Goji berries health benefits, benefits and harms of calories

Goji berriesA few years ago, when the Internet was full of poor-quality advertising, and women bought slimming programs in the “lose 100 kilogram per 1 hour” style, a unique product came out – goji berries. To the man in the street they seemed to be a universal remedy for everything: from extra weight to the pathological condition of the vessels. The excitement around the berries gradually subsided and, in the end, completely slowed down. Goji berries are replaced by acai berries and superfoods of the “new generation”

But was the attention to goji berries justified and how do they really affect the human body?

A Brief Historical Reference

The growth in demand for goji originated in the 2006 year. Dr. X. Wu from Japan found something interesting in the berry juice – biologically active substances that are able to restore the structure of the DNA molecule. The scientist insisted on unique molecular bonds, special energy, ingredient functionality. Healthy food gurus and advertisers decided to bring the study to the masses, backed up by favorable and obvious facts. Began to emerge stories about Chinese long-livers, whose age exceeded 100 and even 200 years. These stories were connected by one central core – all long-livers constantly consumed goji berries.

Territorial distribution

The historical homeland of the acclaimed berries – China. The plant grew in such locations: Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Hebei, Syuchan.

Today, goji is cultivated in every, even the most remote, corner of the world. Cultivated plants often run wild in their historic homeland (northern and central China) grow culturally. Goji industrial cultivation is also concentrated in China.

General characteristics

The people of goji are called “wolfberry”. It should be noted that most of the unfamiliar berries we call wolf. This is a collective image that does not carry much information. Fruits can be both toxic and quite suitable for food consumption. But back to the goji berries. Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) is a member of the nightshade family and can be used as a food product. The fruits of the plant are used more often in dried than fresh form.

How Dereza vulgaris got the name goji

Dereza ChineseThe Chinese call the plant Níngxià gǒuqǐ (寧夏 枸). Adapted translation – Ningxiang Dereza. Goji is a transliteration of the last word gǒuqǐ (in English goji is used) into Russian. English goji is a transcription of the name of the plant from the ancient Chinese dialect, which is adapted to the specifics of the English language. All these names designate one plant – the common wolf (Chinese wolf). Each language, acquiring a new word in vocabulary, tries to organically introduce the term into general language practice (for example, in German the word sounds like bocksdorn).

In English, there are several forms of the word goji:

  • godji;
  • wolfberry;
  • barbary matrimony vine;
  • duke of Argyll’s tea tree.

What does the famous berry look like?

Goji grows as a massive shrub. Its branches are covered with thin spines, and simple entire leaves take the form of an ellipse. The shrub forms a purple (shade can vary from pale pink to deep red or violet) bell-shaped flowers. Crop development occurs from May to September or from July to October. The time frame for harvesting depends on the territory, climatic conditions, humidity. For several productive months, the shrub gives new fruits 13 times (all this time the flowers are pollinated by bees every 2 times). In the world, the most valuable goji berries, collected in August. It is believed that they concentrate the maximum concentration of nutrients.

The fruit itself is not remarkable. Small elongated berry in the shape of an oval, painted in coral-red hue. Berries are widely distributed in traditional Asian medicine. They treat headaches, diseases of the genitourinary system and pathological conditions of the organs of vision.

Goji’s medicinal effect is multifaceted: not only medicinal decoctions are prepared from them, but also strong alcoholic beverages.

What is the peculiarity of berries

The product contains 4 polysaccharide, complex carbohydrates, which are:

  • “Serve” the functionality of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • regulate the degree of insulin production;
  • strengthen the vascular walls;
  • provide blood plasma with useful nutrients.

Goji fruitsImportant: the concentration of nutrients in goji berries is so small that it cannot provide a miraculous effect. Berries are not a panacea. They have nutritional properties and really benefit the body, but it is negligible compared to the effect of the same currant or spinach.

The real benefits of berries can be obtained only if their amount corresponds to the daily norm and is diluted with vitamins, nutrients and dietary fiber from other foods.

What really helps berry:

  • relieve headache;
  • improve the condition of the epithelium;
  • clean the vessels;
  • will have a detox effect on the body;
  • stimulates blood circulation;
  • normalizes blood sugar levels.

Top myths about goji berries

From 2006 to 2007, a strong company was formed for the nutritional and nutritional value of goji berries. Marketers and nutritionists avidly talked about the healing properties of the product and created an artificially tense situation in the market. Every second supporter of a healthy diet wanted to get a handful of magic berries, despite the cost (and it remains high today). Goji overwhelmed the United States, the European Union and continued to grow rapidly.

In the same year 2006, the US Department of Food and Drug Administration found that the benefits of goji were contrived, and in some cases the berries harmed the human body. The law forbade advertising of goji as a medicinal product and the hype around the novelty has subsided. Subsequent studies proved and substantiated the criticism of the berries, and their juice was not considered safe and effective in reference conditions.

