Written by: Trinn Allen Hatch, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In Tibet, goji berries are called “The Happiness Berry.”The little red fruit, usually eaten dried, is more nutrient-packed than a multivitamin.
Goji berries deliver protein, antioxidants, amino acids, Vitamins A and C, riboflavin, potassium, and minerals, including iron and magnesium. They are naturally high in phytochemicals such as beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, which are great for your eyes and brain.
Two to three tablespoons of goji berries in your daily diet can supercharge your nutrition and help keep your body’s cells and systems happy. However, not all goji berries are the same.
This article looks at where goji berries are grown, how to choose the highest quality, and the health benefits of this superfood.
Is it a goji berry or a wolfberry?
Goji berries are part of the genius Lycium, so there is more than one variety. Traditionally, the Tibetan goji berry was called ‘goji,’ while the Chinese Lycium berry was called wolfberry. When the name goji caught on around 1996, the Chinese growers started calling their wolfberries ‘goji.’
While the two berries are similar, significant differences impact your health. Both varieties deliver nutrients and vitamins.
The Tibetan berry is smaller, redder, easy to digest, and has neutral and sweet properties. This makes it an ideal ingredient for a wide range of healing formulas.
The wolfberry is hot and acrid rather than neutral and sweet. It is also used in healing remedies but is unsuitable for people with some health conditions or weakened digestive systems.
Tibetan goji berries grow in nutrient-rich soil, never treated with pesticides. Chinese wolfberries are grown on commercial farms that were treated with DMT and at least 35 other chemical pesticides for over 70 years. In the past dozen or so years, many of these farms stopped using chemicals and started labeling their berries organic.
Health benefits of Tibetan goji berries
Goji berries have been the subject of extensive research. Here are some of the health findings so far.
1. Protect your cells from free radicals
Free radicals are a byproduct of the modern world. You are exposed to them through processed foods, environmental toxins, smoke, and stress.
Rich in antioxidants, goji berries protect your cells from the damage free radicals can cause. The benefits of reducing free radicals include looking younger and slowing signs of aging.
2. Improve cognitive function
Goji berries protect the cells and nerves in your brain. Studies show they improve cognitive function and protect against Alzheimer's.
3. Fight cancer
Cancer is often a result of cells that malfunction. Goji berries are not only nutritious but have also been shown to help fight several types of cancer, including liver, skin, and breast cancer.
Preclinical studies show goji berries inhibit cancer growth and make cancer treatments more effective.
4. Boost your immune system
The immune system protects us from viruses, bacteria, and other invaders. When it’s working well, we are filled with vitality and feel great. Studies show that goji berries improve immune system function and support faster fatigue recovery and better stamina.
5. Keep your liver healthy
Your liver is a powerful filtration system designed to keep your blood balanced and full of nutrients. An overwhelmed and toxic liver can result in DNA damage, which, over time, can have a cascading effect on a person’s overall health.
Goji berries help prevent this by reducing liver toxicity and oxidative stress.
6. Better than vitamin supplements for your eyes
Part of why whole plant medicine is so effective is your body can absorb nutrients more efficiently from plants than from isolated extracts. Zeaxanthin and lutein, two nutrients found in goji berries, are shown to protect your retina by acting like a sunscreen for your eyes. Goji berries are also rich in Vitamin A, which is essential for eye health.
A study comparing individuals who took lutein and zeaxanthin supplements and those who ate goji berries found that the goji berries had a measurable and beneficial impact on eye health. In contrast, participants who took supplements instead saw little to no benefit.
Goji berries also may help prevent glaucoma.
7. Improve digestion and mental health
As research into the gut biome maps a profound link between digestion and mental health, scientists are discovering that goji berries can positively impact both.
Researchers gave participants either a placebo or goji berry juice in a 14-day double-blind study. The individuals given goji berry juice reported improved well-being and digestion and better neurologic performance.
8. Protect and nourish your skin
As evidence of the skin benefits of this superfood stacks up, goji berry liquid and powders are showing up in more and more skin products. Goji berries are full of nutrients that protect and nourish your skin, including antioxidants, vitamin C, and essential fatty acids.
Antioxidants protect against UV radiation, fight skin reactions, reduce signs of aging, and help eliminate toxins from the skin. VitaminC supports collagenproduction. Fatty acids reduce inflammation and strengthen the skin barrier.
In a preclinical study, goji berry juice reduced inflammation after sunburn and supported healthy immune function instead of the immune suppression that a sunburn typically causes.
How to use goji berries
You can eat our organic, dried Tibetan goji berries right out of the bag. Three tablespoons a day is the maximum recommended dose, about 30 grams.
They taste good enough to eat by the handful, but you’ll benefit most by adding two to three tablespoons to your diet daily. Goji berries are so nutrient-dense that overindulging and eating too many can cause digestive issues.
Goji berries are also great mixed into cooked cereals or yogurt, as a sweetener in stews or soups, baked into muffins or bread, blended into smoothies, or added to trail mix or on top of salads.
Organic Tibetan goji berries
Jampha’s organic Tibetan goji berries are grown in the same areas they have been native for centuries. When you purchase goji berries from Jampha, you support Tibetan farmers while gifting yourself one of the world’s top superfoods for vitality and health.
Thanks to our collaboration with the Tibetan Pharmacy and organic goji farms, Jamphagets these rare hand-picked organic goji berries shipped directly from Tibet. You can read our customer testimonials and buy pure, organic, authentic Tibetan goji berries at Jampha.com.
Trinn Allen Hatch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Trinn Hatch is a pioneer of plant medicine who developed Synergy Enhanced Terpene Infusions. During his path to healing, Trinn experienced how our body's biochemistry is hardwired to the energetics of plants. Amchi Thubten Lekshe is a Lineage holding Master Tibetan Physician and Jampha's Spiritual Director & Formulator. Together, their enlightened understanding of plants and the life force energy expressed as terpenes create a new and advanced expression of Sowa Rigpa, a more than 2500-year-old Tibetan Healing Science. Trinn has devoted his life to sharing these ancient treasuries of knowledge with the world, igniting the primordial healing wisdom within all beings.
