Wolfberry
This ingredient can be found in: Pop A Purple
Wolfberry (also called goji berry) is the name given to the fruit of two closely related species of plants, Lycium barbarum and L. chinense. These plants grow in China, where they were used by emperors to help maintain sexual vitality as a way to keep up with their many concubines. Wolfberry was also given credit for helping China’s Olympic swimmers win the gold. In the West, wolfberry has won an exceptionally high rating on the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) test of antioxidant levels.
The highly nutritious wolfberry contains the carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin, zeaxanthin dipalmitate, as well as polysaccharides (comprising 30% of the pulp), vitamins (ascorbic acid, glucopyranosyl ascorbic acid, tocopherol), fatty acids, betaine, and peptidoglycans. These berries also supply signficant amounts of calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and selenium, as well as riboflavin and vitamin C.
Traditional use of wolfberry has included the prevention of conditions such as diabetes and cancer. Foods with high antioxidant levels like wolfberry can reduce the cellular damage caused by oxidative stress and can help control blood glucose levels, without the side effects and high cost of pharmaceutical drugs. Its ability to clear free radicals and prevent DNA damage make it a valuable chemoprotective supplement. Its anticancer properties also include the ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth, and to initiate cancer cell apoptosis (programmed cell death).
Wolfberry has also been shown to have protective effects in the liver. Researchers have revealed that wolfberry can reduce liver damage caused by the hepatitis virus, as well as damage due to excess alcohol consumption, oxidative stress, and disorders of the bile duct and gallbladder. Like ginseng, wolfberry is used for its anti-aging properties and its ability to increase stamina.
References
- Chao JC, Chiang SW, Wang CC, Tsai YH, Wu MS. Hot water-extracted Lycium barbarum and Rehmannia glutinosa inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. World J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jul 28;12(28):4478-84. View Source
- Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. [Online Database] 10 May 2009. View Source, View Source, View Source, and View Source.
- Kim HP, Lee EJ, Kim YC, Kim J, Kim HK, Park JH, Kim SY, Kim YC. Zeaxanthin dipalmitate from Lycium chinense fruit reduces experimentally induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Mar;25(3):390-2. View Source
- Kim HP, Lee EJ, Kim YC, Kim J, Kim HK, Park JH, Kim SY, Kim YC. Zeaxanthin dipalmitate from Lycium chinense fruit reduces experimentally induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Mar;25(3):390-2. View Source
- ORACVALUES. The internet antioxidant database. Goji berries. 2009. View Source
- Wu H, Guo H, Zhao R. Effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on the improvement of antioxidant ability and DNA damage in NIDDM rats. Yakugaku Zasshi. 2006 May;126(5):365-71. View Source




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