Seven+ Superfoods, Part 6: Goji (Wolfberry)

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This is Part 6 in a series of Seven+ Superfoods. Previously, we have learned about Gac, Fucoidan, Mangosteen, Acai and Sea Buckthorn.

This post is dedicated to Goji (pronounced GOO-chee), sometimes called “Wolfberry,” also known as “Himalayan Mountains Berry of Life” as well as “Nature’s Most Complete Food for Eye Health.” Its Latin name is Lycium Barbarum.

Yes, that is a mouthful, but keep reading and you’ll know why…

Why is Goji a Superfood?

Wow, are you ready? Trying to keep this in manageable “bites,” but golly, there is just so much to share!

Goji contains 500X more Vitamin C than oranges, making it a antioxidant powerhouse. These antioxidants enhance the immune system, restore and repair damaged DNA, and prevent free radical damage.

The richest source of carotenoids, Goji contains more beta carotene than any food source on earth. The Vitamin A converted by the body from beta carotene makes Goji valuable to vision and overall eye health. The fatty-sheathed retina makes a wonderful home for beta carotene, which seeks out fatty layers in which to make a home.

Also aiding eye health, a type of antioxidant called phenolics are richly concentrated in Goji berries at 1309 mg per 100 grams. Raspberries, usually touted for phenolic content only contains 85 mg per 100.

More eye-health heavy-hitters are zinc, zeaxanthin and lutien. Zinc prevents macular degeneration, which zeaxanthin and lutein are absorbed from the blood by the retina. The retina deposits zeaxanthin and lutein in the macula lutea area of the eye, providing a light-absorbing filter against intense sunlight. Goji is one of the richest sources of zeaxanthin with 162 mg per 100 grams of Goji berries.

Unique to Goji berries are four specific types of polysaccharides: LBP 1, 2, 3, and 4. These specific types, called secretagogues, stimulate secretion of HGH (human growth hormone) in the pituitary gland. It is secretagogues which make a powerful anti-aging hormone, a fortified immune system, healthy blood pressure, as well as balanced blood sugar and proper insulin response.

According to ORAC, which measures antioxidant activity, Goji berries are valued at 3,209 per 100 grams.

The nutrients in Goji balance activity of T-cells, cytotoxic T-cells, natural killer (NK) cells, lysozyme, tumour necrosis factoralpha and the immunoglobins IgG and IgA and interleukins-2 (IL-2).

Goji berries contain the following amounts of nutrients (per 100 grams):

Beta Carotene 7.4 mg
Lycopene 1.4 mg
Vitamin B12 (Riboflavin) 1.3 mg (100% DRI)
Selenium 50 mcg (97% DRI)
Vitamin C 29 mg (30% DRI)
Magnesium 109 mg
Zinc 2 mg (20% DRI)

In addition, Goji contains 21 trace minerals including calcium, germanium, and phosphorus, as well as Vitamins B1, B2, B6, and E. Goji contains solavetivone, which is only found in Goji berries. Goji also contains a total of 19 amino acids, the building blocks of protein, with more protein than whole wheat.

Cyperone, a sesquiterpene, contains anthocyanins which provide for strong coronary arteries and health health.

Goji can also be considered a brain tonic due to betaine, which our bodies convert to choline. Choline enhances memory and ability to recall facts and events.

Whew!

What can Goji Help With?

Including the above, Goji can:

lower cholesterol due to beta-sitosterol
prevent plaque formation on the arteries due to powerful flavonoids
fight disease, increase energy, aid healing, restore and repair damaged DNA due to high antioxidant levels
eliminate fatigue and elevate energy levels due to Vitamin B12 and antioxidants
relieve joint pain and inflammation due to superoxided dismutase enzymes
prevent fatty liver disease and vascular damage due to betaine
increase libido in both men and women, due to increased testosterone in the blood
prevent macular degeneration due to zinc
contribute to healthy skin and nervous systems due to B vitamins
act as an anti-inflammatory due to beta-sitosterola
protect the liver due to cerebroside, an enzyme which protects liver cells from harmful substances, including highly toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons
increase exercise tolerance, stamina, and endurance

(scroll down for scientific studies)

Where does Goji come from?

Himalayan Mountains and valleys of Tibet, specifically from Ningxia, China.

Used traditionally for longevity and to maintain active, healthy lifestyles, Goji has also been used to prevent insomnia.

Natives have also used Goji to prevent diabetes, heal atrophic gastritis, and boost sperm production.

Where can I get Goji

During the course of this series I’ve been frustrated at the lack of options I could recommend. This time you will be happy to learn Goji berries are offered in health food stores across the US. If you can’t find them locally, you can purchase them online. I recommend Navitas Naturals Goji Berries which are raw, kosher, gluten-free, vegan, and organic. As someone who is always looking for ways to improve eye health, I’ll be keeping a bag handy!

There are powder options, but that is one further step in processing I’d rather avoid.

