{"id":7316,"date":"2022-07-02T14:13:19","date_gmt":"2022-07-02T13:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/?post_type=herb&p=7316"},"modified":"2025-04-14T10:26:22","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T09:26:22","slug":"goji-berry","status":"publish","type":"herb","link":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/herb\/goji-berry\/","title":{"rendered":"Goji berry"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":7320,"parent":0,"menu_order":-230,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"1","beyondwords_project_id":"47224","beyondwords_content_id":"98d8bd3f-efd2-495b-a5a0-7c3a9139208c","beyondwords_preview_token":"363ce571-30ad-417b-accb-6130cc66a38c","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_code":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"tags":[869,870],"conditions":[695,693,699,696,698],"sustainability":[1576],"sense":[27],"western_action":[],"chinese_action":[1049,1047,1167],"ayurvedic_action":[],"energetics_action":[1518,1519,1523,1381,1507,1511,1494],"region":[1898],"class_list":["post-7316","herb","type-herb","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-goji","tag-goji-berry","conditions-respiratory-system","conditions-endocrine-system","conditions-musculoskeletal-system","conditions-nervous-system","conditions-reproductive-system","sustainability-green-sustainability-status","sense-sweet","chinese_action-tonify-yin","chinese_action-tonify-blood","chinese_action-treat-cough-stop-wheezing","energetics_action-kidney","energetics_action-liver","energetics_action-lung","energetics_action-neutral","energetics_action-neutral-temperature-chinese","energetics_action-sweet-taste-chinese","energetics_action-sweet","region-traditional-chinese-herbs"],"acf":{"last_reviewed":"20220702","herb_author":null,"banner_text":"Goji berry is a modern superfood with ancient herbal roots","latin_name":"Lycium barbarum<\/em>","pseudonym_name":"","family_name":"Solanaceae","herb_summary":"Known widely as a modern day superfood with antioxidant properties, these tasty little red berries have long been cherished in the east as herbal tonics and used extensively in traditional recipes and herbal formulas to tonify blood and yin, nourish the eyes, strengthen weakness and promote longevity.","key_benefits":"Blurred vision, poor vision, dry eyes\r\nDizziness\r\nTinnitus\r\nSore low back and knees\r\nImpotence\r\nNocturnal emission\r\nDiabetes\r\nAnaemia\r\nCough","how_does_it_feel":"As sweet in the mouth as they are on the nose, dried goji berries are a delightful treat. Slightly tangy and chewy with tiny seeds, once hydrated in a tea, soup or stew, gojis become plump, silky pouches of fruity herbal loveliness, imparting their tart sweetness to the recipes, both culinary and medicinal, in which they are contained.","hdif_image_1":7322,"hdif_image_2":7320,"hdif_image_3":7319,"hdif_video":"","sense":[27],"what_can_i_use_it_for":"[caption id=\"attachment_7320\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Goji Goji berry (Lycium barbarum<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nGoji berries have many clinical applications in TCM and can be found in or added to a vast array of herbal formulas. With the appropriate pattern presentation, gojis may help treat anything from dry eyes to low back pain, consumptive cough to diabetes.\r\n\r\nPrimarily, goji is indicated in cases of liver and kidney deficiency. These are not deficiencies of the anatomical organs as we understand them in the west, but of the TCM liver and kidney organ functions. In Chinese medicine, the liver stores the blood and the kidneys are the seat of the\u00a0yin<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0yang<\/em>\u00a0energies of the body. Goji is especially valuable in cases of liver and kidney depletion with\u00a0yin<\/em>\u00a0and blood deficiency.\r\n\r\nSuch deficiencies present with constellations of signs and symptoms including sore low back and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, nocturnal emissions, impotence, weakness, a pale complexion, anaemia and diabetes.\r\n\r\nIn Chinese medicine, liver blood and Kidney\u00a0yin<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0jing<\/em>\u00a0(essence) nourish the eyes. Where these deficiencies have impacted the eyes we may see dry eyes, blurred vision, diminished vision or poor night vision.\r\n\r\nAs goji is a moistening substance, it can also be used in instances where\u00a0yin<\/em>\u00a0deficiency has affected the lungs and there is consumptive cough (i.e. tuberculosis).","into_the_heart_of":"[caption id=\"attachment_7322\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Goji Goji berry (Lycium barbarum<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nSweet in nature, and therefore supplementing, Goji berries are a gentle herb belonging to the TCM category of blood tonics. They are, however, also an important yin<\/em>\u00a0tonic. In particular, they nourish the\u00a0yin<\/em>\u00a0of the liver, kidneys and lungs. While these are the primary functions of Goji, what makes them unique is their neutral energetic temperature and ability to support, albeit to a lesser extent, the\u00a0yang<\/em>\u00a0and essence (jing<\/em>) also, making them useful for conditions of overall weakness.\r\n\r\nLycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) are the primary active components of\u00a0L. barbarum<\/em>\u00a0with displayed antioxidant, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, immunomodulating, retinal-protective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, lipid-lowering and anti-cancer properties in pre-clinical studies. Their anti-ageing quality may be attributed to their immunoregulative, anti-apoptotic properties and ability to reduce DNA damage, thus inhibiting biological ageing.\r\n\r\nTheir historic importance as a food and medicinal for the eyes may be explained somewhat by the constituent zeaxanthin, the primary carotenoid in the eye lens and macular region of the retina that has been found to alleviate visual problems, suppress oxidative stress in the retinal tissues and may inhibit the ageing of the lens.\r\n\r\nHigh levels of beta-carotene, reflected in goji\u2019s brilliant orange-red hues, support liver health, lower cholesterol, inhibit atherosclerosis and boost immunity.","tradtional_uses":"[caption id=\"attachment_7321\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Goji Goji berry (Lycium barbarum<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn China, Goji berries are often called \u201cred raisins\u201d (9) and they have been consumed in teas and food recipes for hundreds of years to benefit the eyes, promote longevity and support diabetics. In folk medicine, 10g are steamed and eaten 2-3 times a day for \u2018wasting and thirsting disorder\u2019 (diabetes) (10).\r\n\r\nAs the dried fruit can be hard on digestion, particularly where there is weakness, gojis are traditionally eaten cooked in a stew or soup, or happily chewed at the end of a tea where they have been steeping, rehydrating and softening.\r\n\r\nA simple, traditional tea for decreased vision that may be consumed daily is made by steeping 20g of dried goji (roughly a small handful) in near-boiling water (11). This tradition is encouraged by modern research showing a daily dose of 15 grams of goji delivers adequate zeaxanthin levels to promote eye health (estimated at 3 mg\/day) (12,13).\r\n\r\nAs a medicinal herb, goji was first recorded around 100CE in the\u00a0Shennong Bencao Jing<\/em>\u00a0(The Divine Farmer\u2019s Materia Medica).","what_practioners_say":"[caption id=\"attachment_13571\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Goji Goji berry (Lycium barbarum<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n

