Goji goodness (Gou Qi Zi)

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

 

Taken from: http://www.msn.co.uk/health/gojiberries/default.asp?MSPSA=1 Goji

berries are known as Gou Qi Zi in Chinese Materia Medica

 

It is the superfood of the moment, and supermarkets and health shops alike

are rushing to fill their shelves with packets of goji berries.

 

The Himalayan fruit delivers a mother lode of nutrients and minerals and has

even been described as a natural alternative to viagra.

 

They’ve been dubbed the ‘miracle’ fruit from the Himalayas; packed with

vitamin C and other health-boosting minerals. But that’s probably not the

main reason goji (pronounced go-gee) berries have been flying off the

shelves.

 

The small, bright red, shrivelled fruit, which tastes a bit like a cross

between a raisin and a cranberry, was also referred to as a ‘natural viagra’

when it recently became widely available in the UK for the first time.

 

Tesco have just started stocking the goji, also known as the wolfberry, and

have been waxing lyrical about its superfood powers. Tesco wholefoods buyer

David Cooke told the Sunday Mirror: “The goji is so packed full of nutrients

that it’s in a completely different league to acclaimed superfoods such as

blueberries, blackcurrants, oily fish and broccoli.

 

“As functional foods go it is possibly the most beneficial of them all and

contains 500 times more vitamin C than oranges and five times more iron than

steak.”

 

Cooke also said: “Eating goji berries is currently one of the hottest new

food trends sweeping America. We found out about the berries while we were

researching functional foods as there is a growing demand for them now in

Britain. They are an ancient Himalayan health phenomenon that has remained

one of the area’s best-kept secrets mainly because of the remoteness of the

region.

 

“The area’s climate and altitude allows the berry to grow in unique

conditions and it is only now that the Western world is beginning to find

out about the many herbs, nutrients and natural medicines that exist there.”

 

Star following

Cooke is certainly right about the popularity of gojis among celebs. OC

actress Mischa Barton, Queen of Pop Madonna and Liz Hurley are believed to

be followers of the fruit because of its many health benefits.

 

So why are they so good for us? For a start, gojis are thought to be the

richest known food source of carotenoids such as beta-carotenem which is

thought to help prevent

<http://msn.netdoctor.co.uk/uk/msn/articles/diseases/facts/heartvalvedisease

..shtml> heart disease. Carotenoids have been associated with reducing the

risk of degenerative diseases and improving the immune system.

 

Gojis are also high in vitamin C, polysaccharides (which also help the

immune system), 18 amino acids and 21 trace minerals and vitamins B1, B2, B6

and E. Perhaps most excitingly, gojis have been referred to as 'cellulite

assassinators' due to their high levels of skin replenishing antioxidants,

which may explain the interest from celebrities.

 

Goji berries are grown in China, Mongolia and Tibet, where they have long

been prized for their medicinal qualities and are eaten raw, cooked as juice

or in a soup.

 

Goji goodness doesn't come cheap, however; Tesco charge £3.99 for 125g and

£8.99 for 250g.

 

Nutritionist Fiona Hunter has some other words of caution. She told MSN

Health: " However good these berries are it's worth remembering that they are

not going to change your life or guarantee you are going to live to be 101.

 

" Goji berries are considerably more expensive than less fashionable fruits

such as apples and oranges. Buy them if you like them but don't believe

they'll change your life. "

 

Attilio: Looks like Chinese herbs are now hitting your local supermarket!!

 

Kind regards,

 

Attilio D'Alberto

Doctor of (Beijing, China)

BSc (Hons) TCM, MATCM

Editor

Times

+44 (0) 208 367 8378

enquiries

www.chinesemedicinetimes.com <http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com/>