I do not recommend most of the “juices” on the market, as they are not only highly diluted with other high-sugar, common juices, but they also contain sodium benzoate. Sodium benzoate is toxic when combined with Vitamin C - and as we learned, Goji is loaded with Vitamin C.

Where does Lea get Goji?

I also get my Goji in extract form via eXfuze’s Seven+ as it also contains many other botanical superfoods extracts including Mangosteen, Sea Buckthorn, Fucoidan (Brown Seaweed), Noni, Gac, Acai, as well as Grape Seed, Pomegranate, Wild Blueberry, and Aloe all in one concentrated dose.

Seven+’s botanical superfood supplement combines potent, organically-grown and wild-crafted extracts to ensure maximum absorption.

Why are extracts so important? Unlike juices which take nutrients from the pulpy fruit part, extracts also retrieve the nutrients from the rind where most of the beneficial properties lie.

And sometimes as important is what a supplement does NOT have. Seven+ does not have sodium benzoate (toxic when combined with Vitamin C), MSG, high fructose corn syrup or any other artificial sweeteners, chemicals, synthetic vitamins. Seven+ is Kosher Certified, non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Vegan, and only 1g of carbs per serving, making it safe for diabetics!

As a more economical option, I prefer the concentrated liquid botanical extract version that eXfuze makes because I am confident the quality can’t be beat – and hey, who doesn’t like their dollar stretched?

Retail customers can get a bottle of Seven+ Classic for $40 (although I personally use the PRO version for $45). Preferred customers only pay $37 for a bottle of Seven+ Classic (PRO is $42). At one concentrated 3/4 ounce dose per day, a bottle lasts a full month.

Or, get yours free when you Take the eXfuze Challenge and get four friends to join with you. I am using the Get Up & Go Pak and am loving it! Learn more here.

NOTE: You can now join eXfuze for FREE until 2/6 and purchase Seven+ at cost. E-mail me: [email protected]

Learn more about Seven +: What is Seven+, Why Do I Need It, and How Do I Get Some?

What Does Science Say About Goji?

Dietary supplementation with lacto-wolfberry enhances the immune response and reduces pathogenesis to influenza infection in mice.

Abstract
Despite the availability of vaccines, influenza is a considerable public health problem, which emphasizes the need for development of additional strategies to enhance host defense against influenza. Wolfberry, or goji berry, long used as a medicinal food in China, has recently been shown to improve immune response in mice. Because immune response plays a key role in the body’s defense against pathogens, we hypothesized that wolfberry may increase host resistance to influenza infection by enhancing immune response. To test this hypothesis, we fed adult mice (4 mo old) a milk-based preparation of wolfberry called Lacto-Wolfberry (LWB) for 4 wk and then infected them with influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) while continuing the same experimental diets. Viral titer, lung pathology, and immune response were determined at different time points postinfection. LWB supplementation prevented infection-induced weight loss and reduced lung pathology on days 6 and 9 postinfection (P < 0.05). LWB-fed mice showed overall, significantly higher concanavalin A-induced IL-2 production (P < 0.05). Furthermore, we found positive correlations between weight loss and lung viral titer, pathology score, TNFα, and IL-6 production as well as negative correlations with T cell proliferation and IL-2 production (all P ≤ 0.05). These results indicate that LWB supplementation can attenuate symptoms and pathology of influenza infection by decreasing inflammatory cytokines in lungs while enhancing systemic T cell-mediated function as measured by their ability to produce IL-2.

Reversal of the Caspase-Dependent Apoptotic Cytotoxicity Pathway by Taurine from Lycium barbarum (Goji Berry) in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells: Potential Benefit in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy is a preventable microvascular diabetic complication and a leading cause of vision loss. Retinal pigment epithelial cell apoptosis is an early event in diabetic retinopathy. Taurine is reportedly beneficial for diabetic retinopathy and is abundant in the fruit of Lycium barbarum (LB). We have investigated the effect of pure taurine and an extract of LB rich in taurine on a model of diabetic retinopathy, the retinal ARPE-19 cell line exposed to high glucose. We demonstrate for the first time that LB extract and the active ligand, taurine, dose dependently enhance cell viability following high glucose treatment in the ARPE-19 retinal epithelial cell line. This cytoprotective effect was associated with the attenuation of high glucose-induced apoptosis, which was shown by characteristic morphological staining and the dose-dependent decrease in the number of apoptotic cells, determined by flow cytometry. Moreover, we have shown that LB extract and taurine dose dependently downregulate caspase-3 protein expression and the enzymatic activity of caspase-3. We conclude that taurine, a major component of LB, and the LB extract, have a cytoprotective effect against glucose exposure in a human retinal epithelial cell line and may provide useful approaches to delaying diabetic retinopathy progression.

US National Eye Institute has been using Goji in clinical trials on patients with age-related eye diseases (ARED’s). Opthalmologists across the US are increasingly recommending Goji to their patients for optimal eye health.