragweed or marigold.

Frequently asked questions

Is sea buckthorn tea made from berries?

Not necessarily. Cherker’s tea products are blends whose first listed ingredient is sea buckthorn leaves. The berry pulp is a separate product.

How long should Cherker sea buckthorn tea steep?

Use the instruction on your current pack. At the time of review, Cherker’s online product pages stated 2–3 minutes for both formats, but the back-label images showed different instructions. Cherker should align those directions.

Does sea buckthorn tea have proven health benefits?

Leaves and infusions contain measurable plant compounds, and laboratory studies have reported in-vitro activity. Human evidence specifically for ordinary brewed sea buckthorn leaf tea remains limited, so those findings should not be turned into disease-treatment or prevention claims.

Is Cherker sea buckthorn tea caffeine-free?

Sea buckthorn leaves are not Camellia sinensis. However, Cherker’s current blend also lists an ingredient called “local tea” without identifying the plant. The caffeine-free claim should be retained only after that ingredient is identified as caffeine-free or the finished blend is tested.

Does sea buckthorn tea contain vitamin C?

Cherker has not published a vitamin C result for the brewed tea, so no quantified vitamin C claim should be made. A pulp result does not apply to a leaf infusion.

Can I drink this tea during pregnancy?

The blend contains yarrow. EMA’s yarrow medicinal monograph states that safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established and does not recommend use in the absence of sufficient data. Ask your healthcare professional before use.

How should I store the tea?

Keep it sealed in a cool, dry place and follow the best-before date on the package. Protect it from moisture.

In short

Cherker sea buckthorn tea is a multi-herb leaf infusion rather than a berry drink. Brew it according to the current physical pack, because the online and photographed directions need to be aligned.

Research has measured phenolic compounds, taste and in-vitro antioxidant activity in sea buckthorn leaf preparations. It has not established that a cup of Cherker tea treats or prevents disease. The blend also contains yarrow, so pregnancy, breastfeeding, young-child use and Asteraceae allergies require appropriate caution.

Sources

• Cherker Sea Buckthorn Loose Leaf Tea product page
• Cherker Sea Buckthorn Tea Bags product page
• He Q, Yang K, Wu X, et al. Phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and sensory evaluation of sea buckthorn leaf tea. Food Science & Nutrition. 2023;11(3):1212–1222.
• Kubczak M, et al. Hippophae rhamnoides leaf and twig extracts as sources of phenolic compounds. Scientific Reports. 2022.
• Liu M, Yu T, Nurlan U, Wu Z, Zhao J. Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of sea buckthorn: a comprehensive review. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2026;17:1759697.
• European Medicines Agency: Millefolii herba (yarrow) assessment and monograph documents

This article provides general food and research information. Cherker products are foods, not medicines, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Product ingredients and brewing directions should always be checked against the current physical pack.