The Magical Goji Berry

If there ever was a perfect food, it would be the ancient goji berry from the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet and Mongolia. This exotic plant, also known as the wolf berry, has been a nutritional stable and medicinal remedy in China and Tibet for over 2000 years. The goji berry has slowly made its way west and in now available in the United States and elsewhere in the western world. What's so special about this incredible fruit? Well, the short answer is, just about everything. Gojies are unique first, because they contain all of the essential amino acids, every single one, and second, because they have the highest content of protein and carotenoids (antioxidants which fight chronic disease)) of any food source. Goji berries also are loaded with vitamin C and have 15 times more iron than spinach. Just think of that, they should have called Popeye the sailor man, Popeye the Goji man and probably would have if they had known about these amazing berries in Popeye's day. Goji berries also have high concentrations of calcium, zinc, selenium and many other important trace elements. Without doubt, the Goji is a nutritional powerhouse without equal in the plant and vegetable world.

This amassing super fruit contains numerous recognized, and probably several as yet unrecognized, medicinal ingredients. These natural remedies include ant-bacterial, ant-fungal and anti-inflammatory compounds which, along with their powerful antioxidant properties, boost the immune system and help prevent a host of medical problems. Last, but now least, Goji berries contain human growth hormone (HGH), the only substance that has been scientifically proven to reverse aging. Unfortunately, synthetic HGH is extremely expensive (around $30,000 a year) which prohibits its widespread use as an anti-aging agent. Similar effects can be obtained from goji berries at a fraction of the cost simply by eating 20 goji berries or 20 goji leaves a day. In traditional Chinese medicine Goji berries were used to treat many common ailments including low back pain, dizziness and poor eye sight. Today, Goji berry extracts are used to treat kidney and liver problems, to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and to treat skin rashes, psoriasis, diabetes, depression and various allergies. Possibly of more importance to us living in the western world, with acsess to modern medicine, for centuries the people of Tibet have consumed goji berries to increase longevity. They did this long before anyone had discovered the ant-aging properties of HGH. The people living in Tibet, and elsewhere, who routinely consume goji berries, commonly live to be over 100 years old and are not plagued with the medical and mental afflictions common in the western world. In this respect, Professor Li Qing Yuen of China is said to have lived longer than any person in recorded history. Yuen was born in 1678 and died in 1930 at the age of 252 years. Professor Yuen attributed his longevity to having eaten goji berries every day of his life. The reader may be a little skeptical, as am I, when asked to believe that any human being lived to be 252 years of age. It also seems likely that many factors, other than the consumption of goji berries, play a role in the longevity and good health of Tibetans, including genetic, nutritional and environmental factors not yet studied in great depth. But, when all is said and done, there is no disputing the fact that Goji berries are among the most nutritious foods on the face of the earth and we should be including them in our diets. One word of caution though, most of the goji berries sold in the United States are produced by large commercial enterprises in the orient. These agricultural conglomerates employ chemical fertilizers and pesticides extensively on their farms. As we all know, synthetic chemical fertilizers are laced with potentially toxic compounds. Even some of the brands that claim to be organic may not be. So, be sure to purchase your goji berries from a reliable source, better yet grow them yourself. They are easy to grow from cuttings or seeds. There are many ways to consume goji berries and their leaves, which are equally nutritious. The easiest is to just eat the delicious berries raw of dried. The taste of dried goji berries is difficult to describe, so I won't try. However, I guarantee that you will love them! You will find that dried goji berries are not as sweet as most other dried fruits; thus, you will not tire of them as readily. Of course, the fact that they are less sweet also means that they contain less calories per serving than most dried fruits. Goji leaves are primarily dried and used to make goji tea, although they also can be used to make salads and soups. Just Google the internet to fine a recipe that appeals to you. Get started on your goji berry diet today, we seniors have little time to lose so let's get cracking!