Over the last couple of years goji berries have taken off in popularity.   There are many mainstream stars like Oprah and Madonna who have sworn by them.  They have been touted to do wondrous things like preventing cancer, increasing sex drive, good overall health, preventing of aging, and more.  The debate rages on whether any of these claims are actually accurate  .

History

Gojibär are also known as wolfberries and they come from two different regions of China.  There are two versions of goji berries; Himalayan goji berries and Tibetan goji berries, but again, there is debate whether there is a real difference between the two.  Goji berries will always be found dried as they have a very short shelf life if not dried quickly after harvesting.  The berries, the bark, and roots have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

In many areas of the world the goji plants are used as hedge bushes.  This is because they grow rather quickly and can reach heights of 9 feet or more.  They are very delicate and cannot be picked by hand; rather they are shaken from the bush and immediately dried.

Flavor

The taste of the goji berry is not what people expect.  It has a nutty flavor that most people do not expect.  Some have described it as a cross between a cranberry, a strawberry, and a raspberry.  It is rather tart.  Products with goji berries can be found in many grocery stores and markets, but they are most likely to be found at health food or natural food stores.  There are a wide variety of ways to get goji berries here are a few products that can be found with goji berries:

• Tea
• Fruit juices
• Extract in capsules
• Crunch bars
• Cereals
• Plain dried

Claims

There are many more claims of what goji berries can do than what has been proven scientifically.  Yes, it is a scientific fact that they do have a higher amount of antioxidants than most of the fruits that can be found in a regular market.  They have morevitamin C than an orange, more beta carotene than carrots, and more iron than a steak.  They are a complete package of nutrients, but does that mean they can cure cancer, keep you looking young, and improve your sex life?  Antioxidants are proving to prevent cancer.  This is because antioxidants remove free radicals from your system.  Free radicals are cells that have the potential to turn cancerous.  Goji berries are one of the highest rated fruits for antioxidants.

Too much of a good thing might not be so good.  One of the minerals contained in goji berries is selenium.  There are safe levels that help your liver to function properly, but there too much can be toxic to the system.  So if you want to get the health benefits of goji berries you will need to keep it at the recommended levels of consumption, which is only 10 to 30 grams per day.