By Luis Marine

Sunday Aug 19, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- It was not long ago that the emergence of the Goji berry was on the brink of superstardom in the superfood world.  This all took place of course before the popularity of the Acai berry came to play and the Goji fad took a back seat. Also known as Lycium Barbarum or wolfberry, Tibetan goji berries being rich in antioxidents have been known to increase energy and promote immune function and have been used as a form of holistic medicine in the far East. For centuries, herbalists in China, India and Tibet have used Goji to help the body with its immune system, improve sexual function, protect the liver, improve circulation, strengthen the legs, and promote longevity.

When it comes to herbal therapy, skepticism almost always comes into play, but there has been a few significant studies done on these berries. On a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study performed oustide of China, the GoChi; FreeLife International LLC in Phoenix AZ performed a clinical study on healthy adults for 14 days. In this study  researchers examined questionaire subjective ratings (0-5) of  general well-being feelings, neurologic/psychologic traits, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular complaints were assessed before and after the GoChi group consumed 120 ml of GoChi juice/day and the group with the placebo control solution.

Researchers found significant differences between day 1 and day 15.  The GoChi group(N=16) reported increased ratings for energy level, athletic performance, quality of sleep, ease of awakening, ability to focus on activities, mental acuity, calmness, and feelings of health, contentment, and happiness along with significantly reduced fatigue and stress, and improved regularity of gastrointestinal function.  On the other hand the placebo group (N = 18) showed only two significant changes (heartburn and happiness). One might consider the result of these two co-existing simultaneously very awkward, but maybe the heartburn hit the placebo group when they were shown the GoChi group test results.

A promising study was conducted in 1994, The Chinese Journal on Oncology published the results of the study where "Seventy-nine advanced cancer patients were treated with LAK/IL-2 (a cancer drug) combined with goji berry. Initial results indicated that regression of the cancer was achieved in patients with malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and malignant hydrothorax. The response rate of patients treatedwith LAK/IL-2 plus goji berry was 40.9%, while that of the patients treated with just LAK/IL-2 was 16.1% (P<0.05). The remission period in the patients treated with LAK/IL-2 plus goji berry also lasted significantly longer." Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi. 1994 Nov;16(6):428-31.

The only concern with Goji are with individuals that take anticoagulant drugs (blood thinners) because of the possibility of the risk of increase bleeding.

Another thing to be wary of is the price between Goji berries used in traditional Chinese medicine and the Goji juice that is marketed in many healthfood stores is anything but marginal. Goji juice can run anywhere from $50 for a 32 oz bottle whereas raw berries are significamtly less expensive. And if you're asking how much less expensive, well we'll leave that to the rediscoverer of this burried treasure.