You must have heard about goji berries, do you know their nutritional and medicinal importance. Well, this is what this post is all about.
I want to enlighten you on the health benefits of goji berries. History records that these berries have been used since ancient China as a traditional remedy for a lot of health problems.
They are used in treating problems of the eyes, kidney, liver, and others and they host a lot of valuable and essential nutrients required by your body for healthy growth.
Another name for goji berry is “wolfberry”. Goji berries have a sweet and slightly sour taste and they are found in the dried state like raisins.
Like I said earlier, I will be telling you ten important nutritional and medicinal benefits of goji berries and why you should increase your intake of this wonderful fruit.
7 Health benefits of Goji Berries
1. They Are Very Nutritious
Goji berries are very nutritious and they help in the fight against malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies when you take them regularly.
They are high in vitamins and minerals like zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, fiber, and antioxidants. Goji berries contain all the eight essential amino acids needed by your body.
A single serving of goji berries gives you 10% of your daily requirement of protein. Goji berry is a storehouse of protein and one of the richest fruit sources of proteins.
A quarter cup of goji berries provides 340% of your requirements for vitamin A. you might want to tread with caution here to avoid vitamin A toxicity but you can hardly get vitamin A toxicity from natural fruits and vegetables.
Goji berries also contain a high amount of complex carbohydrates. This means that it won’t cause a high spike in your levels of blood sugar but will make the sugar in your blood to rise slowly.
You can ingest this fruit without the fear of sugar crash.
2. It Fights Flu
Goji berries boost your immune system and therefore they help your immune system fight off flu, colds, and infections. Their rich content of vitamin C ensures this.
It also boosts the effectiveness of flu vaccines and this makes it important for those who want protection against flu because the flu vaccine doesn’t ensure 100% protection against the flu virus.
They also prevent recurrent flu, especially in older adults who have received the flu vaccination.
SEE ALSO: 10 Great Health Benefits of Cherries
3. Fight Infertility
Goji berries have been used since historic times to fight infertility, boost reproduction and increase sexual performance and stamina. They do this and correct sexual dysfunction by:
Increasing the quality and quantity of sperm, they also improve the movement of sperm, they improve the ability of a person to function sexually, they improve the levels of testosterone, and they improve ejaculation response and shorten erection.
Studies suggest that goji berries are can be a better alternative to Viagra and other erectile dysfunction prescription drugs.
4. Guards Against Cancer
The presence of powerful antioxidants in goji berries makes this fruit a powerful anti-cancer and anti-tumor food.
Antioxidants such as zeaxanthine, carotenoids, and vitamin C fight cancer cells, they slow down the growth of tumor cells, they prevent and reduce inflammation, and they help in eliminating harmful substances from the body.
Goji berries inhibit the growth of tumor cells and they also make cancer treatment and drugs more effective. Those on chemotherapy and radiation treatment should increase their intake of goji berries.
5. Boost Eye and Skin Health
They are high levels of antioxidants in goji berries and these compounds help protect your eyes and skin and boost their optimum health and performance.
The highest antioxidant present in goji berries is zeaxanthine. It is responsible for the bright color of this fruit and other fruits like bell peppers and saffron.
Goji berries prevent cell damages caused by smoking and radiation. They fight hyperpigmentation and yellow spots in the eyes.
SEE ALSO: 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Coconuts
6. Fights Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia
Goji berries are natural remedies for insomnia, stress, anxiety, and depression. They improve your levels of energy, they boost your mood, and improve your overall mental health.
7. Protects Your Liver
In Chinese Traditional Medicine, goji berries are used to treat liver diseases and complications. They prevent or slow down the progression of fatty liver disease induced by alcohol.
They also inhibit the growth of tumor cells in your liver. If you are at risk of liver problems, one of the ways to reduce this risk and protect your liver is by increasing your intake of goji berries.
SEE ALSO: 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Pumpkin
These berries are healthy and medicinal and therefore they can react with some medications. Therefore, before taking goji berries as a natural remedy or goji berry extract or supplements, you have to check with your doctor first especially if you are on prescription drugs.
You should avoid high consumption of goji berries if you hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), if you are using blood pressure medications or blood thinners like warfarin, if you have hypertension or low blood pressure, if you are pregnant because excess of it can cause miscarriage, breastfeeding mothers should also avoid it or reduce intake of the fruit because your baby might be allergic to it.