Himalayan Goji Berries
Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) are the most nutritionally dense fruit on Earth. They are a member of the nightshade family (Solonaceae), which contains many other common vegetables such as potato, tomato, eggplant, and pepper, as well as some poisonous plants like belladonna and deadly nightshade. Native to the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet and Mongolia, the goji berry is now grown in many other countries as well.
Although they have only been introduced in Western countries in recent years, gojis have been used for thousands of years in Tibet and China, both as a culinary ingredient and medicinally.
Unique among fruits because they contain all essential amino acids, goji berries also have the highest concentration of protein of any fruit. They are also loaded with vitamin C, contain more carotenoids than any other food, have twenty-one trace minerals, and are high in fiber. Boasting 15 times the amount of iron found in spinach, as well as calcium, zinc, selenium and many other important trace minerals, there is no doubt that the humble goji berry is a nutritional powerhouse.
This amazing little superfruit also contains natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. Their powerful antioxidant properties and polysaccharides help to boost the immune system. It's no wonder then, that in traditional Chinese medicine they are renowned for increasing strength and longevity.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the goji is said to act on the Kidney and Liver meridians to help with lower back pain, dizziness and eyesight. They are most often consumed raw, made into a tea or extract, or as an ingredient in soups.
Gojis are most commonly available in dried form, and make a great snack eaten as is, added to trail mix, muesli or oatmeal. They can also be soaked for a couple of hours in enough water to cover them. Then the soak water can be drained off and makes a delicious drink, or both water and berries added to smoothies.
Please note that there can be adverse interactions if you consume goji berries while also taking medication for diabetes, or blood pressure, or take the blood thinner warfarin. So be sure to consult your health care provider if that is the case.
Gojis can often be found in Asian food stores, but most of these come from the commercial growing regions of China and Tibet, and contain high levels of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Even some brands which claim to be organic may not be, so be sure to source your goji berries from a reputable source.
@Cheryl how serendipitous, this week I’ve been looking for blog carnivals and contests to participate in (for the first time, I’ve not done anything like that before). Thanks for letting me know about it. I’d love to participate. I need to set reminders in my calendar though, There was one I found for Fridays and I completely forgot about it. I may miss this Sunday… it’s Sunday here in NZ now and I’m about ready for bed after staying up way too late last night working on my blog.
Quinoa is great, I love it. I love rice, but quinoa is even better. And it cooks so quickly. It’s almost like couscous with the health benefits of brown rice plus! It’s really nice sprouted too. Have you tried the different colors? I’ve found white, red and black (really a very dark purple) quinoa. I have heard that the nutritional value differs slightly between the colors, I’m sure that white is the least nutritious, red is better and black is the best because of the anthocyanins that would make the color.
Haha, love the blogger joke! That must be the first blogger joke I’ve ever heard.
When I saw this post, my initial thought was – “Here we go, a pitch to buy some juice or something.” Boy was I wrong. Good information. I wonder if Goji berries grown everywhere have the same level of minerals? In NC where I live we have the lowest levels of selenium in our bodies because it is not in the soil here. I encourage my patients to eat foods that are rich in selenium or to take supplements. What is your thought?
.-= Bruce “the Mid-Life Mentor”´s last blog ..Why am I gaining weight during Menopause? =-.
@Bruce Ha, I didn’t think of that when I posted the article, but yeah those multi-level marketers have a lot to answer for… they really taint things for many people with their pushy, hyped up style of marketing don’t they? I’m glad you mentioned juice, it reminds me I have a recipe (if you can call it that, it’s so simple it may no qualify as a recipe) for goji juice… it will only cost you $53 a bottle. 😉 Just kidding! But I must post that soon, as well as some more recipes using gojis.
We are about to start growing Goji Berries here in New Zealand. I’ve seen bushes being sold, but I’m going to grow mine from seed. Like you in NC, we also have very low levels of selenium (among other things) in the soil. But here’s what I believe, you put the nutrients into the soil and the plant will take them up and convert them to organic minerals that our bodies can assimilate really easily. I think seaweed and especially sea mineral agriculture are the best ways to do that. Have a look at these two books, you may be able to find other information by and about the authors free on the web too.
