A superfruit used for more than 2,000 years in traditional Chinese medicine, the goji berry is experiencing increasing success in the West, due to its strong vitamin and antioxidant content. And since goji berries have very interesting properties for the body thanks to its high level of vitamins and amino acids, we would recommend that you include this fruit in your diet. But before, lets dive into its different benefits.
Goji berries are berries that come from a shrub called lyciet (Lycium chinense or barbarum). They contain a wide variety of components:
• multiple vitamins (C, B1, B2, E…)
• 21 trace elements (zinc, copper, phosphor…)
• 18 amino acids (leucine lysine, valine…)
• fibers
• proteins…
With about 50 mg per 100 g of fresh fruit, the goji berry especially allows an excellent supply of vitamin C, one of the most important vitamins for health. Also called ascorbic acid, vitamin C helps in maintaining immune system’s health, the formation of collagen, reduces fatigue, etc. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant.
Regularly rated a superfood by numerous experts, the goji berry appears to be, indeed, a veritable nursery for antioxidants, including carotenoids and polysaccharides. Note that traditional Chinese medicine attributes anti-aging effects to goji. This property could be explained by the presence of these antioxidant compounds, which possibly help fight aging. The goji berry is sometimes called the “fruit of eternal youth”.
Rich in beta-carotene (a source of vitamin A), it helps fight free radicals, which are truly responsible for skin aging. It allows to keep it elastic and smooth for longer.
On the other hand, it is recognized as a very useful food supplement within the framework of a diet, due to its low calorie content. It allows, in effect, to mitigate the deficiencies that often appear during weight loss programs, without thereby increasing the blood glucose level.
For Whom Are They Most Helpful?
You don’t have to need them to consume goji berries, although some can really benefit from them:
Athletes
Athletes who want to increase their energy level while maintaining a healthy and natural diet particularly appreciate the goji berry for its nutritional qualities.
Diabetics
The goji berry would act by regulating the blood glucose level through the synergy between two elements present in the fruit: chromium and magnesium.
The anemic
The high iron content makes the goji berry an excellent ally to alleviate deficiencies in red blood cells.
Is Goji Berry Suitable for Children?
100% natural and rich in vitamins, the goji berry is perfect for children’s consumption. However, it can sometimes be difficult to digest (strong stimulation of the digestive system). On the other hand, it is very energizing. It is preferable, then, not to give them to children under 7 years of age, and to limit consumption to some berries for children up to 10 years of age.
How to Consume Them?
Very energizing, it is preferable to consume goji berries in the morning.
To take full advantage of its benefits, it is best to consume fresh ones. However, given the difficulty of obtaining it in Europe, other ways are available to take advantage of the virtues of that small red fruit. The drief variety is the most common form. It is also the one that allows to preserve its properties to the maximum, without added additive. Plus, another advantage of the dried goji berry is its long-term preservation.
You can also find it in juice format, in its pure state, which retains its properties. But most of the commercially available goji berry juices include other ingredients such as water or sugar.
Infused goji berries can also be buy to take full advantage of the detoxifying properties of goji berries, simply infuse a tablespoon of berries in a liter of boiling water.
Have you ever tried the goji berries? What were your thoughts about these superfruits? Leave a comment below!
