8 Healthy Facts About the Goji Berry

If you&#;re looking to add more nutrition to your diet, read on to decide if goji berries are right for you.

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But do they live up their health claims?

Also known as wolfberries, these festive red berries have a sweet, slightly sour taste. They often come in dried form, like raisins.

You might have heard of goji berries and their health benefits. Their history as a medicinal plant has roots in ancient China. Many people use goji berries to treat eye, liver, and kidney issues.

Goji berries are a type of medicinal plant packed with all eight essential amino acids, antioxidants, and they can boost your immune system. Speak to a doctor before trying goji berries if you&#;re pregnant or on other medications.

Due to the higher fiber content or complex carbs in goji berries, your blood sugar will raise more slowly, reducing your risk for a sugar crash afterward.

These berries contain all eight essential amino acids. A 1-ounce serving provides nearly 10 percent of your daily value for protein. For fruit, this is a surprising amount of protein.

One-fourth cup of goji berries also fulfills 340 percent of your intake for vitamin A. You may want to limit how much you eat to reduce the risk of vitamin A toxicity .

If you&#;re pregnant, err on the side of caution and avoid goji berries. It&#;s best to speak to your doctor or healthcare provider about consuming goji berries if pregnant.

Not enough evidence has shown if pregnant women can safely consume goji berries. There&#;s some concern they might cause the uterus to contract.

Avoid adding goji berries to your diet if you:

Always talk to your doctor before you begin eating goji berries. Some companies may say they have less side effects than medications. But goji berries can interact with any medications you&#;re currently taking.

Boosted immune system and flu protection

A boosted immune system and flu protection can go hand-in-hand. The vitamins in goji berries may be able to increase and support both.

Early lab testing found goji berries help enhance the effectiveness of flu vaccinations in aged mice. This is important, because the flu vaccine doesn&#;t always provide adequate protection against the virus.

This study suggests that goji berries may prevent subsequent infections for older adults who&#;ve received a flu vaccine. But remember, goji berries aren&#;t a replacement protection against the flu. Be sure you and your family members get your flu shot every year.

Potential weight loss aid

Goji berries pack healthy energy into small servings. Their rich, sweet taste, along with their high-fiber content, can help you stay on track with eating healthy. Turn to them for a light snack to prevent overindulgence at mealtime. Add them in your yogurt or salad in the same way you would use raisins.

Their nutrition value as a low-calorie, low-sugar option makes them a perfect substitute for other dried fruits with higher sugar content. A 1-ounce serving of goji berries has around 100 calories.

Antioxidants for eyes and skin

Studies have cited the high level of antioxidants in goji berries, especially zeaxanthin. It&#;s the zeaxanthin that gives goji berries, saffron, and bell peppers their bright color.

Antioxidants protect cells against breaking down when they&#;re exposed to elements such as smoke and radiation. What&#;s more, foods with healthy levels of antioxidants are often high in fiber and low in unhealthy fats.

The same study also found that older adults who ate a daily dietary supplementation with goji berries for 90 days had less hypopigmentation and less drusen, or yellow deposits, in their eyes.

Maintain blood sugar

Sweet goji berries may be your new favorite food if you have a particular sweet tooth. Goji berries can help:

• potentially lower blood sugar
• improve sugar tolerance
• alleviate insulin resistance
• improve and recover cells that help produce insulin

Talk to your doctor before you start adding goji berries to your diet, especially if you&#;re using medications to manage blood sugar. If you do start regularly eating them, you may want to check your blood sugar more often.

Increased testosterone

Goji berries have a long history tied to sexual fertility. One study in rats showed that goji berries significantly:

• increased sperm quantity and movement
• shortened erection, capture, and ejaculation response
• improved sexual ability
• improved recovery of testosterone levels

Research suggests that goji berries may be an alternative to prescriptions for erectile dysfunction, like Viagra.

Discover delicious recipes using goji berries, such as as berry cheesecake and berry trifle, or these goji berry & raspberry coolers.

Nutritional profile of goji berries:

100g of goji berries contains:

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• 306kcal/kj
• 49g carbohydrate
• 13g fibre
• 13g protein
• 25mg vitamin C
• mg potassium
• 5mg iron

Goji berries are considered one of the richest natural sources of antioxidants, vitamin C, flavonoids, and carotenoids especially zeaxanthin, quercetin, and rutin.

What are the top health benefits of goji berries?

1. Can reduce the risk of disease

Goji berries are loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants confer many health protective benefits, such as preventing free radical damage which can reduce the risk of disease. The specific antioxidant in goji berries is called zeaxanthin which gives goji berries their bright red colour.

2. Support the immune system and protect against colds and flu

Once again this is due to the high content of zeaxanthin.

3. Support eye health

Zeaxanthin has received a lot of attention due to its beneficial effects for vision and eyesight, especially reducing risk of retinopathy and age related macular degeneration. The antioxidants in goji berries filter out harmful blue light and protect the eyes during ageing. Just a small serving of goji berries has been shown to help.

4. Decrease blood lipid concentration

Long term consumption of goji berries has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol and help in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. A study showed that polysaccharides in goji berries may regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol levels, thereby protecting the heart.

5. Promote fertility

Goji berries are used in Chinese medicine to support fertility and IVF success rates. Studies show that they may increase sperm count and strength, sex drive and reproductive hormone function.

6. Balance blood sugar levels

Goji berries may be helpful in balancing blood sugar levels. Research shows that goji berries balance insulin and glucose levels in the blood and could be a helpful part of the diet for those with diabetes.

7. May help metabolic syndrome

Results suggest that the addition of goji berries to the diet is an effective dietary supplement for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

How to eat goji berries

Dried goji berries can be eaten raw or cooked to obtain the health benefits. They are easy to incorporate into recipes by simply swapping them with other types of dried fruits or fresh berries.

A handful of goji berries can be added to a glass of hot or cold water and left to rehydrate for five to ten minutes. Soaking the dried berries like this makes them plump and juicy. The tea can be drunk, and the hydrated berries eaten.

Are goji berries safe for everyone?

Goji berries are a member of the nightshade family, so they do interact with some drugs, including warfarin, a popular blood thinner. Most doctors will recommend that you steer clear of goji berries if you take warfarin, or if you are taking medication for diabetes or high blood pressure due to possible interactions with the drugs. Pregnant women and those who are breast feeding should also be cautious with consuming goji berries. If you&#;re concerned about eating goji berries while on medication, it is always best to speak to your doctor first.

The bottom line&#;

Goji berries are a delicious, nutritious fruit that can be enjoyed as a snack, or as part of a meal or drink. They have exceptional nutritional value, and their consumption is strongly associated with several health benefits including immune support and an improvement in blood sugar levels. Their health benefits can be attributed to their significant antioxidant content.

Further reading:

How to feel great in winter

Top immune-boosting foods

Health benefits of blueberries

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