New Season. Healthy Start. Superfoods To Get Into: Goji Berries
In the spirit of celebrating the fall season and a new chapter in our health cycle, we’d like you to meet our good friend and cancer trojan, the Goji berry! Goji berries are a miracle fruit long touted for their numerous health benefits and categorized as ‘Superfood’ due to their antioxidant powers. They are about the size and shape of a sultana raisin and somewhat similar in taste but with an herbal twist and also a tad less sweet.
Goji berries are one of the highest antioxidant foods known to man. It is for this reason that they are a very important longevity herb used for millennia in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Tibetan Medicine. It is such a potent antioxidant that it is rated #1 on the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). This essentially means that it is a great assist in reversing and preventing much of the damage caused by modern day lifestyle.
Free radicals are highly reactive atoms or molecules that essentially attack our cells. They increase as we age, are exposed to stress, toxins, pollution and poor lifestyle choices. Free radicals age us prematurely by causing degeneration of our cells and organ function. Eventually this can lead to significant health issues such as cancer, diabetes, macular degeneration, cardiovascular and liver disease. This is is why superfoods and herbs such as Goji berries are so important. They protect our cells and reverse the damage caused by free radicals. They slow aging, improve the immune system, improve vision, protect the liver and kidneys and treat hormonal deficiencies. They also have a strong effect on reducing inflammation and regulating insulin and blood sugar. Through this mechanism and several others, it is fabulous for improving energy and enhancing fertility.
Goji berries have an incredibly impressive nutrient profile. They are packed with Vitamin C, amino acids, beta carotene, vitamin Bs, E, omegas and many trace minerals. As such they qualify as a so called “superfood” – they pack so much punch in antioxidants and nutrients that the health benefits are far reaching.
The best and cheapest way to get the most benefit out of Goji berries is actually to make them into tea. You can, of course, draw benefit from munching on them BUT many of the active ingredients are released into the water when you heat them. We suggest boiling 1 tsp in water for 10 minutes and drinking the liquid. A tasty mix is Goji and Roobois tea. For most benefit, 1-2 cups per day is ideal. Consistency is key in getting the most benefit.
Keep visiting our blog for more information on natural health benefits and accessible Superfoods you should get into!
~The Naturna Team
