Dan's Papers - April 18, 2008 - Going for Goji

For the last couple of years scientists have been studying the health benefits of exotic fruits such as the noni berry from Fiji, the mangosteen of the Sunda Islands, near Indonesia and acia, the healthy fruit from Brazil. It seems that juices and extracts from these magical fruits arrive in health food stores all over the west, popularizing the effects of their vitamins and minerals from a whole food. The latest discovery on the shelves at Second Nature is the goji berry from the Himalayas. One reason for the public's interest, according to Lisa Blinderman, owner of Second Nature in East Hampton, "All of these berries and fruits have so many antioxidants in them, which are so good for you."

The goji berry has flourished in the valleys of the Himalayas for thousands of years. Himalayan healers began to use the vine of the goji for its powerhouse nutritional properties. These healers shared their knowledge of the fruit with herbalists of Tibet, China and India, who took the berry back to their countries and have been using it ever since. The goji berry grows today in China where it's called the Chinese wolfberry. In traditional Chinese medicine they believe that the goji berry enhances immune system function, improves eyesight, protects the liver, improves circulation and boosts sperm production. Today, the berry has experienced rapid commercial value due to its high ranking as a "superfruit" and is expected to be part of a billion dollar market by 2011.

The goji berry ranks high as a superfruit because it is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. It is rich in antioxidant carotenoids, Vitamins A, B and C, Zeaxanthin and protein. It includes 19 different amino acids, eight of those being essential amino acids. Some of the health benefits from the berry are younger looking skin, healthier digestion, higher energy, cancer prevention and a healthy immune system.

There have been many studies of the health benefits of goji berries. In one study, 70 people in advanced stages of cancer were treated with polysaccharides isolated from goji berries, in addition to their regular cancer treatments. They showed a 40 percent regression rate. Many fruits high in antioxidants like the goji berry have the ability to significantly inhibit the growth of tumors.

Unfortunately people in the United States are not able to enjoy these berries in their raw form, which would allow them to reap the most benefits. The fresh fruit from the vine, crawling with live organisms and bacteria, would be the best way to consume goji berries. But since they don't grow locally, that isn't possible. Second Nature carries goji berries in a dried form or in a juice blend. The dried berries taste like a mix between cherry, cranberry and licorice - delicious in a bowl of oatmeal or cereal.

There are questions as to how nutritious a fruit that has been dried out can actually be, but studies show that dehydration only minimally affects the nutrition value of foods. Yes, it is better to have foods in raw form, but the fruit will retain most of its vitamins, losing only a little bit of vitamin C because it is an air-soluble nutrient. According to Blinderman, "Usually, the rule of thumb is that a liquid goes to work faster. However, the juice is blended with other juices. The dried berries are good because they are pure."