Fertility from the Ocean Deep
Sea Energy Agriculture
This is what I’m researching and experimenting with at the moment. I’ll be posting more about it when I’ve learned a bit more, but I truly believe sea mineral agriculture is the thing that can save us and restore the damage that we’ve done to the soil. The full sea minerals are the best, but if you can only get seaweed extracts it’s the next best thing. All the minerals we need are in the ocean. Since the oceans once covered the planet, they were also in the soil. But time, rain and (especially) short-sighted, greedy commercial farming practices have depleted the soils of the full spectrum of minerals. In every way you can, just feeding the soil (naturally, organically) will help. At the very least it helps to restore the micro-organisms that are an essential part of the process.
I’ve also read a bit about people using volcanic rock dust to do something similar, but I don’t think the mineral spectrum is so complete in volcanic rock.
Just a note on selenium – you probably know this already, but for those who don’t, Brazil Nuts are the highest source of selenium. Personally I stay away from supplements, I think they often do more damage than good. There are good natural sources of everything we need. It really helps if you grow your own veggies organically, and use heirloom seeds (not the F1 hybrids) the difference in taste and I suspect nutrition is quite pronounced.
I WILL RECOMMEND YOU TO USE ‘AZOMITE’ IT IS A NATURAL TRACE ELEMENT SOIL RE-MINERALIZING SUPPLEMENT.IT IS MINED IN UTAH,IN THE USA.IT CONTAINS MORE THAN 67 TRACE ELEMENTS AND MINERALS.IT IS FDA AND OMRI CERTIFIED.
Hi,
I was at the “Foire de Paris 2016” and couldn’t tesist buying a dried gojis pack after I read the benefits of that berry. Reading the article above my excitment got much reduced reading about the high concentration of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Besides “baies de Goji séchées calibre 280” coming from Himalaya there isn’t much more information… Would those be more unhealthy than healthy to people? Also what is the right amount to eat daily?
Thanks for the information on Goji berries. I ordered some chlorella and some chia from an online supplier and as a gift they included a small bag of goji berries in my package. A nice surprise. But I had no idea what goji berries were good for, so I googled them on the web tonight and thereby found your site. It seems to be a very powerful super food indeed. I intend to consume them regularly in my morning green smoothies. Thanks for being there.
Thank you Wallace! I’m glad you found my site and found that article helpful. If the goji berries are raw you can also plant them and they should grow. They are apparently pretty hardy as far as climates and where they can grow. I have some saved from my last order of goji berries that I intend to plant as soon as I get my garden space ready.
Gogi berries is very common used by Chinese, Korean & Japanese. It is safe at dosage < 15grams per day
There are numerous Health benefits associated with Goji berries. These are one of the most nutritional dense fruit present on the earth. It includes all the essential amino acids and is loaded with vitamin C.
Thank you for all the good info on goji berries. i wonder if you could help with my inquiry.As my husband has kidney disease, he has to restrict his potassium intake, but when I checked the potassium level of the berries, one website told me it had 1600 mg per 4 ounces (4 times the level of bananas, then another website tells me it has not potassium at all and good for kidney patients. So my question is……….. wait for it…. which one is correct ? I would be very grateful for your help.
Danielle
Hi Danielle, I’m not a doctor or nutritionist so I’m sorry but I can’t advise you. You should ask your medical professional, or a nutritionist about that. I’d like to know what they say, if you don’t mind posting back. It might help other people with the same question. Thanks, Donna
I have just started using the goji berry in my healthy eating plan, one worry that I have does it stain the urine bright red?
Hi Michele, no it shouldn’t be doing that. You might want to talk to your health care professional about that.
