Also known as Chinese wolfberries, goji berries are a small, red fruit native to China. With a history of medicinal use spanning 2,000 years in eastern Asia, goji berries have gained popularity in America for their high nutritional content and potential health-boosting properties. Although a variety of goji berry products--including juices and extracts--are touted as cure-alls for disease, some purported benefits of this fruit lack clinical evidence.
Identification
Goji berries are bright red and oblong in shape, growing on deciduous perennial bushes, Parkland Agroforestry Products explains. Each berry bears 10 to 30 edible yellow seeds and possesses a tart, tangy taste. Because raw goji berries are tender and prone to bursting, most goji berries and goji products sold in the United States have been dried as a form of preservation.
Uses
Historically, goji berries have served as a medicinal food in Asia, where traditional health practitioners prescribed them to boost immunity, improve eyesight, enhance circulation and protect the liver, Parkland Agroforestry Products explains. Today, goji consumers eat these berries raw or dried, brewed into tea, stewed into soup, juiced, fermented into wine or added to snacks such as trail mix and granola bars. Some manufacturers sell goji berry powder and goji berry extract as health supplements. Extracted oils and other goji berry constituents can serve as an ingredient in skin care products.
Benefits
As Columbia University explains, goji berries may improve feelings of well-being, sharpen psychological functioning, encourage regularity, increase quality of sleep, promote calmness and bolster athletic performance, most likely due to their content of a health-boosting compound called L. barbarum polysaccharides. Goji berries also contain molecules called phenolics, which offer potential anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
Misconceptions
Although goji promoters sometimes tout this fruit as a cure for cancer and high blood pressure, evidence supporting any disease-curing properties is sparse. According to Mayo Clinic writer Timothy Moynihan, M.D., there are no clinical studies examining the role of goji berries and goji extracts in human disease prevention, and the effects of goji berries on cancer and other conditions remains unknown. Rather than being a miracle food, goji berries offer the same health-promoting benefits most fruits provide--including high levels of vitamins and antioxidants.
Warning
Although goji berries are generally considered safe for consumption, compounds in these berries may interact with certain medications. According to Planet Berries, goji berries may cause drug interactions with blood thinners such as warfarin, especially if you consume high quantities of goji products. Timothy Moynihan, M.D., notes that goji berries may also interact with drugs used to control diabetes. If you take an anticoagulant medication or drugs for diabetes, consult with your physician before consuming goji berries or goji supplements.
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