Goji, the long-lived berries



The goji berries are the fruits of a spontaneous shrub of Tibetan origin, whose scientific name is Lycium Barbarum, and constitute one of the cornerstones of Tibetan medicine, and of the Asian territory in general, whose multiple properties are all in favor of well-being.

Known as the " fruit of longevity ", these small red drupes have unique health effects for our body, due to the presence of antioxidant substances (equal to 4000 times that of orange and vitamin C for 500 times) especially vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and polysaccharides with adaptogenic activity, protective and immunostimulant .

The properties of goji berries

Goji berries have many beneficial properties for the body. We discover their action.

Adaptogenic action

The proteins, which represent as much as 16% of the fruit, contain two important amino acids, L-arginine and l-glutamine, which increase the body's general energy level, fatigue strength, improve mood and improve memory, the ability to concentrate, and the quality of sleep, counteracting states of physical weakness and fatigue.

More generally it can be said that these principles, as in all plant adaptogens, favor the state of psychophysical well-being, helping to set up and sustain the organism during periods of seasonal or greater stress.

Immunostimulatory action

It is given to the berries by the presence of polysaccharides called LBP ( Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides ), called " master molecules ", because they control and control the most important biochemical defense systems of our body, preventing the colonization of pathogens, as much as the function of the immune system is to protect the body from invading organisms or molecules that can cause disease.

Vitamin C and Zinc protect against infections and allow for faster resolution to seasonal cooling disorders . These valuable nutrients are also able to contribute to the detoxification of heavy metals and environmental toxins .

Antioxidant action

The flavonoids, contained in goji, perform the function of "scavengers" of free radicals ( scavenging activity), because they reduce cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels. They also improve the elasticity of blood vessels and serve for tissue oxygenation .

The carotenoids that make up the berry phytocomplex protect the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays, which are responsible for cellular degeneration and premature aging.

Taking these principles avoids the onset of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases .

Goji berries among natural antioxidant supplements

Antiallergic action

In Asia, goji berries are used as a therapy against allergies, as they help the immune system to distinguish more effectively between healthy and sick cells .

The allergic reaction, in fact, is nothing but an abnormal reaction of hypersensitivity to one or more substances with which the body has previously come into contact and which are usually harmless.

A self-regulating defect of the immune response can therefore cause autoimmune diseases and allergies.

Rebalancing action of the bacterial flora

Goji also favor the growth of beneficial bacteria for our gastrointestinal tract. The combination of fibers and polysaccharides naturally helps the proliferation of intestinal microraganisms, known as probiotics, fundamental for numerous functions of the organism, including: correct gastric and intestinal function ; the synthesis and assimilation of numerous nutrients from food; and defense against pathogens, responsible for infections such as candida and cystitis.

Goji berries: how to take them

Normally the juice is consumed, which being liquid is immediately assimilated by the body, but finding it on the market in this pure form is still quite difficult in Italy, while it is easier to buy the berries in organic or exotic food stores, or in the form of food supplements in herbalists.

Goji berries, properties and how to choose them

Image | Wikimedia

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