For a berry with such an intimidating name, the goji berry certainly has a lot going for it. Wolfberry comes from the Mandarin name Gou qi zi (“goo-chee-zee”), a red berry in the nightshade family that includes tomato, eggplant, chili, and potato.
In popular English, gou qi zi (literally ‘wolf’ + ‘energy’ + ‘berry’) has become “goji”. For at least 2,000 years, the goji berry has grown wild in China and has been used in common recipes and traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese farmers in the 18th century nicknamed gou qi zi “wolfberry” when they saw wolves feasting among the berry-laden vines in late summer at the peak of harvest. Smart mammals!
The Chinese revere the goji berry as a national treasure considered to be one of the most nutrient-dense plants in the nation. This premise has stimulated scientific research on its potential health benefits and systematic cultivation, commercialization and now increasing export to first world countries mainly in Europe and the USA.
An important source of macronutrients.
The goji berry contains significant amounts of our body’s daily macronutrient needs, including carbohydrates, protein, fat, and dietary fiber. The content of one goji berry consists of 68% carbohydrates, 12% protein, and 10% fiber and fat, giving a total caloric value of 370 per 100-gram serving.
Another ancient Chinese plant often touted as one of the world’s most complete foods, soybeans are comparable when it comes to macronutrients. Although goji berries and soybeans are similar in macronutrient content, goji berries provide a significantly higher source of calories as energy from carbohydrates (soybeans = 173 calories). Blueberries, by contrast, don’t have as much macronutrient or caloric value.
Wolfberry seeds are equally beneficial and contain polyunsaturated fats such as linoleic (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3) acids.
The big goji berry story of micronutrients
Wolfberry’s diverse and high concentration of micronutrients has earned it praise as an exceptional health food. At least 11 essential minerals, 22 trace minerals, 7 vitamins and 18 amino acids define its extraordinary richness in micronutrients, with examples below:
1. Calcium: The main component of teeth and bones, calcium also has a diverse role in soft tissues where it is involved in cardiac, neuromuscular, enzymatic, hormonal, and transport mechanisms across cell membranes. Goji berries and soybeans contain 112 mg and 102 mg of calcium per 100-gram serving, respectively, providing 8-10% of our required daily intake.
2. Potassium: An essential electrolyte and enzyme cofactor, dietary potassium can reduce high blood pressure. Providing around 24% of our daily needs (1,132 mg/100 grams), goji berries are an excellent source of potassium, providing more than twice the amount as soy.
3. Iron: An oxygen carrier in hemoglobin, iron is also a cofactor for enzymes involved in numerous metabolic reactions. When intake is deficient, low iron levels lead to iron deficiency anemia, a condition that affects millions of children around the world. Wolfberry’s exceptional iron content is twice that provided by soybeans, often considered the best plant source of iron.
4. Zinc: Essential for making proteins, DNA, and the functions of more than 100 enzymes, zinc is involved in critical cellular activities like membrane transport, repair, and growth, especially in babies. Zinc found in goji berries (2 mg/100 grams) has a high content (double that of soy), which covers 20% of our daily requirements.
5. Selenium: Sometimes called the “antioxidant mineral,” selenium is often included in supplements. Selenium is in unusually high concentration in goji berries (50 micrograms/100 grams), almost enough for our daily dietary intake, and much higher than blueberries and soybeans, which contain 8 micrograms or less per 100 grams.
6. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): An essential vitamin that supports energy metabolism, riboflavin is necessary to synthesize other vitamins and enzymes. A daily serving of goji berries (1.3 micrograms) provides the full daily requirement for our bodies, while soybeans and blueberries contain only trace levels of this important mineral.
7. Vitamin C: A universal antioxidant vitamin that protects other antioxidant molecules from free radical damage, the vitamin C content in goji berries (20 mg/100 grams) is comparable to the same amount of fresh oranges, blueberries or soy.
phytochemicals
Wolfberries contain dozens of phytochemicals whose health-enhancing properties are under scientific study. Three phytochemicals of particular interest include:
Beta-carotene: A carotenoid pigment in red-orange foods such as goji berries, pumpkins, carrots, and salmon, beta-carotene is important for the synthesis of vitamin A, a fat-soluble nutrient and antioxidant essential for normal growth, vision, cell structure and the bones. and teeth and healthy skin. Wolfberry’s beta-carotene content per unit weight (7 mg/100 grams) is among the highest of any edible plant.
Zeaxanthin: Goji berries are an extraordinary source of this carotenoid that plays an important role as a retinal pigment filter and antioxidant. Wolfberries contain 162 mg/100 grams.
Polysaccharides: Long-chain sugar molecules characteristic of many medicinal herbs such as mushrooms and roots, polysaccharides are a characteristic component of goji berries, accounting for 31% of the pulp weight in premium goji berries. Polysaccharides are a primary source of fermentable fiber in the intestinal system of our body. During metabolism in the colon, fermentable or “soluble” fibers produce short-chain fatty acids that are known to:
1. Improve the health of the epithelial lining of the colon
2. Improve mineral absorption
3. Stabilizes blood glucose levels
4. Lower the pH and reduce the risk of colon cancer
5. Boost immune functions
Polysaccharides are also known to aid in antioxidant activity and defend against threatening oxidants.
Functional Food and Beverage Applications
Prized for their color and nutty flavor, wolfberries are grown for a variety of food and beverage applications in China. In addition, an increasing amount is also used for export as dried berries, juice, and pulp powders. Not surprisingly, a lot of effort is being made in Ningxia, China, to process goji berries into “functional” wine.
Despite the lack of “hard” evidence from clinical research, myths of traditional wolfberry health benefits endure, including positive effects related to:
Longevity
oAphrodisias
Analgesia
o Antiviral requirements
o Immunostimulant properties
or muscle strength
oEnergy
o Eye health
In laboratory and preliminary human research to date, goji berries have shown potential benefits against:
o Cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases
o Some forms of cancer
Diabetes
o Premature aging
or memory deficit
o Degeneration of vision
o Lung disorders
o Other oxidative stress diseases
Summary
Although not yet adequately demonstrated in published research, a synergy of antioxidant carotenoids (mainly beta-carotene and zeaxanthin) with polysaccharides suggests that goji berries are an exceptionally rich food source of antioxidants.
Micronutrient density, combined with key health phytochemicals such as carotenoids and polysaccharides, give goji berries their remarkable nutritional qualities. All things considered, it’s no wonder this berry is vying for honors as the most nutritious plant food on Earth.
Expand your health horizons, try goji berries!
Reading
Wolfberry data from independent contract laboratories, courtesy of Rich Nature Nutraceutical Labs, Seattle; Blueberries and Soy, World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com
Gross PM, Zhang X, Zhang R. Wolfberry: Nature’s Bounty of Nutrition and Health, Booksurge Publishing, North Charleston, 2006, ISBN 1-4196-2048-7
Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc.