Eyes<\/h3>\r\nGoji is a primary TCM herb for benefitting the eyes and is used in cases of blurred vision, diminished visual acuity, poor night vision, dizziness, vertigo and dry eyes. For this purpose, it is often combined with cooling chrysanthemum flowers (ju hua<\/em>) as in the classic formula, Lycium fruit, Chrysanthemum and\u00a0Rehmannia<\/a>\u00a0pill (qi ju di huang wan<\/em>) which can address dry eyes with diminished vision, photophobia, tearing when exposed to drafts or painful eyes when stemming from liver and kidney\u00a0yin<\/em>\u00a0deficiency. The presence of zeaxanthin in goji and a wide range of positive pre-clinical and clinical research into their ophthalmologic benefits support their use in promoting eye health.\r\n

Reproductive<\/h3>\r\nGoji is used for impotence and spermatorrhea stemming from liver and kidney deficiency. For this purpose it is typically combined in formulas with Rehmannia (shu di huang<\/em>), Cuscuta (tu si zi<\/em>) and Eucommia (du zhong<\/em>). Goji polysachharides have been found to increase sperm parameters, sexual performance and protect the testis from toxic insults. For women, goji is found in formulas such as \u201cRestoring the Left Kidney Decoction\u201d (zuo gui yin<\/em>) to help tonify the blood and\u00a0yin<\/em>\u00a0where this has led to conditions such as absent, late or light periods, infertility and menopausal syndrome.\r\n

Metabolic<\/h3>\r\nTraditionally used in cases of \u2018wasting and thirsting\u2019 disorder (roughly the equivalent of diabetes), goji has been shown to reduce blood sugar by increasing glucose metabolism, insulin secretion and pancreatic beta-cell proliferation and by reducing insulin resistance. It has also been found to improve total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and benefit obesity (7).\r\n

