It seems we're hearing more and more about the health benefits of the so called “super fruits” these days. What exactly is this entity known as a super fruit and why is it so important? A super fruit is a fruit that has unusually high levels of antioxidants as well as other nutrients that have potential disease preventing properties. The super fruit that seemed to steal the spotlight in 2007 was the pomegranate as people sought to add this luscious looking fruit to their diet to partake of its apparent health benefits. Another super fruit receiving a lot of attention is the goji berry, a nutritionally dense berry grown in the Himalayan mountains.
What's so unusual about this fruit and what are the purported health benefits of the goji berry? The health benefits of the goji berry were first scrutinized after it was noted that people in certain areas of China who ate the berry regularly had life spans of over one hundred years. A closer look at the berry revealed that it had an impressive antioxidant activity. To measure antioxidant activity, a special test called the ORAC is used to give a precise measurement of the antioxidant potential of one food relative to another. The blueberry, which is considered to have good antioxidant properties, has an ORAC score of around 2,000. In contrast, the goji berry has an ORAC value of over 25,000. Impressive indeed! The goji berry also is a rich source of polysaccharides which help to support the immune system and carotenoids which appear to play a role in the prevention of chronic disease.
With all of that antioxidant potential, you'd expect the goji berry to be a prime candidate for health research studies. One area where the health benefits of the goji berry are being investigated is in the area of cancer treatment. Preliminary studies have shown that components of the goji berry can kill cancer cells in a controlled, laboratory environment. Whether or not this effect will hold up in the actual human body remains to be seen. Studies are currently being carried out in Japan to determine the effect of Goji berry extracts on human cancer.
The health benefits of the goji berry also include the potential to lower LDL cholesterol levels and improve heart health as well as playing a possible role in the prevention of senility. Several small studies have looked at components of the goji berry as treatment for obesity. Although this effect is far from proven, a few small studies showed that obese patients who drank goji tea experienced weight loss.
Are there any drawbacks to use of the goji berry? The goji berry does have a slight anticoagulant or thinning effect on the blood meaning that it shouldn't be used in person who are taking blood thinners. The other drawback is the expense of this popular super fruit. Do the potential health benefits of the goji berry justify the cost? The verdict is still out but many aging baby boomers swear by its potential to alleviate everything from failing eyesight to memory problems. Only time and further study will reveal the true potential of this popular super fruit.
