Fat Loss 4 Idiots Secret

Friday, July 10, 2009

Is It Really True That Goji Berry Benefits Your Health?

By Maddie Tregonning

The many Goji berry benefits for improved health are now just recently being discovered by people in the western half of the world where the nutrient rich fruit is commonly known as the wolfberry, but widely marketed as Goji berries.

Found growing in naturally warm, subtropical regions within both China and Mongolia as well as in Tibet's Himalayas, Goji berries look like small, red raisins but contain perhaps the most nutrients of any single fruit on Earth.

Belonging to the nightshade or Solonaceae family, they have a slightly sour, tangy taste to them. Because of their great fragility, Goji berries must be harvested gently by hand and are usually found dried.

The many Goji berry benefits to be had begin first with their intricate collection of molecules, including polysaccharides, which are sugar molecules believed to support the body's immune system. Polysaccharides are also known to be a great source of probiotic fibers, which are the fermentable portions of soluble fiber that are processed into SCFAs, or short-chain fatty acids, within the intestines. This then provides beneficial nutrients for the probiotics within the intestinal tract to aid the body with vital functions like digestion and the absorption of nutrients.

Also considered to be a tonic that keeps the body's vital organs and energy sources in tune, Goji berries continue to offer plentiful health benefits years after their discovery.

In terms of the circulatory system, Goji berries play a rather important role and they also contain a large concentration of the mineral iron. Widely regarded as one of the nation's natural treasures in China, Goji berries are now becoming increasingly popular in the western world.

Grown predominantly in China and Tibet, particularly in the northwestern hills and mountains where the soil is said to be some of the purest on earth, Goji berries grow on an evergreen bush known as the Lycium plant that features vines reaching as high as 15 feet. Truly a remarkable food, these berries taste both sweet and sour and are commonly used in Chinese cooking for soups, in dishes containing rice, and also in teas. They are also often sold fresh throughout their native regions in Asia.

For thousands of years Goji berries have had a noticeable place in traditional Chinese medical practices due to their low fat content, low number of calories, but extremely high vitamin content like beta carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin C as well as plenty of antioxidants.

Goji berry benefits are numerous and this is why they are regarded by many to be the single most healthful product in the world that has magical properties associated with it.

Because of their super fruit status, high antioxidant concentration, and reports of research that's uncovered the multiple health benefits to be had from consuming the berry, their demand is expected to grow by leaps and bounds, possibly reaching the billion dollar mark in just a few short years by 2011.

And because Goji berries are such small, fragile fruits, they must be slowly and carefully harvested by hand, and what's even more time consuming is that all of the berries must be processed into juice form within the first 24 to 48 hours following harvesting, in order to retain their many nutrients. - 17274

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