Gogi Berry

The scientific name of the gogi berry is Lycium barbarum, common names could be wolfberry, goji berry, common wolfberry, prickly wolfberry, plant of happiness, fruit of smile, fruit of eternal youth, etc. It is well known in China for its nutritional and therapeutic properties. We can find it in dried berries, herbal tea, powders, fruit juices, tablets and pills, etc., it’s mostly consumed mostly as food or traditional Chinese medicine in Asia.  I will put some porridge and soup recipes in the RECIPE section of my blog.

Goji berries grow on a shrub of 1 to 3 meters tall, it has been planted for more than 3000 years in China and other Asian countries, and introduced to the Western part of the world since around 1990. We can see, in the pictures I put up, berries more or less red or orange. The most commonly found form is dried berries as in photo 2. Goji berry contains 18 amino acids such as tryptophan, isoleucine; 21 oligo-elements and minerals (zinc, iron, copper, selenium, phosphorus, calcium, germanium ...); flavonoids; phenolic acids; beta-sitosterols (anti-inflammatory); polysaccharides (rhamnose, xylose, mannose, arabinose, galactose, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin); vitamins (C, B1, B2, B6, E ...).

In Asia, it was renowned for its antioxidant properties. In ancient times, it was prescribed by the Taoist doctors to gain access to earthly immortality. Traditional Chinese, Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicines recommend it for its beneficial effects on the liver, eyes, the immune system, the cardiovascular system. Gogi berry can be useful in modern times also, it plays a role on this long list: the regulation of the immune system, the prevention of cardiovascular complications, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging cell, oxygenation of cells, liver protection, blood sugar regulation, cholesterol-lowering, blood pressure regulation, antioxidant, prevention of eye disorders, stimulation of the skin's ability to adapt to cold and dryness, protection against ultraviolet, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, etc.

Basically, goji helps maintain and improve our health in general, strengthens the immune system and reduce many nutritional deficiencies. What I like the most about it, is …it is basically still food! not just as a food supplement or medicine.