Long a staple of Asian and holistic medicine, the most renowned properties of the Goji Berries is its antioxidant properties and it provide several benefits including heightened immune function and increased energy.

The weight loss properties of this natural ingredient have recently seen the fruit becoming popular stateside as well, especially among celebrities in Hollywood with the Goji Berry being featured on a number of media outlets including 60 Minutes, Oprah, and the Discover Channel.

Goji Berry Active have improved the many benefits of the Goji Berry by including other natural ingredients to the Goji Berry Active Supplement designed to increase its weight loss capabilities and provide many other health benefits as well.

The result is a complete all-natural supplement designed in pill form that can be taken easily with no powders or several kind of ingredients to mix or measure. Just take as directed to help with weight loss, immune function and increasing energy levels.

 What are they?

Other Names: Lycium barbarum, wolfberry, gou qi zi, Fructus lycii

An evergreen shrub bear the Goji berries and are found in temperate and subtropical regions in the Himalayas in Tibet, Mongolia and China. They are in the nightshade (Solonaceae) family.

Goji berries are usually found dried.  They are shriveled red berries that look like red raisins.

Why do people use Goji berries?

Goji berries have been used for 6,000 years by herbalists in India, China and Tibet to:

• protect the liver

• help eyesight

• improve sexual function and fertility

• strengthen the legs

• boost immune function

• improve circulation

• promote longevity

A lot of antioxidants are found in Goji berries, particularly carotenoids such as zeaxanthin and beta-carotene. One of zeaxanthin’s key roles is to protect the retina of the eye by absorbing blue light and acting as an antioxidant. In fact, the decrease in the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may be due to increased consumption of foods containing zeathanthin. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people over the age of 65.

Goji juice has become popular as a health drink in recent years.  Companies marketing goji juice often mention the unsupported claim that a man named Li Qing Yuen drank goji berries daily and lived to be 252 years old . Even though there are few published clinical trials in humans, marketers still list extensive health benefits of goji juice.

What research has been done on goji berries?

In two studies published, it was reported that Goji has been tested on humans. A Chinese study published in the Chinese Journal of Oncology in 1994 found that 79 people with cancer responded better to treatment when goji was added to their regimen.

Goji berry was shown to contains antioxidants in several test tube studies and that goji extracts may reduce blood glucose, lower cholesterol levels and prevent the growth of cancer cells. However, that doesn’t necessary mean that goji will have the same benefits when taken as a juice or tea.

Although goji berries like the ones used in traditional Chinese medicine are rather cheap, goji juice is quite expensive. Considering that be as high as 50 US dollars~for a price running as high as 50 US dollars for a bottle of 32-ounce of goji juice (about an 18-day supply)}, at this time the evidence isn’t compelling enough to justify the cost of goji juice.

Also, we don’t know the regular consumption of goji will cause any side effects, or whether it will interfere with treatments or medications.

What do goji berries taste like?

A mild tangy taste that is slightly sweet and sour, that is how we describe the taste of goji berries. They have a similar chewy texture and shape as raisins.

Common forms

In traditional Chinese medicine, goji berries can be added to Chinese soup, made into liquid extracts, eaten raw or brewed into a tea  

 

 

Goji juice is also available, usually in 32-ounce bottles.

In North America, goji berries have appeared in snack foods. For example, the health food store Trader Joe’s sells a goji berry trail mix.

Possible drug interactions

Goji berries may interact with anticoagulant drugs (commonly called “blood-thinners”), such as warfarin (Coumadin®). There was one case report published in the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy of a 61-year old woman who had an increased risk of bleeding, indicated by an increased international normalized ratio (INR). She had been drinking 3-4 cups daily of goji berry tea. Her blood work returned to normal after she stopped drinking the goji berry tea.

For more information, visit : “http://www.gojiactive.com/?aid=107690″

 

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