Tag Archives: Matrimony Vine

Goji berry–explore the wonders of ancient herb

5516148512 a3e80e63c4 m Goji berry  explore the wonders of ancient herb
by avlxyz

Article by Kirk Bachelder

Goji berry is a bright red colored berry fruit which is chewable and similar in taste like raisins. There are generally two varieties of Goji berries found in nature which are used for their medicinal values in human beings. One is known as Lycium Chinense while the other is known as Lycium Barbarum.

Lycium Chinense is found mainly in China and is more popularly known as Chinese wolfberry or matrimony vine whereas the other variety of Lycium Barbarum is commonly grown in Asian region of Tibet and Mongolia. The fruit of Goji berries has been popular and in use for centuries in all Asian regions but it was unknown to the rest of the world till recently. The Tibetan species of Goji berry is considered as a beneficial sexual tonic which is used for enhancing fertility in men and women.

There has been a thorough scientific study on this wonder plant of Goji Berry which is found to be rich in natural nutrients. It comprises amino acids, germanium which is used as anti-cancer trace mineral, proteins, antioxidant carotenoids, Vitamin C, B-complex, vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Apart from these, it contains Beta-Sitosterol which is an anti-inflammatory agent and also beneficial in lowering cholesterol. It also contains Cyperone that maintains heart and blood pressure level in our body. Goji berry is also regarded as used as anti-fungal and anti-bacterial medicine.

The natives of China have adapted Goji berry as an integral part of their daily life. They have become so accustomed to this fruit that they don’t start their day until they have taken fresh Goji berries in their morning meals. Ancient Chinese men used Goji berries or wolfberries for the treatment of liver and kidneys related diseases. They believed that consumption of this fruit regularly avoided the occurrence of chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and arthritis. It was also used as anti-aging tonic. Chinese still believe that Goji berry is a natural herb for increasing the life span of a human being.

Today, science has proved that these ancient beliefs are not mere guess but proven truths. Scientific facts have been given behind these beliefs.

Nowadays Goji berry is also available in various forms. It is not necessary to take raw Goji berries only. There are processed varieties of Goji products available in the market like Goji juice and Goji tablets. Health experts recommend the consumption of at least 30 grams daily to get the maximum results on your health.

For More about Goji Berry Visit here http://www.gojiberries.us/

The author Kirk Bachelder manages a business offering Goji Berries, Goji Berry Juice and Goji Seeds for sale at http://www.gojiberries.us










Find More Gojiberry Articles

Related Posts:

 
 

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.

Related Posts:

 
 

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

Related Posts:

 
 

Types of Goji Berries

3543946603 f679eb08c2 m Types of Goji Berries

There are more then 41 types of Goji berries all over the world. Most of these types are cultivated in the orient. The most famous and widely spread are Lyceum barbarum, Lyceum Chinese and Lyceum ferocissimum.

Lycii berry, otherwise known to Chinese herbalists as Chinese Wolfberry is a bright red, almost chewy berry with a taste very similar to Raisins. It has been used as a general nutrient tonic for many years and Chinese medicine refers to it as a cooling tonic.
It contains beta-sitosterol, Betaine, Beta-carotene, Niacin, Pyridoxine, and Ascorbic acid.

They come from the Solanaceae family which also includes the tomato, green pepper, eggplant and potato that most Americans are familiar with.
Lycium chinense is sometimes referred to as Chinese wolfberry, matrimony vine or Chinese boxthorn. It is very closely related to Lycium barbarum and mainly grows in the Hebei province of China.

Lycium barbarus grows in various regions of Asia such as Tibet and Inner Mongolia but it thrives in an area called the goji belt. There are several provinces of China and areas in Tibet where these vines grow in the wild. In these areas the Lycium barbarum goji berry is highly revered. Ningxia, China is found in this goji belt and is considered one of the finest places for the goji vines to grow.

In Ningxia the soil is usually alkaline and very fertile. The temperatures can get very cold and very hot. It is this type of soil and climate that grows the largest, plumpest, most beautiful goji berries. The fruits are a deep red color, contain few seeds and have an exquisitely sweet taste. (As a side note, it is the rich, fertile, yet harsh climate of Alaska that brings the highest antioxidant blueberries found in the US.

Studies done at New Brunswick Labs which extensively investigated blueberries grown in the US have shown a direct correlation between harsh climate and antioxidants in their fruit. It seems the plant, if it has all the nutrients it needs to be healthy, will actually make more substances to protect it from the harsh environment.)

The people of Ningxia are simply crazy about their goji berries, which have always grown wild on the hillsides and which they have been cultivating for more than 500 years.

In Ningxia, goji legends based on history and tradition abound. Years ago the residents of Nanqui, a town in the province of Ningxia, were bestowed with the title Long Life Village by the emperor because they had so many centurians (people over the age of 100) living in their village.

