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You’ve probably heard of the Chinese barberry, also called Goji berries. This plant grows, and people cultivate it in China, Mongolia, Eastern Turkmenistan, and spicy sweet-sour berries. However, the Chinese berries of youth are valuable for their taste. Why are they good and useful?
Goji berries history
In Japan, goji has the name of ninja berries, since they are to endow warriors with superhuman strength and endurance. Turkish naturopaths call Lycium Chinense fruits the Ottoman berry and use them in the treatment of various ailments.
But China is the homeland of goji, where ancient healers learned about their benefits 5 thousand years ago and started to domesticate it. Originally, the Tibetan barberry was cultivated by the monks of Tibet, but soon it began to be grown in the gardens of nobles and emperors.
The first written records of the fruits of the Tibetan barberry – goji – date back to 456-536. The Chinese physician and alchemist Tao Hong-ching spoke about them in his treatise “The Canon of Herbal Science of the Sacred Farmer”. Later, the doctor Li Shizhen (1548-1593) mentions them in the treatise “List of Trees and Herbs”.
Goji berries are often associated with the name of the Chinese long-liver, Li Qingyun, who, according to unverified data, lived for 256 years. He died in 1933, as reported by newspapers such as The New York Times and The Times (London). Li Qingyun was a Chinese qigong master, most of his life he lived in the mountains, where he collected medicinal plants. Due to the belief, it is to these fruits that the long-liver owes its long life.
The modern history of these amazing berries began thirty years ago when dried goji appeared on supermarket shelves in the health food section. The fruits have become popular in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Italy among fans of a healthy lifestyle. And the doctors began to study their healing qualities.
Useful properties of goji berries
- Help in normalizing metabolism.
- Improves immunity.
- Helps fight stress and depression.
- Improves skin condition.
- Beneficial for eye health.
- Helps lower blood sugar levels.
Who should include goji in their diet?
Chinese barberries are useful for those who want to lose weight because it helps the body process carbohydrates properly. These fruits will also be useful for people prone to frequent illnesses: they facilitate the fight against infections due to the high content of ascorbic acid and provitamin A.
What are the benefits of goji berries, how to take them, can they be given to children?
Goji berries help prolong youth because they contain B vitamins, which ensure rapid renewal of skin cells, and zeaxanthin, an antioxidant necessary for the retina.
Chinese barberry is useful for people with diabetes, as it avoids problems with blood glucose. It is also worth eating for vegetarians: it is a source of trace elements that are usually obtained from animal products (this is iron, calcium, phosphorus, zinc).
People taking blood-thinning medications should refrain from consuming goji. And, of course, allergy sufferers should taste them carefully. Are goji berries good for children? Yes, but only if the child is not prone to food intolerances and allergies.
How to consume goji berries?
These fruits are available for sale in two options: whole dried and in powder form. How to consume whole goji berries? You may eat it as dried fruits, add to soups and stews, and brew with boiling water to obtain a fragrant infusion. The powder is good to use in salads and main courses or added to smoothies. Daily dosage: for adults – 10–12 g of the product, for children – 5–7 g, depending on age.
The intake recommendation for adults is 6-12 g per day (1-2 tablespoons). People may use berries in the form of an infusion. How to brew goji? It is necessary to pour the berries with a glass of boiling water and leave for 10-20 minutes.
Children can eat 5-7 grams of goji berries a day, adults 12-17 grams.
If you are looking for where to buy good quality goji berries, then contact a proven healthy life store, where there’s an offer to buy fruits from proven trade brands: Evalar, Orgtium, Super Green Food, Ufeelgood.
If you are not ready to buy berries as a separate product, they can be tried in food products, in which they are included as one of the elements. These are cereal bars, juices, as part of mixtures for healthy nutrition. And for big fans, we can offer creams with goji extract.
Goji berry harm
When eating goji berries, you should remember that they cannot be eaten raw since they are poisonous in this form. Dried berries lose this dangerous property and do not harm. It is also important not to overuse this product. It is enough to eat one tablespoon of goji berries a day.
Infusions, teas, and soups are also made from these fruits, added to cereals and pies. You should not add sugar to the berries – this can significantly reduce their beneficial properties.
The product is not good to take when having high temperatures since it is energetic and requires additional forces from the body to assimilate and digest.
Goji berry tea
The simplest goji berry slimming remedy is tea, the recipe for which we provide below. But it would help if you remembered: goji berries are only a weight loss aid that must go along with proper nutrition and exercise. The plant contributes to the latter to some extent: it improves the emotional state, affects vigor and activity.
INGREDIENTS
- Goji berries 15 g
- Green tea 0.5 tsp
- Ginger root 5-7 g
- Water 200 ml
- Lemon optional
COOKING METHOD
Bring water to a boil and let cool slightly. For the berries to retain their beneficial properties, they should not be poured with boiling water. The water temperature should be around 90 degrees. Pour green tea and goji berries into a cup. Chop the ginger root and place it in a cup too. Pour the tea mixture with water. Let it brew a little. If you wish, you can add lemon to your tea. It would help if you drank the team when it’s warm. You cannot drink it at night: it tones and invigorates significantly.
THE GOJI TEA EFFECT
- Stimulates digestion
- Decreases appetite
- Provides a long-lasting feeling of satiety
- Removes toxins from the body
- Reduces cholesterol levels
- Maintaines intestinal immunity
Goji berry is considered to be in the top 2 berry for detoxing and fighting belly fat, check out this video:
