Ninxgia Red Wolfberry - The New Super Fruit
New wonder foods and super fruits often cause a media sensation before interest fades.
The red wolfberry from the Ninxgia region of China is a fruit that seems to exceed all expectations and will gain a permanent place in the history of health foods.
Also known as the goji berry (or Tibetan goji berry), red wolfberry juice and other derivatives have been a hit.
There are two species of wolfberry, Lycium barbarum and L.
chinense.
Found in Tibet and Mongolia but commercially produced on a large scale in China, the red goji berry has been used in Chinese medicine for millennia.
It has been cultivated in the West for several centuries as an exotic plant and was popular in Victorian gardens.
A spectrum of health-giving compounds and substances has been found in the wolfberry or goji berry.
Top of the list is its richness in phenols that function as age-slowing antioxidants, thought to fight cancer by mopping up free radicals.
Wolfberries can contain four times as much antioxidant as their nearest rival, prunes.
Wolfberries are also high in vitamin C, with some measurements of dry goji berries putting vitamin C content as high at almost 150 mg per 100g, way ahead of fruits like oranges.
However, lower levels have been measured in dried wolfberries.
The berries are also rich in beta carotene, essential for healthy vision, and riboflavin (vitamin B2).
They are packed with minerals, including zinc, selenium, calcium, potassium and iron.
Red wolfberries are also exceptionally rich in a carotenoid known as zeaxanthin, as well as in polysaccharides, plant sterols, amino acids and essential fatty acids.
Unfortunately, extravagant claims have been made for goji berries and red wolfberry juice, including that it prevents breast cancer.
These have attracted critical attention from food safety agencies in Europe and the USA, so use your careful judgment when assessing claims.
Legend has it that a Chinese man who ate goji berries daily lived to the age of 250.
In Chinese medicine the fruits (and sometimes the bark) are believed to improve the skin, aid male fertility and vigor, boost liver and kidney function and enhance vision.
Some substances found in the red wolfberry have been investigated by western medicine, with evidence that they may assist in a wide range of conditions, from hepatitis B to cervical cancer.
Goji berries may have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, lower cholesterol and modulate blood pressure.
Ongoing research may confirm wolfberries as a wonder food.
Consumers should be aware that juices labeled as wolfberry or goji juice are often juice blends, and that the quality of the fruit varies, depending on growing conditions, region of origin, and processing methods, amongst other factors.
The red wolfberry from the Ninxgia region of China is a fruit that seems to exceed all expectations and will gain a permanent place in the history of health foods.
Also known as the goji berry (or Tibetan goji berry), red wolfberry juice and other derivatives have been a hit.
There are two species of wolfberry, Lycium barbarum and L.
chinense.
Found in Tibet and Mongolia but commercially produced on a large scale in China, the red goji berry has been used in Chinese medicine for millennia.
It has been cultivated in the West for several centuries as an exotic plant and was popular in Victorian gardens.
A spectrum of health-giving compounds and substances has been found in the wolfberry or goji berry.
Top of the list is its richness in phenols that function as age-slowing antioxidants, thought to fight cancer by mopping up free radicals.
Wolfberries can contain four times as much antioxidant as their nearest rival, prunes.
Wolfberries are also high in vitamin C, with some measurements of dry goji berries putting vitamin C content as high at almost 150 mg per 100g, way ahead of fruits like oranges.
However, lower levels have been measured in dried wolfberries.
The berries are also rich in beta carotene, essential for healthy vision, and riboflavin (vitamin B2).
They are packed with minerals, including zinc, selenium, calcium, potassium and iron.
Red wolfberries are also exceptionally rich in a carotenoid known as zeaxanthin, as well as in polysaccharides, plant sterols, amino acids and essential fatty acids.
Unfortunately, extravagant claims have been made for goji berries and red wolfberry juice, including that it prevents breast cancer.
These have attracted critical attention from food safety agencies in Europe and the USA, so use your careful judgment when assessing claims.
Legend has it that a Chinese man who ate goji berries daily lived to the age of 250.
In Chinese medicine the fruits (and sometimes the bark) are believed to improve the skin, aid male fertility and vigor, boost liver and kidney function and enhance vision.
Some substances found in the red wolfberry have been investigated by western medicine, with evidence that they may assist in a wide range of conditions, from hepatitis B to cervical cancer.
Goji berries may have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, lower cholesterol and modulate blood pressure.
Ongoing research may confirm wolfberries as a wonder food.
Consumers should be aware that juices labeled as wolfberry or goji juice are often juice blends, and that the quality of the fruit varies, depending on growing conditions, region of origin, and processing methods, amongst other factors.
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