Goji Berries, Gou Qi Zi in TCM, are becoming a popular superfood here in the West. However, they have been a staple of Chinese Medicine for thousands of years!
From a more functional medicine point of view, goji berries are famous for being a great source of antioxidants – helping to reduce free radicals that can cause damage to the body’s cells. Without good levels of antioxidants in the diet, the body can succumb to the damage caused by free radicals. Goji berries are full of the following nutrients that assist our body in maintaining optimal function:
〰️Vitamin C
〰️Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
〰️Zinc
〰️Iron
〰️Potassium
〰️Calcium
〰️antioxidants (betacarotene and zeaxanthin)
From a TCM standpoint, the naturally sour flavor of goji berries helps to drain and cleanse the liver and thereby helps to activate the liver and gallbladder’s many functions, namely enhancing blood health. They are traditionally taken to nourish & balance both yin and yang to help keep the opposing forces in a state of harmony in the body.
Goji berries are used in several important formulas that nourish & tonify Liver and Kidney blood and yin, that benefit the essence and brighten the eyes, and that nourish and moisten Lung yin. They can also revive yang when the Kidneys are deficient and you are feeling extra fatigued.
We have high quality goji berries here at EAWB if you wanted to try them as a stand-alone medicinal for tea or food therapy. We also offer several tea blends and custom tea blends that contain goji berries. Additionally, we may prescribe you goji berries as a part of a larger formula (that may be in tea form, pill form, or tincture form).
If you have any questions about goji berries, we are happy to assist you!