Berries and ascorbic acid

The entire advertising campaign was based on one statement: “Goji berries have a high content of vitamin C, which is incomparable with citrus fruits.” Scientists, having analyzed the market and realizing the reason for the craziness, decided to start by checking the product for ascorbic acid.

Clinical studies have shown that the content of vitamin C is significantly inferior to citrus.

The amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in the red apple is 13 times more than in goji berries.

Scientists have refuted the marketing postulate, but sales did not fall. Even direct evidence that the Australian plum is several times more useful than goji did not affect buyers. Why? Because advertisers and eager to make money had two spare cards in a sleeve lining.

Berry juice

Goji berry juiceManufacturers have claimed (and claim) that goji juice is the strongest antioxidant that heals everything. In January 2007, there was an investigation into consumer protection in which goji juice was subjected to laboratory research on 23 points. 22 out of 23 points turned out to be false, and statements about the magical properties of the product are nothing more than falsification. It turned out that juice is an absolutely useless product, and in some cases it can even be dangerous. The public began to come to their senses, the hype subsided along with the percentage of sales of goji berries.

Berries and cancer risk

The last trump card in the hands of manufacturers – the prevention of cancer. The study took the National Institute of Health of the United States and the National Cancer Institute. The verdict was: no pharmaceutical product can provide 100% efficacy, as goji berries producers say. Herbal ingredients can not be more effective than traditional drugs. In addition, scientists argue that the berries could not cure any disease in the world. The preventive effect that minimized the risk of developing cancer or any other pathology was also not identified.

Chemical composition of the product

Use of the ingredient in cooking

Combining goji with other productsIn cooking, berries are used as an auxiliary element in many dishes. Smoothies are prepared from them, added to salads, used as a decoration or filling element. Fans of healthy eating sensibly assess the real benefits of goji and perceive it at the level of dates, sesame or pumpkin seeds (not a panacea, but a quality herbal product).

How to combine goji:

  • cottage cheese;
  • smoothies;
  • vegetable dishes (salads, stews);
  • porridge from any grain, both green and germinated;
  • tea, coffee, soft drinks (goji gets wet, starts up juice and acts as a sweetener);
  • salad;
  • meat dishes;
  • seafood.

It is recommended to carefully consider the choice of supplier of berries. If it is not possible to arrange an official delivery from, for example, Tibet, where a cultivated plant grows, use a proven service. Order official products on iHerb, be sure to check the composition and documentation of the seller.

The ingredient is sold and introduced into the diet in dried form. Rinse the berries thoroughly before use to wash away settled dust and possible harmful components. Producers can further process the fruits to increase shelf life, so never eat unrefined foods. If you are not sure that a quick rinse of goji in water will not give any results – soak the product. Put the berry in a container with boiling water and let it “brew” for about 5-10 minutes. Drain the cooled water, rinse the berry again and put it into the dishes. Goji gets wet, it becomes like raisins, and all the harmful substances come out.

Goji berry smoothie recipe

We need:

  • banana – 3;
  • almond milk – 300 ml (you can substitute soy or coconut milk, but it is almond milk that gives natural sweetness and perfectly replaces cane sugar);
  • Goji berries – 100 g;
  • strawberries – 10 pcs;
  • honey to taste (add honey as a sweetener if there is not enough sweetness of banana and almond milk).

Preparation

Crush the ingredients and send in any order to the blender. Mix until smooth consistency of thick drink. Pour into glasses, garnish with slices of strawberries, and pour a few more goji berries on top of the smoothie. Experiment with ingredients and get new unique combinations.

At the output we get 3 portions of invigorating drink. We recommend starting the day with a glass of freshly prepared mixture. The liquid will bring the body to tone, stimulate digestion and prepare you for the beginning of a productive day.

Side effects and contraindications

Ingredient must be excluded from the diet of pregnant and lactating women. Berry can cause bloating, which worsens the mother’s well-being. Also, the ingredient is contraindicated in patients with individual intolerance to the yellow / orange / red fruits and components that make up.

Goji is forbidden to patients with high blood pressure. Consider that the product is quite active and is able to interact with other substances, including drugs. Berries increase the risk of side effects from the use of drugs, so carefully approach the preparation of the diet and consider the possible consequences.

Important: follow the number of fruits that you enter in the daily menu. The maximum dose of goji is 2 tablespoons per day. Excessive consumption of berries provokes insomnia, has a laxative effect and can stimulate rashes on the skin. It is recommended to eat the product in the morning in a limited quantity with an additional dose of fiber.

American associations claim that goji is not universal superfood and can be easily abandoned. Balance your diet, calculate calorie consumption, and instead of expensive goji, choose more wholesome carrots or citrus fruits.

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Anna Evans

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