Goji berry is also known as wolfberry. Its existence can be traced way back to the ancient times where it was used as an anti-aging food and medicinal herb in traditional Chinese healing to treat different health issues. This rich in antioxidant, red colored berry is mostly used by elderly people to maintain good health. Goji berries are rich vitamin C, dietary fiber, and protein that together enable it to provide protection against oxidative stress.
There are numerous benefits of goji berries and if you want to know the best of them, this article will help you a lot. We have also listed the best products that have goji berries as the main ingredient in them. Let’s get started with its nutrition facts.
Nutrition Facts
One ounce (28 grams) of goji berries contains:
- 97.1kcal calories
- 5.9g carbohydrate
- 2.2g dietary fiber
- 3.6g of total sugars
- 0.3g fat
- 3.1g protein
- 5.4mg vitamin C
- 2520IU vitamin A
- 28mg calcium
- 2.5mg iron
- 235mg potassium
- 6.7mg sodium
Data taken from: https://bit.ly/2DN2g9j
Uses of goji berries
- Eat a handful of raw goji berries a day
- Prepare a glass of fresh goji berries juice
- Make yourself a healthy tea by putting a handful of raw goji berries to a big glass of hot water and letting it hydrate for 5 to 10 min. Drink the tea and enjoy the hydrated goji berries on every sip as well.
- Hydrate some goji berries in water for about 10 minutes. Once they become plump and juicy, add to your favorite ingredients and blend them all together to make a refreshing smoothie.
- Dried goji berries are just like raisins, add them to your favorite hot or cold cereal in the morning and treat yourself with a healthy and nutritious breakfast.
- Add some goji berries to soups. This is common in Chinese cuisine for thousands of years.
Health Benefits
Prevents macular degeneration
Macular degeneration is an age-related disease that is also the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Consumption of goji berries on a regular basis can help prevent it. Antioxidants, especially zeaxanthin, present in an abundant amount in goji berries can prevent damage due to free radicals, UV light exposure, and other forms of oxidative stress.
Read more here.
Keeps the blood sugar levels regulated
Goji berry can be useful for people with diabetes. It controls the release of sugar into the bloodstream and increases glucose responsiveness due to its hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering activity. However, if you use diabetes medication then you shouldn’t eat them at all.
Read more about the findings here.
Boosts fertility
Goji berries consist of special properties that can help boost the male sperm count and fertility. Females that suffer from premature ovarian failure also benefit from those special properties of goji berries.
Read more here.
Improves immunity
Goji berries due to the richness of antioxidants and vitamin C and A, work great in building immunity and preventing common illnesses.
A study conducted by Nestle stated that blend of goji berries and milk proteins can boost immune functioning. Read more here.
Improves cholesterol levels
Studies conducted on animals showed that goji berry extract may have positive effects on cholesterol levels. An experimental study was conducted on rabbits with high cholesterol levels; they were treated with goji berry extract for 10 days, which resulted in decreased cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increased good HDL cholesterol.
Benefits for skin
Anti-aging
Our skin consists of collagen that is the main structural protein found in it. With age, collagen starts breaking – goji berries (due to antioxidants) can help prevent free radicals from damaging it, hence keeping your skin healthy.
Read a study about it here.
Skin protection
Drinking goji berry juice can help protect your skin against free radical damage caused by the sun and provide additional photoprotection to the people who have different types of skin disorders or have a sensitive skin.
Rejuvenates skin
Goji berry due to the abundance of nutrients and antioxidants is known as one of the best berries to help make your skin look fresh and smooth. You can eat them on a regular basis or use goji berry facial cream to protect, rejuvenate, and hydrate your skin.
Side effects of goji berries
No doubt goji berries have a number of antioxidants and provide a lot of health benefits but there are certain side effects that are associated with it too. Following are some:
- Diabetic patients who use medication for keeping their blood sugar levels under control should avoid eating goji berries after taking their medication. It is because goji berries affect the functioning of pancreas and the production of insulin, which is completely the opposite of what those medicines do.
- If you are allergic to pollen, you should avoid eating goji berries because they might cause serious health problems like itchy skin, sneezing, itchy eyes, nasal congestion, wheezing etc.
- Goji berries are great for boosting energy levels but too much of them might even cause a problem for you. Excess consumption of goji berries might make you more hyperactive and restless, causing a disturbance in your daily routine.
- Excess consumption of goji berries might result in dizziness due to the amount of atropine it contains, which can also lead to eye discomfort, hallucinations, blurred vision etc.
If you take goji berries in a moderate amount, there will be no side effects. Make sure you consume them only during the day because when eaten at night, they can interfere with your normal sleeping pattern and cause sleepless nights.
Conclusion
Whether you want to experience the taste of sweet berries or gain health benefits, goji berries are a perfect choice. Add them to your diet and make your life healthier. The Chinese used them abundantly for medicinal purposes and that was for a reason – their health benefits. Goji berry products that we listed above are also excellent and show good results, you can check them out too.