First things first. Goji berries are delicious. They’re also expensive. But partisans claim they are one of the best foods on the planet. A deep-red, dried fruit about the same size as a raisin with an unusual taste—sort of a cross between a cranberry and a cherry— Goji berries have been used in Tibet for at least 1,700 years. They’re used in Chinese medicine, and they’re traditionally regarded by the people of Tibet and elsewhere as a longevity, strength-building, and sexual potency food of the highest order.
Do Goji Berries Really Cure Cancer?
The problem with these exotic berries and the juices made from them (Goji, noni, acai) isn’t that they’re not incredibly healthy foods—they are. Foods that have been used in medical and healing traditions for thousands of years generally don’t keep their reputation if they don’t actually deliver the goods. The problem is that the multilevel marketers discover them, and then you have a war in which everyone claims their product is the only “real” one, fantastic health claims are made that range all over the map and compete for sheer silliness, and before you know it you’re in multilevel marketing hell and don’t know what to believe. I’ve seen Web sites that claim that Goji berries cure cancer, guarantee you an extra twenty years of life, and make you a sexual superman. All of this is nonsense.
The Goji berry is one of about eighty varieties of the Lycium berry (Lycium barbarum) that is indigenous to the Tibetan and Mongolian regions. A lot of published research exists on the Lycium berry, most of it positive, but none of it strong enough to support the ridiculous claim that it cures cancer. But marketing hype aside, this is a great food. Published research that I was able to actually document showed that polysaccharides extracted from the Lycium barbarum have had a positive effect on insulin resistance in rats and have a neuroprotective effect on animal cells. Polysaccharides extracted from the Lycium berry also demonstrate strong antioxidant properties. And at least two studies showed that they have a significant effect on the immune system. In one study, they reduced the weight of tumors, and in at least two others, protected animal cells from DNA damage.
That the Goji berry is full of nutrients is not in doubt. But Gojis are not listed in the USDA database, so their exact makeup is hard to verify. The general consensus is that they contain eighteen amino acids and up to twenty-one trace minerals, and are a rich source of carotenoids and vitamin C. They’re also high in fiber (4 g per serving).
You can buy the juice if you don’t mind paying astronomical rates and wading through a bunch of multilevel marketing hype. Personally, I buy the organic berries themselves in a package at the natural foods supermarket. One of my favorite “raw foods” breakfasts is made of raw oats, almond slices, apple slices, flaked coconut, and Goji berries. Moisten with some pomegranate juice and enjoy!
Do Goji Berries Really Cure Cancer?
The problem with these exotic berries and the juices made from them (Goji, noni, acai) isn’t that they’re not incredibly healthy foods—they are. Foods that have been used in medical and healing traditions for thousands of years generally don’t keep their reputation if they don’t actually deliver the goods. The problem is that the multilevel marketers discover them, and then you have a war in which everyone claims their product is the only “real” one, fantastic health claims are made that range all over the map and compete for sheer silliness, and before you know it you’re in multilevel marketing hell and don’t know what to believe. I’ve seen Web sites that claim that Goji berries cure cancer, guarantee you an extra twenty years of life, and make you a sexual superman. All of this is nonsense.The Goji berry is one of about eighty varieties of the Lycium berry (Lycium barbarum) that is indigenous to the Tibetan and Mongolian regions. A lot of published research exists on the Lycium berry, most of it positive, but none of it strong enough to support the ridiculous claim that it cures cancer. But marketing hype aside, this is a great food. Published research that I was able to actually document showed that polysaccharides extracted from the Lycium barbarum have had a positive effect on insulin resistance in rats and have a neuroprotective effect on animal cells. Polysaccharides extracted from the Lycium berry also demonstrate strong antioxidant properties. And at least two studies showed that they have a significant effect on the immune system. In one study, they reduced the weight of tumors, and in at least two others, protected animal cells from DNA damage.
That the Goji berry is full of nutrients is not in doubt. But Gojis are not listed in the USDA database, so their exact makeup is hard to verify. The general consensus is that they contain eighteen amino acids and up to twenty-one trace minerals, and are a rich source of carotenoids and vitamin C. They’re also high in fiber (4 g per serving).
You can buy the juice if you don’t mind paying astronomical rates and wading through a bunch of multilevel marketing hype. Personally, I buy the organic berries themselves in a package at the natural foods supermarket. One of my favorite “raw foods” breakfasts is made of raw oats, almond slices, apple slices, flaked coconut, and Goji berries. Moisten with some pomegranate juice and enjoy!
WORTH KNOWING
The Goji is distantly related to the Chinese wolfberry, but partisans are very adamant that they are not the same thing. According to Dr. Jigme Dorje, research director of the Tanaduk Botanical Research Institute, which has been studying fortyone varieties of Lycium barbarum, the Chinese wolfberry is loaded with pesticides. Dorje believes that the best (and authentic) Goji berries come from Tibet and are grown organically.
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