Goji: The Superfruit
We miss you. We miss you. Though I’m still working on catching up on personal replies to you we very much appreciate hearing from you to let us know you’re thinking of us as much as we’re thinking of you.
As mentioned in our last newsletter we are now officially open. Online booking is available. We hope you’re well and look forward to working with you again soon. Teleconsults are also still available should you have any questions or wish for guidance in anything related to self care.
Continuing with our Nightshade Series we’re discussing Lycium barbarum aka the Chinese wolf berry or more popularly the goji berry. For as old as the potato is the lore of the goji berry is even greater. Read on and decide for yourself what is true versus what isn’t.
Goji berries have 18 out of 20 amino acids, that includes 8 essential amino acids. The essential ones are the ones we cannot produce ourselves and can only get from our diet. An ounce of dried goji berry has 4g of protein. That’s as much as a whole avocado! To further compare, an ounce of grass fed ground beef has about 6 oz of (complete) protein.
Goji berries' common English name is the wolf berry. The Mandarin Chinese name is gǒuqǐ. Perhaps for the sake of sounding like an exotic fruit it is commercially sold as its simplified English pronunciation of the Chinese name. According to Google Trends, goji berry has been recognized as a superfood in English speaking countries since only 2004 but it’s been recognized as a superfood in China for at least 2 thousand years. More recently, as Chinese youth have become health conscious, goji berry has become popular as an easy adjunct to an aspirational healthy lifestyle. It’s considered a superfood for good reason. In addition to its 18 amino acids, goji’s micronutrient content is among the densest found in one plant food. Some of the vitamins and minerals available in goji berries:
Vitamin A
Calcium
Potassium
Iron (100% RDI in 100g)
Copper
Zinc
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) (100% RDI in 100g)
Selenium
Carotenoids (It is part of the nightshade family after all. All the edible fruits of this family are loaded with carotenoids)
I’ve never craved goji berries before in my life until I was pregnant with Grace and now I think I understand why.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) goji berry is considered a fruit and an herb. According to TCM goji berry is not generally used by itself but as part of a concoction, often to support liver and kidney health. Since in TCM the eyes are related to the liver it is also used for eye health. Though it can be safely consumed in moderation by itself it’s best to avoid it if one is experiencing a fever, excess dampness or diarrhea. In Western medicine, consumption has been shown to have ill effect when combined with blood thinner, blood pressure and diabetes drugs.
According to my research on PubMed, the polysaccharides (LBP: Lycium barbarum polysaccharides) of the goji berries are the primary active component. In various clinical studies and experimental models LBP is purported to improve general well being, immune function, reduce the symptoms of depression, have anti aging properties, show anti tumor activity in certain cancers, improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in cancer patients, improve insulin sensitivity, protect the eyes against glaucoma and macular degeneration. The list goes on with improving symptoms of Alzheimer’s, reducing chemotherapy induced organ toxicity, cardioprotective, helping to reduce cholesterol, anti inflammatory and antiviral. Whew! To think, most of the time it’s just touted as being anti aging and anti oxidative.
And now the lore:
A Chinese man named Ling Qing Yuen was believed to consume the berries daily and lived to be 256 years old.
In Ningxia, China 180,000 tons of the goji berries are hand picked every year. People in this region consume goji berries daily too. They have 16 times more centenarians than the rest of the country with reports of people in rural areas living up to 120 years not atypically and as long as 140 years old.
Long ago a doctor came upon a village where many of the villagers were over a hundred years old. Many of these elderly lived closest to the well around which goji berries grew. It’s believed the goji berries would fall into the well and infuse the water with its nutrients.
Typically goji berries can be found as dried like raisins, in powder form or juice. I grew up with them dried. My mother would occasionally throw a small handful into her (my favorite) chicken soup. Because they’re like raisins you can think of using them that way too. Add them to cookies or granola, snack on them straight, reconstitute and/or infuse in hot water or add to any tea. Scatter them around a chicken before roasting and let them reconstitute in the juices. I haven’t tried this last suggestion but it sounds good.
If you have any questions or wish to further discuss this topic please let me know. I’d love to hear from you! Next newsletter, for all you spicy heat lovers, we’ll be covering the chilli pepper.
Until next we meet!
Mahalo;
Mrs. Bob