In the current craze for superfoods -- foods that provide extraordinary levels of nutrients -- goji berries have enjoyed elevated status for some time. Goji, also known as wolfberry, is a species of deciduous woody shrub native to China that produces a bright red berry about 1/2 inch long. Goji berries are most often sold commercially as in dried form. Modern research has produced some encouraging results in support of the health benefits attributed to goji berries.
Vision
In a Chinese study published in the December 2010 "Optometry and Vision Science" journal, goji berries preserved vision and increased levels of antioxidants and zeaxanthin -- one of the two primary carotenoids in the retina. Elderly volunteers consumed 13.7 g of a milk-based formulation of goji berries every day for 90 days. The goji group showed no loss of pigmentation in the retina and no increase in age-related deposits, known as drusen. The researchers remarked that this represents a high-quality human study on the benefits of goji berries for vision.
Skin Damage
Protection against radiation damage to the skin occurred in an Australian study of goji berry juice on laboratory mice induced with radiation damage similar to that of a sunburn. The study, published in the April 2010 "Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences" journal, used various concentrations of goji berry juice and reported that 5 percent juice produced significant reduction in inflammation and swelling. All concentration levels produced some benefits, including increasing antioxidant activity while decreasing oxidation of lipids, depending on dosage. The researchers also confirmed that two antioxidants specific to the skin contributed to the protective effects promoted by goji berry juice.
Liver and Blood Pressure
The root of the goji plant provides liver-protective and blood pressure-lowering benefits, according to a Swiss study published in the January 2010 "Planta Medica" journal. The researchers noted, however, that while the goji plant shows no signs of toxicity, there may be a potential for interaction with the drug warfarin, a blood-thinning agent.
Prostate Cancer
Goji berries inhibit prostate cancer, according to a Chinese study published in the August 2009 "Journal of Medicinal Food." In the study on laboratory mice, goji berries caused disruption in the DNA of cancer cells and also induced apoptosis -- programmed cell death -- in the cancer cells. Tumor volume and weight were significantly lower in the group that consumed goji juice compared to a control group that was not given the juice. Polysaccharides that give the fruit its bright red color are also responsible for the beneficial health effects.
References
- PubMed.gov: Goji Berry Effects on Macular Characteristics and Plasma Antioxidant Levels
- PubMed.gov: Mice drinking goji berry juice (Lycium barbarum) are protected from UV radiation-induced skin damage via antioxidant pathways
- PubMed.gov: Goji (Lycium barbarum and L. chinense): Phytochemistry, pharmacology and safety in the perspective of traditional uses and recent popularity
- PubMed.gov: Lycium barbarum polysaccharides induce apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells and inhibits prostate cancer growth in a xenograft mouse model of human prostate cancer
- PubMed.gov: Lycium barbarum (goji) juice improves in vivo antioxidant biomarkers in serum of healthy adults
Member Comments