Another area which lays at the foot of the Tianshan mountains (a mountain range nearly equal to the Himalayan mountain peaks) called Xinjiang, where there is pure snow runoff and harsh temperatures similar to those in Ningxia, also has goji berries of similar quality to those found in Ningxia.

Of course the regions of Hebei, Gansu, Qinghai and Shanxi, also in the Chinese goji belt, respectfully disagree that either of these two provinces have berries that are any better than theirs.

All these provinces are located along mountain ranges in one particular area of China.Goji supremacy is also claimed by the Tibetans. There are also Inner Mongolians, Koreans, and Japanese who grow and harvest the highly revered goji berry.

Ningxia, China is legendary for amazingly healthy people. The Chinese national census recently reported that the number of Ningxia residents living more than 100 years exceeds the national average by an amazing 400%. Ningxia locals now admit their health secret lies in the locally grown goji berries – wolfberries.

Goji Berries – Wolfberries – are a Chinese national treasure. The good health and vitality of the Ningxia elderly has long been attributed to goji berries – wolfberries. To the people of the province, a bowl of fresh goji berries – wolfberries – a day is part of life. Its health benefits have been extolled for generations. In fact even today, the Ningxia goji berry – wolfberry – is considered a national treasure.

In ancient times, the Chinese people were said to have three cherished tonics for health. They were ginseng, ling tzi, and goji berries – wolfberries.

According to ancient Chinese texts, goji berries – wolfberries:

Nourish the yin
Support the blood
Help support the kidneys and liver
Strengthen the eyes
Fortify the muscles and bones
Enhance the chi or life force

The people who consumed this fruit apparently lived free of common diseases like arthritis, cancer and diabetes. Moreover, their life expectancies reached over 100 years.

Both the wolfberry and ginseng have been highly regarded for centuries as the foremost nutritional and therapeutic plants in China. In fact, the Chinese hold a strong belief that human life might be extended significantly by using either of these herbs for an extended period of time.

The Chinese Wolfberry contained over 18 amino acids (that is six times higher in proportion than bee pollen), 21 trace minerals, more beta carotene than carrots, and an astonishing 500 times more vitamin C by weight than oranges. It is also packed with vitamin B1, vitamin B6 and vitamin E.

Fruits and pedicels of Chinese Wolfberry were effective in increasing white blood cells, protecting the liver and relieving hypertension. The alcoholic extract of wolfberry fruits inhibited tumor growth in mice by 58%, and the protein of wolfberry displayed an insulin-like action that was effective in promoting fat decomposition and reducing blood sugar.

Related Posts:

 
 

Therapeutic Benefits of Goji Berries

357975446 0a5b95ad78 m Therapeutic Benefits of Goji Berries

Scientifically called as lycium barbarum, goji berries are very popular for their therapeutic properties all around the world. Used by the Chinese extensively in their medicinal activities since ages, goji berry consumption has been found to be astoundingly beneficial in reducing diabetes, heart diseases, Alzheimers disease and in increasing the immunity of an individual. Apart from high nutrient content, goji berries also have brilliant antioxidant properties in them. It is because of such wonderful properties in goji berries that increasing number of people are going for the natural product of the hills.

Recommended by doctors

Commonly, goji berries are also known as the Himalayan goji and the Tibetan goji because of their abundant growth in the Himalayan and Tibetan area. These berries are highly recommended by the doctors these days to their patients as owing to their high nutrient content of vitamins and minerals, they are very effective in enhancing immunity of the patient. Because of so many nutrients, it thereby helps in reducing the recovery time of a patient. The patients not only become healthy quickly, but also experience satisfaction from within. Goji berries also contain a lot of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and dietary fibre in significant amounts.

Moreover, the antioxidants that goji berries have, like the zeaxanthin, beta-carotene and the carotenoids, play major roles in protecting the eyes retina. Goji berries have iron and vitamins A, C and D which are believed to have age longevity properties. It is so because it keeps a person fit and healthy by keeping ailments at bay. As the regular consumption of goji berries also helps in increasing the sperm production in males, they are termed as matrimony vine.

Advantages of goji berries

Goji berries have a lot of benefits to their account. They have been long used as food by the Chinese. They are also used in making tonic soups and other dishes. They are also widely cultivated for making beverages, pulp powders, and snacks. In fact, goji berries are used to make other goji products like the goji juice which has similar medicinal properties and is equally effectual in treatment of diseases.

Apart from these uses and advantages that are mentioned, goji berries if consumed daily, can be very helpful in:

Restoring the hair texture and color
Improved eyesight
Quality sleep that is not fragmented
Increased energy and morale levels
Cure of mood swings and emotional anxiety
Improved circulation of body fluids
Release from liver problems

For more information on goji berries visit www.gojiberries.us

Related Posts: