One of today's most popular functional foods, Goji berries have been prized for millennia for their superior energy-boosting properties. The berries are celebrated for fostering long life, strengthening the immune system and supporting the eyes, liver and kidneys, and are said to promote happiness due to their superior adaptogenic properties. Goji berries are among the highest-known source of antioxidants, ranking higher than most berries on the ORAC scale, which measures the fruit's ability to absorb free radicals.

 

Benefits

Macronutrients

Micronutrients

Goji Berry History & Facts

The Goji Story: Fruit of Longevity and Wellbeing

Goji Berry or Wolfberry are the common names for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum and L. chinese, two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae (which also includes the potato, tomato, eggplant, deadly nightshade, chili pepper, and tobacco). Although its original habitat is obscure (probably southeastern Europe to southwest Asia), Goji species are now grown around the world, and most predominantly China.

Renowned in Asia as one of nature's most nutrient-rich natural foods, Goji berries have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for nearly 2,000 years. Their undocumented legend, however, is considerably older as Goji berries are often linked in Chinese lore to Shen Nung (Shennong), China's legendary First Emperor, mythical father of agriculture, and herbalist who lived circa 2800 BC.

Currently in the United States, other first-world countries, and the global functional food industry, there is a rapidly growing recognition of Goji berries for their nutrient richness and antioxidant qualities.

Legend has it that Goji berries were discovered by a doctor during his study of an ancient society living in a remote region of the Himalayas. He found that some members of this society lived long lives in good health for 100 years or more, had no grey hair, and never lost their teeth. Eventually he recognized that all of these centenarians lived near certain water wells over which grew Goji berry vines. As the berries ripened, they fell into the water wells where their nutrients dissolved in the water which was subsequently drunk by the people living nearby. It became clear that the berries added something to the water which made those who drank it robustly healthy and live to a ripe old age.

Legend further has it that Li Qing Yuen, who allegedly lived from 1678 to 1930 reaching the age of 252, ate a diet consisting mainly of Goji berries. The story of Li Qing Yuen has reinforced the belief that Goji berries can significantly extend life, reinforcing their long-held reputation as a highly beneficial anti-aging food. To this day, there is an annual two-week festival to celebrate its many health-giving properties.

The Nutrient-Dense Goji Berry

Goji berries are packed with most of the nutrients we need to help keep us free from infection and illness, and to maintain the strength of body cells, organs and systems. Their make-up and benefits have been reported in many scientific journals, including the “Journal of Chinese Herbal Medicine,” the “Journal of Ethnopharmacology,” “China Pharmacology and Toxicology,” and the “Physiology Academic Journal.” The nutrients they contain are:

Polysaccharides: the Tibetan Goji berry contains a high level of polysaccharides known as “Master Molecules” – LBP1, LBP2, LPB3 and LPB4 – which work together to fortify the immune system, and are not found in any other known plant.

• Vitamin C
• Caratenoids – richest source of all known foods or plants
• Vitamin B complex and Vitamin E
• 18 amino acids, including all 8 essential amino acids – a complete protein
• 21 trace minerals, including zinc, iron (11 mg./100 gr.), copper, calcium, selenium, germanium sesquioxide, phosphorus
• tetraterpenoids – xeaxanthine and physalin
• anti-bacterials & anti-fungals: Sesquiterpenoids: cyperone and solavetivone
• anti-inflammatory agent: beta-sitosterol

The Goji Health Benefits

Many Herbalists, Naturopaths, Nutritionists and now Medical Doctors have observed that Goji berries:

• strengthen the immune system
• increase energy and reduce fatigue
• reduce the effect of free radicals in the body – the anti-oxidant effect
• engender a sense of wellbeing and optimism – the “happy berry”
• help curb appetite and over-eating

In some clinical studies with elderly people, Goji berries were given once a day for three weeks. Results showed that participants experienced an increase in “T” cell transformation function and white blood cell activity, indicating a strengthened immune system response. In addition, their mood brightened, they slept better and some experienced increased libido. So, what are Goji berries made of that makes them such a health-enhancing food?

