Tag Archives: Duke Of Argyll

What is so Special About Goji Berries?

428755277 ae19085aca m What is so Special About Goji Berries?

Goji Berries might be better known as the wolfberry, whose plant is distinctly related to tobacco, chili pepper, deadly nightshade, eggplant, tomato, and the potato plants. The US Department of Agriculture Germplasm Resources Information Network also classifies Goji Berries as the plants known as matrimony vine, Duke of Argylls tea tree, cambronera, bocksdorn, Barbary matrimony vine, and the Chinese wolfberry.

Goji Berries are getting much acclaim lately for being health food products, usually marketed as either Himalayan goji or Tibetan goji. One source indicates that Goji Berries have been a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine for around 1,900 years already. According to Chinese legend, Goji Berries were also used by Shen Nung who is believed to have been the First Emperor of China. Goji Berries are now considered a health food because research has shown that it has antioxidants and nutrients aplenty, which may explain why Goji Berries are also now classified as one of the superfruits. Demand for superfruits like Goji Berries is expected to reach the billion-dollar mark by year 2011.

The Goji Berries you may be familiar with are usually of an ellipsoidal shape and bright red, with each of the Goji Berries filled with up to sixty seeds. Goji Berries that are planted in countries in the Northern Hemisphere may ripen in the months of July, August, September and October.

People who were raised as Chinese or Oriental may prefer to call these berries Goji Berries while Western folk may know the berries better as the Wolf Berry or wolfberries. The reason they are named Goji Berries may be because the wolfberries are dubbed Gouqui in the Mandarin Chinese tongue. Despite the relationship in names, some experts believe that Goji Berries were actually cultivated outside China at the start before being brought in to the country.

Nowadays, Goji Berries are planted in commercial quantities in north central China (in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region) and in western China (in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.) The size of a typical plantation of Goji Berries can start at 100 acres and extend to up to 1000 acres in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Ningxia has been found to produce some of the top Goji Berries variety which are sometimes called the red diamonds commercial variety. Ningxia produces very good Goji Berries because this is the area where the Yellow River floodplains exist. In 2001, 13 million kilograms of Goji Berries were harvested in the Ningxia Region alone, which was equivalent to 42% of the overall yield of China for that year.

One problem though with Goji Berries harvested abroad is that they may contain residue of the organochlorine pesticides which are sprayed on the plants to prevent insects from destroying the very delicate berries. This is true regardless of whether the Goji Berries were grown in Tibet or China or any other Asian country. This is why it is very important that Goji Berries food supplement processors be honest about informing the public as to where their Goji Berries were grown and how they were treated before being processed into food supplements.

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Goji Berries: The Super healthy fruit

443114614 e925c47ce6 m Goji Berries: The Super healthy fruit

Goji berries are a wonderful component of the Traditional Chinese Medicinal system. It spread to the United Kingdom when the third Duke of Argyll, Archibald Campbell introduced Goji Berries there. Its still known as Duke of Argyll’s Tea Tree. Other names used to refer to Goji berries are Wolf Berry, Red Medlar and Matrimony Vine. Goji Berries are pharmacologically known as ‘Lycii Fructus’.

Goji Berries have significant nutritional content including:
Calcium
Potassium
Iron
Zinc
Selenium
Vitamin B2

Vitamin C

Goji Berries also have important phytochemicals ranging from Beta-carotene and Zeaxanthin to Polysaccharides.

Goji Berries are ellipsoid in shape, orange red in color and generally 1-2 cm long. A berry carries any where around 10 to 60 seeds which are yellow in color and have a compressed embryo.

Goji berries are also used in culinary purposes. Traditionally they are cooked before consumption. Dried Goji berries may be added to rice congee as well as in some soups. Young shoots and leaves of Goji Berries are also available as a leaf market.

Goji Berries also have significant amount of macronutrients. 68% of the mass of dried Goji berries contains carbohydrates. 12% mass is protein, 10% of the mass is Fat and the rest 10% is fiber. Thus Goji Berries are an extremely good and health food supplement.

Goji berries are known in Asia as one of the most nutrient rich foods. Goji Berries are grown primarily in the People’s Republic of China and Tibet. Goji berries are now included as a large product of the global functional food industry. The nutrient richness and antioxidants present in Goji Berries have earned them the name Superfruit.

In a number of western countries, dried Goji Berries are also eaten uncooked. They have a taste like that of a raisin, dried cranberries or dates. A touch of the taste of tomato is also presenting dried Goji Berries. Goji Berries are available in the form of dried berries, juice, and powder of pulp.

Interestingly, the Goji Berries are also bringer of festival to people. When Goji Berries are harvested in August, there is organized a large festival in the Ningxia Hui Autonomus region. August is the time of harvest of Goji Berries.

Goji Berries seem to have captured the fancy of a number of people and if you are one of them, you can visit www.gojiberriesblog.com for more information about Goji Berries anytime.
For More about Goji Berries Visit here http://www.gojiberriesblog.com

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Goji Berry- The New healthy Mantra

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Goji Berry is a known and recognized Chinese medicinal plant for above 2000 years. Goji Berry is also known as Wolf Berry or Bocksdorn. The Tibetan Goji Berry is used for health food purposes.

Goji Berry is a deciduous, woody, perennial plant. It grows from anywhere between 1 to 3 meters in height. Goji berry is primarily grown in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest and Xinjiang Ughyur Autonomous Region in the western People’s Republic of China. The Goji Berry grown in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is marketed all over Asia as the ‘red diamonds’. Apart from this Goji Berry is grown in a number of areas in China and Mongolia.