If your urine is only red when eating goji berries then it’s obviously coming from eating the berries. If your urine is red at other times then you should go see your doctor. Also, some of the goji berries that are brought into the USA have been dyed red and that could be causing your urine to turn red. Try rinsing the goji berries before eating them. If the water turns red then they are probably dyed. I know that when your urine turns pink after eating beets it means that your stomach acid is probably low. Another probability is that your iron levels could be low.
Health & Happiness.
I don’t think you can make that kind of assumption Eddie, unless you are a medical professional and actually examine the person. That’s interesting about the goji berries being dyed though. I have also heard that many coming from China have pesticides and other poisons on them. So it’s important to buy them from a reputable source.
I’m eating dark chocolate goji snack while reading the article. Glad I looked it up. Good information. Question about liquid fertilizer pertaining to low selenium in the soil. What are some items to use and how to make it.
Dear Friends
Goji berries helped me to experience total healing from prostate cancer. I can therefore recommend Goji berries very strongly for good health. I have taken for the past four years since I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and still take 3 desertsponfuls daily in the form of a smoothy consisting of 3 desertspoonfuls of Goji Berries+ 3 desertspoonfuls of yogurt + a glass of fruit juice. I very seldom suffer from ther flu because my immune system is very strong, due to the high content of Vitamin C in the Goji berries. the daily intake of goji berries helps to prevent re-currence of cancer.
Sounds good to me. I use them in my smoothies also. I blend some fresh made almond milk, with some frozen strawberries, blue berries, 2 TBSP of Goji Berries, some papaya, ground chia seeds, seeds, rice bran and a dash of stevia or monk fruit sugar. Very high ORAC value.
My daughter was diagnosed with skin caner on new year eve a nice way to bring in 2015 an Medicare is moving real slow on starting the treatment so we will start with the berrie right away
I have recently begun to research and use colloidal silver, and I have and am researching it thoroughly, most of the information on the web is positive, I believe there is no danger in using it. consider using it topically, and if you feel comfortable with it -internally. Iodine is also important to boost the immune system and taking it can result in killing cancer cells. The information is out there, two good sites are the Silver Edge, and The Breath of Life, good information. There are really, so many possible treatments using highly effective “natural” methods, mainly through diet change. Look up The Truth About Cancer, packed with information on integrative cures or all alternative. Many lives have been saved by these non mainstream methods.
Best wishes for you and your daughter.
Hi just wondering i am thinking of starting to incorporate goji berries into my diet i just wonder what is the reccomended dosage per day like 20 berries or 30 how many can you eat per dy safely also i have ulcerative colitis but am not taking any meds for it and as far as i know have no other issues is it ok to eat goji berries with this condition and will i see any improvement with this condition by eating them i felt hopeful when. Poster said it healed his prostate cancer please let me know what you think not under a doctors care at all u dont need to be a doctor etc just let me know what you think about it
Anything from 15gms a day upwards is considered a therapeutic dose. Presently I usually take 30-60gms a day in smoothies but have used 100gms/ day for long periods. You can’t really overdose on it – It’s food. Best way is to just experiment for yourself, starting at 15gm/day. A few yrs back I suffered from very bad eczema for over 18months, nothing the doctor prescribed did anything other then provide slight temporary relief from the severe itching. I started taking about 35gms of goji/day and my eczema cleared up completely in 6 weeks, never to return. I ‘ve sworn by them ever since.
I’m just tying them for the first time. Thanks for the info.
Where do you purchase your Fiji berries? All comments talk about a reputable source, but no other information. Thanks in advance.
Hi Kimber, these are the goji berries that I buy: Organic, Raw Goji Berries
I wondered how goji berries interact with Warfarin and the other meds indicated. I read somewhere that goji berries can thin the blood, so I would think that taking them therapeutically would lessen the need for Warfarin, which is very dangerous and causes terrible side-effects. Does anyone know how goji interacts? Doctors have monetary reasons to prevent people from the natural choices, after all.
Hi Mrosin,
I saw something on another site that recommends NOT using Goji berries if you are on Warfarin, and blood pressure meds.
