DESCRIPTION

A superfood rich in nutrients, goji berries (Lycium barbarum L.) have been consumed for over 2,000 years due to their numerous medicinal properties, and to increase longevity and well-being.

A source of energy and health, goji berries contain polysaccharides, carotenoids, flavonoids, amino acids, vitamins C, B1 and B2. These berries have high antioxidant potency and help the body combat aging, reduce fatigue and improve sleep quality.

Goji berries have immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and tonic properties that help to improve well-being. Goji berries also contain polysaccharides, which can help lower glucose levels and blood lipids.

They can be eaten raw with yoghurt, or in salads. They can also be used for preparing purees, soups, smoothies, jam or juices.

Our “Manigango” goji berries are a superfood rich in energy and nutrients!

POWDER Nothing But Plants® recommends high quality, ecological goji berries. Delicious! Note that at times they can stick together due to their composition and to the absence of additives.

ORIGIN

The Goji (Lycium barbarum L., /0} Solanaceae family) comes from Asia and Eastern Europe. The boxthorn shrub on which they grow can reach 3-5 m in height, and its fruit, known as Goji berries, or wolfberries, has a sweet flavor, and are reddish-orange in color (1-2). Goji berries are harvested from August to October, then left to dry in the shade until the skin shrinks, and finally left to dry in the sun. This makes the skin of the berry dry and hard, while the pulp remains soft (3).

HISTORY

Goji berries have been used for over 2000 years in traditional Chinese medicine as a medication and as part of an anti-aging diet for increasing longevity, for the treatment of psoriasis, and for kidney, lung and liver problems, as well as for the treatment of allergies and insomnia (1-2).

Used for thousands of years, Goji berries are mentioned in a medical treatise from the Tang Dynasty (seventh century), and in a compendium of medical practices by Li Shizhen (XVI century), from the Ming (2) dynasty. Currently, they are regarded as a superfood packed with nutrients.

COMPOSITION

Goji berries are high in polysaccharides. They also contain carotenoids (beta-carotene and zeaxanthin), betaine, cerebroside, beta-sitosterol, flavonoids, amino acids, minerals and vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine and ascorbic acid) (3).

Goji berries are rich in vitamin C: they contain up to 42 mg for every 100g, an amount comparable to the vitamin content of fresh lemon (50 mg / 100 g) (4).

• OUR PRODUCT
• Product name: Whole dried goji berries (from organic farming)
• Scientific name: Lycium barbarum L.
• Part used: Fruit

BENEFITS

Goji berries are a superfood with many properties: they exhibit antioxidant, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory and anti-ageing activity. Goji berries are also used to improve overall well-being and sleep quality.

USE, DIRECTIONS

Consume 10 g of goji berries daily. Goji berries can be eaten raw with yoghurt, or in salads. They can also be used for preparing purees, soups, smoothies, jam or juices.

 

STUDIES

Goji berries possess immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties that help the body to cope with age-related pathologies, and have been extensively researched (2-4). Thus, a variety of in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the immunomodulatory activity of the polysaccharide-proteoglycan complex (known as LBP) in Goji berries, and an increase in the activity and proliferation of macrophages, splenocytes, NK cells, and B and T lymphocytes was observed (4).

With respect to its antioxidant properties, which help prevent the aging induced by free radicals (2), both the polysaccharides as well as the flavonoids and carotenoids in Goji berries exhibit this antioxidant activity (5). A neuroprotective effect of Goji berries has also been observed: an in vitro study in which the effects of Goji berries extract in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging were evaluated concluded that Lycium barbarum extract decreased activation of a protein involved in neurodegeneration (6).

Finally, the polysaccharides from Goji berries may also help lower lipid levels (1) and blood glucose (7).