Goji-Zen is a proprietary blend of juices that takes its name from whole goji berries. The ingredients are goji berry puree, apple juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, white grape juice concentrate, sea buckthorn puree, rose hip puree, cranberry juice concentrate, aronia juice concentrate and grape-seed extract. The percentage of daily values on Goji-Zen labels are "not established," as of August 2011. Purees, concentrates and extracts are processed forms of fruits and vegetables, in contrast to fresh or whole varieties.
Name
Goji-Zen Juice is manufactured by Pure Fruit Technologies. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the scientific name for goji is lycium barbara. Other names include di gu pi and matrimony vine. Wolfberries are native to China and also cultivated in the U.S., U.K., Canada, the Himalayas and Tibet. Zen is part of the name, but not an ingredient.The dictionary definition of zen is "a practice or discipline, a school, using meditation seeking enlightenment by breaking boundaries of mundane logical thought."
Purees
Goji puree is the first ingredient on Goji-Zen Juice labels. Purees are cooked fruits and vegetables that have been ground, pressed, strained or otherwise made the consistency of thick soup or paste. The second puree is sea buckthorn, a tree/bush berry high in vitamins, folic acid, carotenoids and omega-3, 6 and 9. The third is rose hip, the seed pods of roses that are high in vitamins A, C, D and E.
Concentrates and Extracts
The fruit juices in Goji-Zen are prepared from their respective concentrates: apples and pears, both richer in fiber than in vitamins; cranberries, high in vitamin C; white grape juice, an efficient source of minerals; and aronia, also called chokeberry, and rich in antioxidants. The extract of grape seed is removed from seeds by processes using either chemical solvents or water. It is high in antioxidant nutrients.
Lack of Evidence-Based Information
The National Institutes of Health says there is not enough scientific evidence to determine if lycium works, though it traditionally is used in Chinese medicine to promote longevity. The effectiveness of goji on diabetes, high blood pressure, fever, malaria, cancer, circulatory problems, impotence, dizziness and tinnitus cannot yet be evaluated, as of August 2011. Goji may be unsafe when combined with blood-thinning and other medications, herbs and supplements. The NIH says, "Be sure to . . . consult your pharmacist or physician or other health care professional before using."
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