All You Need to Know About Goji Berry Nutrition

A little fruit sourced from the mountains of Tibet is causing a stir worldwide. Popularized by stars like Madonna, Britney Spears, and Mick Jagger, it’s taken as a miracle food. The novelty, which has already arrived in Brazil, is called Goji Berry and is being considered the newest superfood.

Like any novelty, Goji is surrounded by truths and myths. We’ve prepared a complete article with everything you need to know about Goji Berry: its benefits, truths, lies and how to consume the fruit in your diet.

Is Gojiberry a superfood?

Let’s start by understanding why goji berry is considered a superfood. The fruit is integrated into the diet of Asian peoples for millennia. Chinese medicine itself combines goji berry into its treatments. All this because of the huge variety of vitamins, amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, polysaccharides, and antioxidants.

In all, there are 19 amino acids, 21 minerals (rich in iron), 22 polysaccharides and phytochemicals (lutein and zeaxanthin stand out), as well as a high concentration of beta-carotene (vitamin A), B vitamins (B1, B2 And B6) and vitamin E. To complete, it is the fruit that contains more vitamin C (more than orange!).

All this wealth and variety certainly brings benefits to our health. Amino acids help to form proteins, minerals such as iron, germanium, and calcium confer anticancer properties, polysaccharides help strengthen the immune system, tryptophan does well for the nervous system, and cyperone does well to heart and blood pressure.

Goji berry still contains substances that release growth hormone, has anti-inflammatory agents and cake cherry, antioxidant properties.

Goji Berry is antioxidant and rich source of vitamin C

Goji berry carries an incredible variety of nutrients, but its most prominent is its antioxidant properties and vitamin C concentration.

When we talk about antioxidants, the first thing that comes to mind is the prevention of premature aging. But antioxidants bring more benefits, such as anticancer properties and prevention of various health problems such as cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, immune disorders, neurological system, and vision.

Fat (linoleic) helps in reducing bad cholesterol (LDL), while amino acids help in the production of proteins, responsible for fighting sagging and stiffening our muscles.

Another great attraction of goji is its concentration of vitamin C. According to studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, every 100 grams of the fruit contains 2 grams of vitamin C. Already 100 grams of the dehydrated version of goji contains 2500 milligrams of vitamin C, or Or 50 times more than an orange. Only this enormous amount of vitamin C would justify daily consumption of goji berry.

Nutritionist Lenycia Neri, director of Nutri4Life, in a 2008 research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, nutritionist Lenycia Neri shows that regularly consuming goji increases our energy level, helping exercise and improving concentration and sleep. According to her, you wake up more willing, less tired and less stressed.

Goji Berry does not lose weight

Like anything that promises miracles, the goji berry is not free of myths. Many people have said that the fruit thin, but this is not proven. To start with, goji is very caloric: 100 grams has 256 calories. The goji may even confer satiation to the person, but you would have to eat a lot of the fruit! That is, it is not quite so.

The only truth in this weight-loss story is vitamin C. A study at the University of Arizona in the United States showed that people without adequate levels of vitamin C in the body had a harder time losing weight. Another thing that can help is the stimulating and energetic effect of goji, which can aid in the practice of exercises. Other than that, the fruity alone will not leave anyone thinner.

Benefits of Goji Berry

We have made a list with all the benefits that goji berry can bring to your health:

• Antioxidant properties: slows down premature aging
• Strengthens the immune system: High concentration of vitamin C helps to produce white blood cells and increases the number of antibodies
• Helps your vision: in addition to having carotenoids, helping the health of your eyes, their zeaxanthin improve the functioning of the retina
• Skin protection: people who are more susceptible to ultraviolet rays benefit from the photoprotection properties of carotenoids
• Anticancer: Studies indicate that goji polysaccharides can suppress the spread of cancer cells
• Helps prevent cardiovascular disease: vitamins C, E and A. help to eliminate bad cholesterol and increase its antioxidant effect, preventing heart problems
• Good for your brain: goji relies on essential fatty acids for the synthesis of hormones that regulate the functioning of the nervous system and our brain. B vitamins and their antioxidant properties contribute even more to prevent neurological problems
• Combat cellulite: the beta-sister lol present in goji has anti-inflammatory action, which helps to combat and prevent cellulitis
• More disposition: with high energetic value, goji makes you more willing. You sleep better, feel better, and have more energy on a daily basis. As it contains tryptophan (precursor of serotonin), it imparts a sense of joy, good humor, and well-being
• Prevention of diabetes: studies indicate that goji can help prevent diabetes. Their polysaccharides can produce a significant hypoglycemic effect by improving fasting glycemia and cholesterol and triglyceride levels

How to consume Goji Berry

As we have seen, there are many benefits that goji berry can bring to your health. It is possible to buy goji berry dehydrated or in the form of capsules. You can find the fruit in its normal state (in natura), but it is much more challenging since it is imported from Asia or Europe – which makes it look pretty too. Prefer the same dehydrated fruit (dry). You will find in natural products stores and emporiums. Handling pharmacies sell the capsules.

Integrate goji into your daily diet. To take advantage of its benefits, the recommended is to consume between 15 to 45 grams or 120 ml of your juice per day.

As the fruit is small, you can mix it with several other foods. Since it is a great source of energy, many nutritionists recommend eating goji for breakfast. Can mix in yogurt or fruit salad. You can even beat it with juices.

An important tip if you are to consume dehydrated goji, is to ingest with liquid, like water or even mixed in juice, because thus the liquid hydrates the fibers, potentializing its effect.

Note: Goji berry consumption may interfere with the use of medications. Therefore, for those who regularly use medications, it is not recommended to consume the fruit, especially those who take daily blood pressure and glycemic control medicines, as well as medications for thrombosis or anticoagulants.

Gojiberry alone does no miracle

It costs nothing to remember: no food that promises a bundle of benefits will be able to do the work alone. The goal is to integrate goji into your diet in a balanced way. It’s no use consuming a bucket of fruit, and this will only harm your health: overeating always takes the place of other beneficial foods. Several foods have already served as super foods: quinoa (aid in the effects of PMS), tomato (anticancer) and blueberry (aids the nervous system, improves memory) are good examples.

So always keep in mind that it is good for your health to consume such foods, but they alone will not make a difference. They will only help, especially if you maintain healthy habits such as proper nutrition and regular physical exercise.