Where can one get reliable information about the contraindications of consuming goji berries ? Some articles state that they are beneficial for reducing high pressure ( for which people usually get medication ) while others state that the combination of berries with the medication can be harmful, The same about anticoagulants and pregnancy. The contradictory information is very confusing. ? Since berries are not prescribed by physicians, how can one decide ?
Thanks for documented, reliable information.
Seems to me after reading the information, if you have some blood pressure issues but not on medication you can safely use the goji to lower your blood pressure. If you are on the medication, the berries could do the same as the medication and so you would be thinning your blood too much.
Olive leaf tea does the same, but it possibly has a milder effect, so not a problem integrating it with you medication. You will be lucky to find specific information on dosage, it would be different for each case. Please share if you do.
OMG! I just finished 100g of goji berries in just one snacking!!! Lol
how do I find a reputable source?
Hi. How to eat goji berries?
I JUST RECEIVED A 12 OZ BAG OF GOJI BERRY POWER HOW MUCH DO I USE IN A GREEN DRINK ?
Just wondering if anyone is drinking goji juice to help with Lupus? I have been having terrible flares lately looking for any relief.
I would like to suggest that you take 3 desertspoonfuls of Goji-berries per day, place it in a blender, add 3 spoons of yogurt and a glass of fruit juice and drink it in the form of a smoothy. Do this regularly for three months and let us see the result. If you suffer from any high blood pressure, diabetes or taking blood thinning medication, then consult with your medical practitioner.
Hello Rev:Cecil,
I am on a blood thinner Clopidogrel 75 mg once daily, also Amlodipne 5 mg for high blood pressure.
What is a safe amount of Goji berries I can take per day?
(2) Will Goji berries Lower the Efficacy of the blood thinner or Increase the efficacy? What about the blood pressure medication?
M.Ramgulam you really should ask your doctor or another health care professional those questions.
I’m an RN but eat organic, use naturopathy and homeopathy and use items like Goji berries and other foods to help with my health. I am concerned that people are prescribing amounts of nutrients to take along with their prescription medicines outside of a physician’s care. It is very dangerous to take things like this into your own hands then tell others what will work. Each person with a disease and under a doctors care taking a prescribed medicine must follow those orders. If a person decides to go natural then the doctor must know and make that decision to discharge the patient or work with them. Medication interaction is a very dangerous side effect for those who don’t know what they are doing. Please be careful.
Thanks Donna
Thanks for your feedback Candice. I’m not aware that I have prescribed anything. I rarely ever take supplements myself, instead I prefer to eat natural food for my nutritional needs. I know that some people have made recommendations like that in the comments, but even when people have asked me what to do for their condition I tell them I am not a health care practitioner, I can’t prescribe things and they need to talk to their health care practitioner about it.
Please read my comment on the amount of go-ji berries one should take in my reply to Sue below, May 10. As far as your second question is concerned about whether Goji berries will lower the efficacy of the blood thinner that you are taking, I would like to let you know that I forwarded your query to Dr Yoon Kam Hon of the El Shaddai Specialist Medical Centre in Singapore for his comment. Dr Yoon Kam Hon is an internal medicine specialist with the following qualifications: MBBS,MRCP(UK),M. Med. (Internal Medicine), FAMS(Rheumatology, Int. Medicine). He is an Accredited Specialist(Intr. Medicine, Rheumatology), a Consultant Physician and Rheumatologist. I am based in Cape Town but go and minister regulary in Singapore where Dr Yoon Kam Hon and I team up to treat patients suffering from all kinds of disease, especially those suffering from cancer. Dr Yoon Kam Hon is a medical specialist trained in Western Medicine, but he is also open and treats his patients with natural products as well. His reply to your query that I forwarded to him is as follows: ” The Goji berries do not effect the blood thinner”.
Where do you get them organically?
there are few kind of this berry ,,its being commercialise like any other stuff ,,so basically its need to be kept in fridge so if u see that it not kept in cooler or refrigerator check it good ,,also if it small and sticky and come in bulk ,,keep your eye open ,,,,the best is to get it from a authentic chines doctors or where u know its organic als is not safe ,,,enjoy
i use it every day ,,just bought 2 kilos from doctor in tai-land ,,i bay from him every year ,,als i get from navita organic goji ,,
I just purchased a goji bush ans plan on planting it in my garden. I see in the health benefits article that it my have adverse effect if you have high blood pressure. How would it affect if your blood pressure is regulated by medication. Looking forward to your insight
I am on high blood pressure medication: praxim 4mg and take 3 desertspoonfulls of Goji berries every day and it does not affect my high blood pressure. If you do have a serious high blood pressure problem, then I would suggest that you take just one desertspoonfull per day or , may be even a teaspoonful per day and then check whether it has any effect on your blood pressure. In other words you can experiment for yourself and if the lessor amount does not affect your blood pressure, then you can gradually increase your intake of go-ji berries per day. The ideal amount to be taken daily is 3 desertspoonfulls daily, which I take in the form of a smoothy, that is mixed with 3 desertspoonfuls of yogurt plus a glass of fruit juice mixed with the go-ji berries in a blender.
Thanks for the info. I started growing these last year and was able to harvest some in the fall. I live in zone 5.
Where to buy gogi berries?
I had read a book one time about how healthy the Himalayan people are…maybe it is due to these berries?????
I take it that they have seeds in them…like most berries….will they bother someone with diverticulits?
I live in Pennsylvania..not sure where to purchase them…..
Thanks!!!!
Here’s where you can buy them LP, this company ships all over the world. Their shipping rates are very reasonable, in fact it’s easy to get free shipping in the US. Buy goji berries here. The seeds are very tiny, like blueberry seeds. They are much smaller than raspberry or strawberry seeds, so if those don’t bother you I think the goji berry seeds won’t either. But you should still take care and use whatever process you usually do to determine if something like this will bother your diverticulitis, or ask your doctor.
Thankyou!!! Just re found your site!!!
Exercise. Another tip on how to lower blood pressure is to increase the amount of water you drink.
From the functional point of view the heart may beat
too fast or too slowly, or irregularly.
For what can goji berries all used for.
Is it fine to eat a pack off goji berries in a day
Complete and utter bullshit!
I purchased 2 goji berry plants last spring. They thrived in my backyard but I’m afraid they’re getting too much shade so I’ll probably transplant them this sping. When I do, I’ll put a wire cage around them to keep rabbits and deer from chomping them down! Also, I tried clipping a stem from each one to see if they would root. After dipping them in some root hormone, I pushed them down into a pot of soil and sure nuff, I now have 4 plants. Looking foward to harvesting berries in the next year-2 years!!
That is awesome! It’s great to know they grow from cuttings. So once you get them started they will be quick and easy to propagate. I tried planting seeds, raw organic goji berries from one of the popular raw foods brands. They didn’t sprout though. Theoretically they should grow, even if they are dried if they are dried at temperatures that they can still be labeled as raw. So that makes we wonder if they are really dried at ‘raw’ temperatures, if they were irradiated (which in my opinion would NOT make them organic and they should at least be labelled as irradiated). I may try again, with a different brand. I sure would love to find some plants. I want to know what they taste like fresh!
I failed to give my supplier’s name…Stark Brothers. Have seen them in several other mail order catalogs. One of my plants bloomed and set on a couple of berries, but they dissapeared!!? I have an ongoing war with squirrels and rabbits. I WILL WIN!!
I’d tryout a program that help me loose 154 # the program is soza I was 346# I went down to 192# now it’s been about three years I m about 198 #of muscle and I feel great. What I need to know is are the goji berries real good and where can you buy them at.I live in new Orleans the Algiers area. Tell where I can find them.
I buy my goji berries online, they are good quality, this is a good brand and the customer service here is excellent: where to buy goji berries.
Here is another good, reputable brand of organic goji berries
You do have to be careful to buy reputable brands and make sure they are organic, and these brands are both good ones.