What Makes The Goji Berry So Good For You

Goji berries–scientific name Lycium Barbarum–or small red berries that are endemic to certain parts of China, Tibet, and Mongolia. It is only fairly recently that such berries have made inroads into the Western health food market, although they have been in widespread use in those countries for thousands of years. The berry has actually been particularly favored in Chinese medicine, mostly due to its reputed health benefits.

But what makes Goji berries so special? And what makes them better than any one of the numerous health food products in the market today? As it turns out, the Goji Berry is one of the most nutritionally packed foods in nature, a quality that it shares with the acai berry. Just like that other buzzword of the health food world, the Goji Berry is enjoying a new period of increased popularity in the West after being widely used in Asia for many thousands of years.

Much of the health benefits of the Goji Berry can be attributed to its polysaccharides content. The berry contains abundant amounts of this essential ingredient, which has been known to be greatly beneficial to the body's immune system. In fact, the Goji Berry is one of the best sources of polysaccharides available today.

Polysaccharides aren't the only things that you can gain from Goji berries either. The food also contains no less than 19 different amino acids, which have been shown to be the building blocks from which proteins are made. In fact as many of the amino acids found in Goji berries are essential for health. As many healthy foods there are to be found, none of them can offer this benefit.

Vitamin C is also found in abundant amounts in the Goji berry. In fact, pound for pound, Goji berries have more vitamin C than oranges, which are known to be vitamin C powerhouses. This alone makes the Goji Berry worthy of inclusion into your daily health-food regimen.

But what is perhaps the Goji berry's claim to fame is its superior antioxidant content. A full complement of antioxidant can be found in the fruit, including the aforementioned beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, which are particularly good for the eyes in addition to providing a number of other health benefits. Goji berries also contain B vitamins, vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and various other health beneficial ingredients.