What are Goji Berries and how do they Work?

Annals has it that in about 800 AD, during China's Tang Dynasty, a number of unidentified berries were located growing on a vine near a well next to a Tibetan Buddhist temple in the Himalayas. As time passed, these goji berries dropped off the vine and into the well. The monks who drank the water were exceptionally long-lived and healthy.

Attributing their strength to the goji berries, the monks started talking to all about the health benefits of this fruit and travelers all over Asia came to harvest vines for planting in their own villages. As time went by, goji berries became a staple amidst healing plants nonetheless remained an incidental secret from the Western world. Only in the past years has the plant made its way to America and been subject to scientific studies.

The Lycium Barbarum berry grows on a tree that bristles with vine off-shoots. The plant is found prominently in the Himalayan region of Central Asia. Traditionally, the goji berries are never touched via hands as this will cause them to spoil and turn black. They are shaken onto mats and so dried in the sunshade. The berries can be eaten "as is" like raisins, or they can be cold-pressed just off the vine and their juice extracted.

The goji berry contains potential antioxidants that slack the aging process, strengthens the immune system and the heart, and has been used to treat ADD/ADHD, allergies, athletic performance, cancer, returning fatigue, HIV, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia and pain. It contains vital amino acids, vitamin C, vitamin E, Omega 6 fatty acid, Linoleic acid, B-complex vitamins, and more beta-carotene than any option substance on earth, including carrots.

Goji berries have a faithful following of users that revere it for its enhancement of sexual achievement and fertility. In Mongolia it's used by the use of first-trimester women to relieve morning sickness. Older Asian women found that the berry reduces symptoms of menopause such as modern flashes and insomnia.

Study groups in Asia executed the first scientific research on goji berries. In these studies, which are being done again in America and Europe, senior subjects were given the berries once a day. 67 percent of the subjects were found to have doubled white-cell counts, greatly increasing their immune system. Appetite improved amongst 95 percent of the subjects, 95 percent reported more undisturbed sleep, and 35 percent reported additional sexual energy.

Clinical trials in some countries are underway to experiment upon the goji berry's impulse on early-onset diabetes, tuberculosis, vertigo, fuzzy vision and recurring cough, and disorders of the immune system. During these tests, 8-10 grams of the fruit was eaten by the subjects three times a day.

Researchers found that the subjects' bone marrow deficiencies were significantly improved; possibly indicating that the goji berry increases the production of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This conclusion, if successfully done over again and validated, could have marked impact on immune system disorders like lupus, fibromyalgia and HIV.

Are goji berries good for you? It will cost you to find out as these products are a little dear. First, remember to advise with your physician prior to using any herbal or plant product.