Gojis’ Rating on the ORAC and Bovis Scales

The ORAC scale is a standardized test used by the US Department of Agriculture to measure the Total Antioxidant Potency of foods and nutritional supplements. This test was developed by Dr. Guohua Cao, a physician and chemist with the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore. It provides a precise means of determining the power of specific foods, supplements and compounds to destroy, or neutralize, free-radicals in the body; in other words, their antioxidant power. ORAC stands for “Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity,” and the measurement is expressed as “ORAC units per 100 grams” of a given food or supplement. Here’s how some common foods measure-up on the ORAC scale.

ORAC Scale:

• Egg plant - 390 ORAC units
• Corn - 400
• Onion - 450
• Grapefruit - 483
• Kiwi fruit - 602
• Cherries - 670
• Red bell pepper - 710
• Red grapes - 739
• Oranges - 750
• Beets - 840
• Broccoli - 890
• Alfalfa sprouts - 930
• Plums - 949
• Brussel sprouts - 980
• Raspberries - 1220
• Spinach - 1260
• Stawberries - 1540
• Kale - 1770
• Black berries - 2036
• Blueberries - 2400
• Raisins - 2830
• Prunes - 5770
• Goji Berries - 25,300

Scientists have found that antioxidants help boost the immune system, hence increase our resistance to disease. Compared to antioxidant supplements, whole plant foods, such as Goji berries, with a high antioxidant content are most effective for promoting health and the strength of the immune system.

The Bovis Energy Scale was developed in the 1930s by the French researcher Antoinne Bovis. It measures the “life force” or “natural earth energy” in organic matter such as plants and animals, water, rock and other elements in the earth’s surface by measuring the clockwise spin of atoms in these various substances. For example, human beings have a reading of 6500. Research has found that a Bovis reading below 6500 is neutral, or life-depleting. Some examples of readings below 6500 are those for environmental elements such as for the effects of underground streams, geological faults and the earth’s magnetism. Goji berries, with one of the highest Bovis readings recorded – 355,000 – are an example of an extremely life-enhancing element – a truly amazing energy food.

Bovis Energy Rating:

• Noni - 17,000
• Sea Silver - 24,000
• Limu plus - 54,000
• Xango - 53,000
• Goji Berries - 355,000

The Tibetan Goji berry

Since the early 21st century, the names "Himalayan Goji berry" and "Tibetan Goji berry" have become common in the global health food market, applied to berries claimed to have been grown or collected in the Himalaya region (or sometimes "the Tibetan and Mongolian Himalayas," a misnomer because the Himalayas do not extend into Mongolia, which lies approximately 1000 miles to the northeast).  Although none of the companies marketing such berries specifies an exact location in the Himalayas or Tibet where their berries are supposed to be grown, Earl Mindell's website states that his "Himalayan" Goji products do not actually come from the Himalayas, but instead from Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and the Tian Shan Mountains of western Xinjiang, China.

Although Lycium species do grow in some regions of Tibet, commercial export production of Goji berries in the Tibetan Himayalas - the world's tallest mountains - must be a myth fabricated for a marketing advantage, as this mountain range is a region inhospitable to commercial cultivation of plant foods of any kind. Low temperatures are prevalent year round in the Himalayan valleys throughout southern and western Tibet where bleak desolation is unrelieved by any vegetation beyond sparse, low bushes.

The Tibetan Plateau, comprising most of Tibet north of the Himalayas, lies at more than 10,000 feet in altitude, with poor soil and arid climate conditions unfavorable for fruit crops. Defined by the geography of Tibet, particularly in the western Himalayas, year-round cold nighttime temperatures and frost would inhibit plant bud development and prevent fruit formation. Existing in Tibet are minimal subsistence agriculture and impoverished crop management and transportation facilities unsupportive of commercial berry production. Although limited fertile regions suitable for food crops exist in the valleys of Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, and the Brahmaputra River, there are no objective economic, scientific, or government reports on the commercial production of Lycium berry species from these Tibetan regions.