Goji Research - Goji Plant information - Benefit of Goji Fruit

The goji plant grows in Asia, most commonly in China. The goji tree produces a fruit, more accurately a berry. Goji berry has been used for centuries in Asia for eye health benefit and to maintain good health. We cannot find any published goji research in humans or research in drinking goji juice. Future research may show goji berry juice to have role in the prevention or treatment of various medical conditions, but such goji research at this time is lacking.

Goji Berry 500 mg  Club Natural
 Goji Berry Supplement Facts

Amount Per Serving:
Goji Berry - 500 mg

Suggested use: As a dietary supplement, take 1 goji berry capsule a few times a week or as recommended by your health care provider.

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Eyesight Rx with Goji Berry
Developed by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Supplement Facts:
 Vitamin C
Citrus bioflavonoids (eriocitrin, hesperidin, flavonols, flavones, flavonoids, naringenin, and quercetin)
Mixed carotenoids (astaxanthin, beta carotene, cryptoxanthin, Lutein, Lycopene, Zeaxanthin)
Bilberry extract (Vaccinium myrtillus)
 Eyebright extract (Euphrasia officianales)
Jujube extract (Zizyphus jujube)
 Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba)
Suma extract (Pfaffia paniculata)
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Goji berry - Lycium (Lycium Barbarum)
Sarsaparila (Sarsaparilla Smilax)
 Alpha Lipoic Acid

 Goji Berry and Vision
The name goji appears to be an English contraction of the Mandarin name, gouqi (pronounced goo-chee). Goji berry is well know for having high nutritional value. Research show goji berry contains many vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and flavonoids that support vision health. Some of these nutrients include vitamins A, C and E, and carotenoids, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Goji berry is one of nature's richest sources of zeaxanthin. It contains about 100 to 200 mg of zeaxanthin per 100 grams. For more goji berry research.

 Goji Berry studies
 Effect of lycium barbarum ( goji berry ) polysaccharide on human hepatoma QGY7703 cells: inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis.
 Life Sci. 2005 Mar 18;76(18):2115-24.
Goji berry polysaccharide is a kind of traditional Chinese herb, is found to have anticancer activity. In this study, the effect of goji berry on the proliferation rate, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis in the human hepatoma QGY7703 cell line were investigated. The study suggests that the induction of cell cycle arrest and the increase of intracellular calcium in apoptotic system may participate in the antiproliferative activity of wolfberry in human hepatoma QGY7703 cells.

 Fasting plasma zeaxanthin response to Fructus barbarum L. ( goji berry ; Kei Tze ) in a food-based human supplementation trial.
 Br J Nutr. 2005 Jan;93(1):123-30.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common disorder that causes irreversible loss of central vision. Increased intake of foods containing zeaxanthin may be effective in preventing AMD because the macula accumulates zeaxanthin and lutein, oxygenated carotenoids with antioxidant and blue light-absorbing properties. Goji berry is a small red berry known as Fructus lycii and wolfberry in the West, and Kei Tze and Gou Qi Zi in Asia. Goji berry is rich in zeaxanthin dipalmitate, and is valued in Chinese culture for being good for vision. The aim of this study, which was a single-blinded, placebo-controlled, human intervention trial of parallel design, was to provide data on how fasting plasma zeaxanthin concentration changes as a result of dietary supplementation with whole wolfberry. Fasting blood was collected from healthy, consenting subjects; fourteen subjects took 15 g/d wolfberry (estimated to contain almost 3 mg zeaxanthin) for 28 d. Repeat fasting blood was collected on day 29. Age- and sex-matched controls (n 13) took no goji berry. After supplementation, plasma zeaxanthin increased 2.5-fold. This human supplementation trial shows that zeaxanthin in whole goji berries is bioavailable and that intake of a modest daily amount markedly increases fasting plasma zeaxanthin levels.

