The goji berry -- rich in vitamins and beneficial phytonutrients -- is marketed as a health food and dietary supplement to increase vigor, enhance well-being and prolong life. Traditional Chinese healers have long recommended goji berry to prevent diabetes. While animal research does support the ability of goji berries to lower levels of fats in the blood, reduce blood-sugar levels and decrease insulin resistance, human clinical studies are lacking. Goji berries may interact with prescription medications. Consult your doctor before using goji berries for diabetes.
Features
Goji berries are from the plants botanically known as Lycium barbarum and Lyceum chinense. The goji berry is also called wolfberry, Himalayan goji and desert thorn. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is known as gou qi zi. Indigenous to China, the goji berry plant features bright reddish-orange berries, which are dried after being harvested; the end result resembles raisins. In addition to their use in preventing and treating diabetes, goji berries have been employed in Chinese folk medicine to treat hyperlipidemia -- or excessive levels of fat in the blood -- hepatitis, thrombosis and male infertility. They are also taken as a tonic for anti-aging properties and to boost the immune system.
Constituents and Effects
Goji berries contain glycosides, polysaccharides, flavonoids and the carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin. They also provide the antioxidant vitamins C and E, as well as the minerals calcium, potassium, iron, selenium and zinc. Drugs.com -- which provides peer-reviewed medical information to consumers -- credits goji with potent antioxidant activity and reports that goji had the ability in animal studies to lower blood sugar; enhance the immune system; protect the eyes, liver and nervous system; and inhibit the growth of tumor cells.
Research
In a clinical study performed on rabbits and published in 2004 in "Life Sciences," researchers found that goji berry extracts significantly reduced blood-glucose levels as well as total cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising beneficial high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In a study published in 2005 in "Yakugaku Zasshi," a Japanese medical journal published by The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, researchers found that rats fed polysaccharides from goji berries for three weeks experienced decreased triglyceride levels and lost weight. The rats also experienced a marked increase in their sensitivity to insulin -- an encouraging sign for treatment of diabetes. However, Blue Shield Complementary and Alternative Health points out that the animals were given very large doses of goji extract, and it is not known if the same benefits would apply to humans using moderate amounts of goji berries.
Usage and Precautions
Adverse reactions to goji berry are rare. However, goji has not been well studied in pregnancy; avoid it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Traditional Chinese medicine recommends boiling 5 to 15 g of dried goji berries to make a tea, then drinking at least 1/2 cup a day. You may also take goji berry in the form of a juice, available in health-food stores and online. Goji berries can interact with prescription drugs, including blood-thinning medications. Before using goji berry for any reason, speak with your physician.
References
- Drugs.com: Goji Berry
- Blue Shield of California Complementary and Alternative Health; Goji Berry; December 2009
- "Life Sciences"; Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Effects and Antioxidant Activity of Fruit Extracts From Lycium Barbarum; Q. Luo, et al.; November 2004
- "Yakugaku Zasshi": Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan; Effect of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharide on the Improvement of Insulin Resistance in NIDDM Rats; R. Zhao, et al.; December 2005
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