Go for Goji

Ishi Khosla is a former senior nutritionist at Escorts. She heads the Centre of Dietary Counselling and also runs a health food store. She feels that for complete well-being,one should integrate physical,mental and spiritual health. According to her: To be healthy should be the ultimate goal for all.

An overwhelming body of research has now firmly established that dietary intake of berry fruits has profound impact on human health and disease prevention. As a result,there has been a surge in the consumption of berry type fruits such as pomegranate,blueberries,raspberries,gooseberries,strawberries,Leh berry (Seabuckthorn),gojiberries and several others.

While most of these are well-known,gojiberries,known as wolfberries,are native to South East Europe and Asia. In China,Goji is part of traditional medicine and is known in other Asian countries,including Vietnam,Korea and Japan,for more than 2000 years. The popularity of gojiberries has grown globally since the early 21st century,owing to its nutritive value and anti-oxidant content. It has been termed a super-fruit,which has led to its use in several food products.

The traditional Chinese medicine makes use of the root,bark,leaves,flowers and fruit. Dried gojiberries are traditionally cooked before consumption. They are added to rice conjee,jellies,Chinese soups; boiled as herbal teas. Gojiberries are also used in wine production alongwith grapes. Today,besides juices,beers & wines,Goji is found in yogurt,cookies,crispybars,muesli,chocolates,sausages and soaps.

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The term goji,also written as gochi is a combination of go from goji and the Chinese word chi meaning life energy. Goji is commonly referred to as Himalayan gojiberry or Tibetan gojiberry in the global functional food market.

In traditional Chinese medicine,gojiberries are believed to have miraculous effects on health and life expectancy. They have been used to nourish liver,kidney and brighten the eyes and are believed to improve energy levels,athletic performance,quality of sleep,ease of awakening,ability to focus on activities,mental acuity,calmness,and feelings of health,contentment,and happiness. In small clinical trials,gojiberries were found to significantly reduce fatigue,stress,and improve regularity of gastrointestinal function. Studies indicate the effects of gojiberry on ageing,neuro-protection,general well-being,fatigue/ endurance,metabolism/energy expenditure,glucose control in diabetics,anti-oxidant properties,immune-boosting effects,anti-tumour activity and cell protection. No wonder,it has become a part of celebrity diets and has also been referred as Fruit Viagra!

Prized for its versatility of colour and nut-like taste,this Chinese berry is rich in many nutrients and phyto-chemicals. These include carotenoids (betacarotene,zeaxanthin,lutein and lycopene),calcium,potassium,iron,selenium,vitamin C and B. Carotenoids are powerful anti-oxidants,particularly useful for eye health. Its not surprising,that gojiberries protect against retina damage and macular degeneration.

Special kinds of carbohydrates (polysaccharide) and flavanoids (plant chemicals) appear to promote immunity,protect against oxidative stress,skin damage due to UV radiations,circulatory diseases,nerve diseases,diabetes and cancer (particularly estrogen related breast cancer) but also as an adjunct in cancer therapy. They claim to decrease plasma cholesterol levels,fasting insulin and blood glucose levels.

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Generally speaking,it is devoid of toxicity but caution is advised with regard to possible drug interactions. In Chinese medical books,some caution is advised to pregnant women and patients suffering from diarrhea,fever,arthritis and strong inflammatory conditions.

So far,most of the small clinical trials demonstrating benefits of gojiberries have been done in China. However,larger trials need to be done to support recommendations and extend knowledge of this super-berry’s potential effects to human health.