In valleys of Tibet and Mongolia, also along the border to China, there is a special berry that the locals use and cherish so much that they honor it in special celebrations that last two weeks each year. It is well documented that many people in those areas live free of common diseases and for well over a hundred years.
Of the many varieties the Lycium goji berry has earned the respect of the great Physicians of Eastern Medicine for many centuries. The variety of Lycium is considered to be the Mother of all Lyciums!
The nutrient dense energy of the goji berry has been recognized as having the highest in nutrient energy of all the 80 plus varieties of Lycium berries on Earth.
The goji berry's antioxidant qualities and phytonutrient energy is unequaled. After eating a few berries it becomes clear that you feel a natural uplifting energy that causes you to smile. It is the goji berry that holds this ancient lineage of health and vitality.
Forty One Types of Himalayan Berries
There are 41 varieties of berries that display similar taxa characteristics and phytogenetic relationship within the Berberidaceae family - these include, aggregata, chitria, aristata, gagnepainii, sikkimensis, sibirica, canadensis, asiatica, thundbergii and chinensis types. Among the Lycium types are berlandieri, barbarum (the wolfberry type from China), halimifolium, vulgare, cooperi, macrodon, carolinianum, andersonii (another wolfberry type) and afrum.
Harvesting
The berries are collected in the late summer to early autumn when the fruit is mature. It is spread thin on bamboo mats and dried in semi-shady sunlight. The farmers must be very careful not to touch the fruit with their hands during the drying process because this will cause the fruit to turn very dark, almost black, which is unacceptable.
Medicinal Uses
The berries, seeds and rhizomes have a marked antibacterial, aperient, carminative, cancer, febrifuge and ophthalmic effects. The fruits and roots are used in treating ulcers, urethral discharges, ophthalmia, jaundice, fevers and cancers.
The berries are being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers. The fruit is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids, essential fatty acids, and other bioactive compounds.
The fruit raw or cooked is uniquely delicious, offering a range of flavor from a delicate lemon flavor to a semi sweet raspberry-plum flavor and some describe the taste as a combination of cherry and cranberry flavors. Many Mongolian and Traditional Chinese formulas include these berries with other ingredients and offered in a well built formula with tonic herbs, astringent herbs, herbs to strengthen essence, nourish internal organs and build blood.
Goji berry has been undergoing intense scrutiny as a cancer drug in Mongolia and Japan. These berries can kill many kinds of cancer cells in vitro and contains 124 ppm of organic Germanium. Germanium has been demonstrated to have anti-cancer activity. Japanese studies indicate that organic Germanium is effective in treating liver cancer, lung cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, and testicular cancer when combined with other drugs. Germanium possesses the power to take over the hydrogen ion from cancer cells. Losing hydrogen ions can cause depression and even death to cancer cells.
Besides Germanium, these berries have other components that act against cancer. These other components appear to be able to depress or block the synthesis of the cancer cells DNA, which interferes with the cell's ability to divide and thus lowers the reproductive capacity of the cancer cells.
Goji berry has been tested as an anti-obesity drug. Patients were given 30 grams each morning and each afternoon, made into a tea. Results were excellent. most patients lost significant weight. The berry contain polysaccharides which have been demonstrated to strongly fortify the immune system. they are also very rich in vitamin C and B vitamins. Furthermore, it is the richest source of carotenoids, including beta carotene, of all known plants on earth and is thus a powerful antioxidant. It is believed to fortify the system against disease and to provide the energy to overcome difficult health obstacles.
Modern chemical analysis and clinical study finds goji berry to protect liver function, replenishes vital essences, improves visual acuity, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, strengthens muscles and bones, burns fat, brings energy to the heart and works as an aid to treat diabetes and impotence. It contains a high concentration of the branched chain amino acid L-Leucine among 18 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, linoleic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, betaine, more beta carotene than carrots and 500 times more vitamin e by weight than oranges. It's loaded with Vitamins Bl, 82. B6 and vitamin E. It has been found affective in increasing white blood cells, protecting the liver and relieving hypertension.
This berry not only contains superoxide dismutase, phenylpropaniods, anti cancer inhibiting factors and anti senility factors, but it also has a high concentration of the branched-chain amino acid L-Ieucine. This amino acid forms the building block of a very unique compound called HMB (Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate) through the phenylpropabiod activity, this berry converts leucine into HMB. HMB lowers total and LDL cholesterol levels in blood and helps strengthen the immune system while building muscle tissue and burning body fat.
In a large study done in Japan with older patients this tasty little red berry was found to inhibit tumor growth by 58% and the protein of the berry displays an insulin like action that is affective in fat decomposition. It also strengthens immunoglobulin A levels, an increase in these levels suggests that this berry may enable injured DNA to better repair itself and ward off tissue degeneration. As we grow older the levels of lipid peroxide in our blood increase, while levels of health protecting antioxidants like superoxide dismutae (500) decrease.
Another study of people who consumed consistent doses of goji berry found SOD in the blood increased by a remarkable 48%, hemoglobin increased by 12% and lipid peroxide levels dropped by an amazing 65%. The people of Inner Mongolia who eat this berry live free of arthritis, cancer and diabetes with life expectancies well over one hundred years. In a study conducted by the Scientific Commission of Mongolia on cancer patients, goji berry triggered an increase in Lymphocyte transformation and white blood cell count (measure of immune function) and to cause the blood of older people to revert to a younger state.
It also increases phagocytosiss and the titre of serum antibodies (another index of immune function), unhealthy levels of these antibodies have long be en associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome also known as Epstien Barr. In 2500 years there is no reported discomfort from continual use, only benefits. It is said in Tibet that eating a handful of these berries a day will make one happy for the entire day. Such a practice has a cumulative effect. Eventually, you can't stop smiling!
About a half kilo (or approximately one pound) per month is an average amount to use that will support immune strength and vitality.