Goji Berry has several medicinal usages. Goji Berry is known as an important constituent in the Traditional Chinese Medicinal system. This is because of a number of known benefits of this berry. Its effects include an improved immune system to protect you from a number of diseases. Goji Berry is also known to be very helpful if you are suffering from liver ailments. Goji Berry is also known to boost sperm production among men.

Goji berry leaves are usable in making tea. The root bark of Goji Berry plant is known to have inflammatory abilities and can be used in protection against skin diseases.

With the coming of global awareness about alternative forms of medicine, Tibetan Goji Berry or the Himalayan Goji Berry has grown an important player in the global alternative medicinal system market.

Goji Berry has been famous all over the United Kingdom for more than 300 years now. The Britons know Goji Berry as Duke of Argyll’s Tea Tree. Her Majesty’s government named Goji Berry as a species of hedges known to grow in the United Kingdom which is to be protected under the regulations for protection of countryside hedgerows.

Goji Berry is a nutrient rich product. Every 100 grams of Goji Berry have 112mg of calcium, 1,132mg of potassium, 9mg of iron, 2mg Zinc, 50 micro grams of Selenium, 1.3mg of Vitamin B2 and the Vitamin C content of Goji Berry is known to go as high as 148mg. Goji Berry also includes phytochemicals including Beta-carotene, Zeaxanthin and Polysaccharides.

If you want to know more about this wonderful herb and its many qualities, you are always welcome to visit www.gojiberriesblog.com. The blog will be continually updated with new information about Goji Berry, its history and its benefits.
For More about Goji Berry Visit here http://www.gojiberriesblog.com

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What are goji berries? – Part 3

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About 6 months ago, after reading about the wonders of the Goji fruit, I visited my Health food store to purchase some. I am always trying new and different herbs and if I can’t grow it, I buy it. I was somewhat floored at the price for this wonder fruit. I thought with the hefty price tag, maybe I should try to grow the berries in my garden. However, until that time, I sparingly parted with the cash to purchase the dried berries which I use primarily with my morning cereal and to make my own juice. To date I still haven’t grown Goji berries but I do have a renewed understanding of why this fruit, that is a panacea for numerous health issues, cost so much.

What are Goji Berries?

Goji berries, orange red colored fruits, are produced by the plant Lycium Barbarum, and are also known as the Wolfberry, Brocksdorn, Duke of Argyll’s tea tree, Matrimony Vine and Barbary. A perennial, it grows about 3 to 4 feet and is native to China. While the West has just recently discovered the Goji berry, it has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for some 6,000 years.

The best quality Goji berries are produced in two provinces in the northwest region of China; The Ningxia Province and The Xinjiang Province, that produce a portion of the 60 million pounds of Goji produced worldwide. So why are Goji berries so pricy? It is a classic case of supply and demand. There is not enough of this wonder fruit produced to meet the huge demands.

Ingredients:

Polysaccharides, are referred to as the “Master Molecule” which strengthens the immune system and thus a defense against many immune deficiency related illnesses. A study was undertaken in China in 1994 which found that 79 cancer patients who participated in a goji regimen, responded much better to their treatment.

Vitamins: Goji berries have several vitamins including Vitamin E, Essential Fatty Acids. Betaine, B-Complex vitamins and more vitamin C than oranges.

Minerals: With some 21 essential minerals, one can see where Goji berries get their power house reputation. Some of these minerals are iron, selenium and zinc. It is like a multivitamin in a berry.

Antioxidants: Goji berries have a wide variety of antioxidants including the best source of cartenoids, and Zeaxanthin, which is good for improving the eyesight.

Amino Acids: Goji berries outshine other plants with a whopping 19 amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and Goji berries also have the eight essential

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Goji Berry (lycium Barbarum)

Goji berry refers to the Chinese name for the bright orangered fruit of the woody and thorny plant (shrub) Lycium babarum. In English, it is commonly known by the name wolfberry. L. barbarum is one of the 90 species of the genus Boxthorn (Lycium in latin) in the Solanaceae family (other plants in this family being tomato, potato, eggplant, chili pepper, tobacco, etc.). It is believed to have originated somewhere in the regions of southeast Europe and southwest Asia, but is now grown all over the world China being the largest producer.

Goji berry is also known by other names like Chinese wolfberry, matrimony vine and Duke of Argylls tea tree; in herbal health care stores the dried form of the fruit is marketed as Tibetan or Himalayan Goji berry. The majority of the commercially produced Goji berry comes from the Ningxia and Xinjiang regions in China.

Celebrated in Asia as one of Natures most nutrient-rich health foods since thousands of years, the legendary health benefits that Goji berry is claimed to confer are eyesight improvement, boosting immunity, liver protection, longevity, etc. The presence of a large number of micronutrients and phytochemicals in this fruit has been corrobarated by scientific studies.

It is perhaps the presence of large amounts of phytochemicals like polysaccharides, sterols and zeaxanthin and antioxidants like beta carotene, lutein, lycopene and vitamin C, in addtion to loads of minerals like calcium, potassium, iron, zinc and selenium, that lend the legendary health-giving properties to Goji berry.

As a food, Goji berry can be eaten either raw or brewed into a tea. It tastes similar to raisins, though less sweet and more dry. Commercially, it is available as dried fruit or in the form of juice or powder. Goji berry is often used in China as an ingredient in soups, too. Its leaves and young shoots are consumed as a leafy vegetable in China. In fact, even a Chinese wine is produced from Goji berry.

Maybe you can use your own culinary imagination to savor the taste and discover the health benefits of this exotic superfruit in numerous other ways.

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