Respiratory<\/h3>\r\nUsed to treat consumptive cough (TB) from lung and kidney\u00a0yin<\/em>\u00a0deficiency.\u00a0<\/strong>To this end, it is typically combined with Ophiopogon (mai men dong<\/em>), Anemarrhena (zhi mu<\/em>) and Fritillaria (bei mu<\/em>).\r\n

Musculoskeletal<\/h3>\r\nGoji is a useful addition to formulas addressing low back, leg and knee weakness from kidney deficiency.","research":"[caption id=\"attachment_7319\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Goji Goji berry (Lycium barbarum<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nClinical research has found that goji can prevent macular degeneration and pathology. A recent 12 month RCT where daily goji or placebo granules were administered found that goji provides a neuroprotective effect for the retina and could help delay or minimize cone degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa (14). An earlier 90 day RCT where goji milk was given to elderly subjects found that plasma zeaxanthin levels and antioxidant capacity significantly increased (26% and 57%, respectively) as compared to the placebo group. The authors also concluded that daily goji supplementation in the elderly protected from macular hypopigmentation and soft drusen (fatty deposits that accumulate under the retina associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)) accumulation (15).\r\n\r\nPreclinical studies have also found that goji may prevent damage from glaucoma (7).\r\n\r\nA 2017 systematic review of the use of goji for cardio-metabolic risk factors established that goji significantly reduced fasting glucose concentrations and marginally reduced concentrations of total cholesterol and total glycosides (16).\r\n\r\nAdditional clinical research for goji has displayed benefits for dyslipidemia, obesity, insomnia, anxiety, ADD, cognition, stress, fatigue, athletic performance, hangover, immunity function, influenza, cancer (adjuvant to cancer therapy) (7).\r\n\r\nPreclinical studies have also displayed hepatoprotection and benefits for male infertility, male sexual dysfunction, stroke, Alzheimer\u2019s disease and dermatitis (7).","did_you_know":"Goji is derived from the Chinese\u00a0gou qi zi,\u00a0<\/em>and the common name \u201cwolfberry\u201d is extracted from the character for\u00a0gou<\/em>\u00a0which is related to the character for dog or wolf.","additional_information_right":{"illustration":7387},"additional_information_left":{"botany":" Barbarum <\/span><\/i>is a hardy deciduous shrub growing up to 3 metres tall with alternate narrow, simple, entire linear to linear-oblong shaped leaves, small pale pink or purple trumpet flowers with yellow stamens in the Spring and Summer followed by berries in late Summer and Autumn. The berries are fleshy, orange-red, fusiform or oblong shaped and around one inch long and half an inch wide. Once picked, they are left to air dry or baked lightly.\u00a0The bark of the Lycium root is another TCM herb, <\/span>di gu pi<\/span><\/i> (<\/span>Cortex Lycii Radicis<\/span><\/i>).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nNative to China, Goji cultivation is said to have begun in China\u2019s eastern province of Hebei (<\/span>L.<\/span><\/i> chinense<\/span><\/i>) around 100 CE. It has since spread westward to Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet and Inner Mongolia (<\/span>L.<\/span><\/i> barbarum<\/span><\/i>).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere are four distinct climatic regions of growth: monsoon (Hebei), semi-arid (Ningxia, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia), plateau (Qinghai) and arid regions (Xinjiang).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGood quality is large, soft, sweet and red with thick flesh and small seeds. <\/span>L. chinense<\/span><\/i> fruits are smaller and traditionally regarded as inferior. However, a recent study found that this species has greater antioxidant activity. Indeed, a separate study posited that the different chemical profiles and\u00a0<\/span>pharmacological activities<\/span>\u00a0between <\/span>L. barbarum<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>chinense<\/span><\/i> are such that they perhaps should not be used interchangeably (1).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nNingxia gojis have long been regarded as the best quality but they were found to be no different to other regions based on morphological and metabolomic profiling (including polysaccharide levels). And while redness is an appealing selling point, dried berries that are too bright may indicate sulfur treatment(2). It is also worth noting that \u201cHimalayan gojis\u201d are named for marketing purposes and do not indicate their region of origin (3).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nBoth <\/span>L. barbarum<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>L. chinense<\/span><\/i> have been cultivated in europe for hundreds of years<\/span>. L. chinense<\/span><\/i> was grown in European botanical gardens as far back as 1696 (4). <\/span>L. barbarum<\/span><\/i> was introduced to Britain in 1730 and is now considered naturalised (5).<\/span>","common_names":"