Goji berry summary
I am still trying to find out how similar goji berries are to wolfberry or lycium barbarum. I cannot find any research on goji berries or goji berry juice when I use these words in Medline. However, my impression thus far is that goji berry and wolfberry are the same fruit. For more goji berry research.

Goji article
Goji berry is a fruit popular in Tibet and China,. The goji plant is also called wolfberry and the botanical name is Lycium barbarum. The name goji appears to be an English contraction of the Mandarin name, gouqi (pronounced goo-chee) or Gou Qi Zi. My first encounter with goji berry was at an herbal shop in the Chinatown part of downtown Los Angeles. I bought a kilo bag of dried goji berries for six dollars. The dried berries are the size of raisins, pinkish/reddish colored, and have a slight bitter taste, but not necessarily unpleasant.  The next morning I ate, on an empty stomach, 2 palmfuls of these goji berries without any other food the rest of the day. By mid afternoon I noticed my vision being clearer.

Goji berry studies
We have searched on Medline for studies with goji berry but cannot find any regarding the influence of goji consumption on any medical illness or condition. There are countless claims when one searches online for "goji berry," but most of these claims are premature and not based on human study results. The plain fact is goji berry research in humans is lacking, at least in the Western world. Our personal and clinical experience, along with feedback from patients, indicates that goji berry consumption, in addition to vision enhancement, could improve energy levels, and may have a slight aphrodisiac property. Some of the online goji berry health benefit claims include such promises as:

"Would you believe the average woman in the Himalayan Hunza tribe lives to be 100? And that arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, sexual dysfunction and depression are totally unknown to them? That's because they eat goji berry.

"No plant in all of Asian medicine even approaches the benefits of Goji. Start sipping goji juice today and you'll reap rewards like ... all over cell rejuvenation, powerful protection against germs, a return to passion and sexual desire..."

Goji Berry and Vision
Goji berry is well known for having high nutritional value. Research show goji berry contains many vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and flavonoids that are antioxidants and support vision health. Some of these nutrients include vitamins A, C and E, and carotenoids, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Goji berry is one of nature's richest sources of zeaxanthin, a nutrient important for vision. It contains about 100 to 200 mg of zeaxanthin per 100 grams. One human study shows consumption of goji berries raises blood levels of zeaxanthin.

Goji berry side effects
At this time no goji berry side effects have been reported in the medical literature. High doses of goji berry extract taken as a supplement could induce alertness at bedtime and perhaps interfere with optimal sleep. As to goji juice side effects, it is difficult to expect any problems with drinking a couple of ounces a day.

Bottom line
Goji berry has health benefits and future research will indicate which of the goji marketing claims will turn out to be accurate and which will turn out to be overly enthusiastic. For the time being, it appears that one goji berry health benefit that has promise is in the realm of vision health. Goji berry has a high level of zeaxanthin which is a nutrient, along with lutein, necessary for optimal eyesight. We would suggest, though, rather than consuming goji berry predominantly, it would be a good idea to consume a variety of berries - cranberry, blueberry, strawberry, etc - in order to ingest a number of different phytonutrients.

Goji plant questions
Q. Is the goji fruit a berry or is better to call it a fruit?
   A. Goji berry is the accurate way to describe it.

Q. What do you think of goji tea or goji drink?
   A. Goji, in any form, including tea or a drink, will have some health benefit.

Q. I drink goji juice, 2 ounces in the morning and the same at night.After just a few days of taking the new goji juice I had a big spike in my blood pressure. If you could give me more research information on this goji juice and high blood pressure relationship
   A. We don't know exactly what is is in the goji juice you drank because often other juices are added to goji juice preparations. There hasnot been clinical research that we know of with goji juice in humans to know how it affects blood pressure. It is possible that too much goji juice could increase blood pressure in some people. But until actual human research is done with goji juice and blood pressure, we can't say with certainty. 

Q. Is goji berry herb effective for erectile dysfunction?
   A. Perhaps to a slight extent, there are more potent aphrodisiac herbs that work better for sexual enhancement and impotence than goji herb.

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