Goji berries are new to the western countries
and constitute nowadays a real " nutritional mass phenomenon “. Considering the high price of these berries
and some controversial opinions on their properties, it is essential to define
health benefits and side effects of Goji berries .
Goji berries , also known as wolfberry, are orange - red berries that grow wild
in the valleys of Himalayas , Mongolia , Tibet and China.
Goji berries are cultivated for thousands of years and are considered a key factor
in traditional Chinese medicine. While in Asia these berries are eaten raw,
dried or cooked for generations as a kind of elixir of long life, even to treat
disorders and symptoms such as fever , hypertension, diabetes and age-related health problems, their arrival in Europe is recent.
Nonetheless, Goji Berries immediately attracted the attention of the health products
market and consumer, so that by typing into Google the term " goji berries”,
pages and pages of advertising and articles about health benefits of these
berries, sometimes described as miraculous,
appear in search results.
Given the considerable price of these berries ,that we can found in herbalist’s shops but not only , and
the large amount of information, more or less reliable, provided to the
consumer, we need to make some clarifications.
While several studies on antioxidant effects of various " red fruit "
have been conducted , we can count on the fingers of one hand published studies
specifically on goji berries.
Some studies , however, showed that fruits such as blueberries , acai berries,
cranberries, cherries and strawberries are healthy by virtue of their content
of antioxidants, molecules that reduce free radical damage to cells and to DNA
and cellular aging.
Even Goji berries are particularly rich in antioxidants , especially carotenoids
.
Some preliminary studies on the properties of Goji berries have reported
benefits in terms of mood and quality of sleep , athletic performance , and
sense of well-being, but they need further confirmation.
Goji
Berries, because of their high content of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin
, protect the retina by the ultraviolet radiation and oxidative stress harmful
effects .
But they
can do much more… on the basis of a
study of Kansas State University on animal model Goji Berries can improve diabetes-related retinal
structure abnormalities (diabetic retinopathy) .
In conclusion, undoubtedly Goji berries are a rich source of antioxidants, however,
it is not yet clear whether their health benefits are related solely to their
antioxidant content, as in the case of other " berries " , or if Goji
Berries, as a complex food matrix, have additional
health properties.
Finally, it is useful to recall the side effects of goji berries : they may interact
with certain medications or anticoagulants used for diabetes and for pressure
control .
Therefore, as for other herbal products and supplements, in the case of
therapies it is recommendable to seek medical advice.
Sources:
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database: "Lycium (Goji): Monograph."
Natural Standard: "Professional Monograph: Goji (Lycium spp.)"
Ling Tang et al., "Dietary wolfberry ameliorates retinal structure abnormalities in db/db mice at the early stage of diabetes" - Abstract. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) September 2011 vol. 236 no. 9 1051-1063
Image Courtesy of Praisaeng/Freedigitalphotos.net
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