Human longevity is one of mankind’s most sought after goals. Our quest for it dates back all the way to the start of civilization, when kings and emperors would commission their court wizards and magicians to find potions or elixirs that would allow them to live and rule longer. Our search for such an answer persists until today, in the form of the multibillion dollar health, nutrition, and medical industries. While the search for eternal youth may continue for some time, it appears that ancient Chinese and Indian medicine men may have stumbled upon the next best thing thousands of years ago: the goji berry.
Goji berries, or wolf berries as they are sometimes known, come from the lycium barbarum plant, a shrub that grows in China, Mongolia, and the Himalayas. They have been in use as an herbal medicine for thousands of years, and have thus gained a reputation in the region as one of the most potent and nutritious natural foods available. Even today, local medicine men prescribe it for a wide array of illnesses and ailments, from sexual dysfunction to poor eyesight. In traditional Chinese medicine, it was known as the ‘longevity fruit’ because of the good health and long life its regular consumption imparted. In recent times, modern scientific analysis of the goji berry’s unique properties has led to a dramatic rise in worldwide demand.
Goji berries are packed with nutrition. They contain significant amounts of B-Vitamins and vitamins C and E. They are also rich in many minerals, such as zinc, calcium, iron, and phosphorous. These vitamins and minerals are essential for growth and development, and help regulate our body’s most essential functions. Goji berries are also a good source of omega-6 essential fatty acids, which help build muscle and tissue while protecting the brain and heart. However, what really earns the goji berries their reputation as a longevity fruit is its unique combination of polysaccharides and antioxidants combined with its special properties as an adaptogen.
These polysaccharides stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete more HGH, or human growth hormone. This substance is one of the key components of hormone replacement therapy, which is an effective anti aging treatment usually available only to the very wealthy. As an adaptogen, goji berries help our bodies to manage stress better. Stress causes the release of the hormone cortisol, which causes the body to crave more food, store more fat, cease the secretion of HGH, and to deplete our energy reserves at a higher rate. By helping us deal with stress better and eliminating these negative side effects, goji berries not only help us lead longer lives, but lets us enjoy it more as well. This has led to the goji berry being nicknamed as “the happy berry’.
The high antioxidant content of the fruit also plays a part in promoting a longer lifespan. While oxygen is essential to our survival, at the molecular level, it helps cause cell damage and mutations through the formation of free radicals. Antioxidants work to neutralize these free radicals, preventing damage that lead to visible signs of aging as well as physical and mental deterioration. High antioxidant intake has been linked to cancer prevention and better mental acuity.
Another one of the benefits of goji berries is improved eyesight and protection from degenerative eye diseases. The fruit provides significant quantities of the compound zeaxanthin, one of the two carotenoids contained in the eye. Goji berries are one of the best natural sources of beta-Carotene, an organic compound that promotes vitamin A activity. Vitamin A is an essential substance needed by the eye’s retinas to form the light absorbing molecule retinol. These compounds work together to boost eye function and prevent the onset of eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, a condition which strikes elderly people and eventually leads to blindness. Beta carotene has other health benefits. It helps boost immune function, and can be used to treat asthma, depression, and high blood pressure. And because goji berries are a natural source of beta carotene, it avoids all the dangerous side effects associated with obtaining it through artificial or supplemental sources, such as an increased risk of prostate cancer and intracerebral hemorrhaging.
As part of our company’s mission to promoter longer and healthier lives, Hidalgo Foods offers organic goji berries in two varieties to better suit our customers’ needs. We offer regular organic goji berries and berries coated in dark chocolate for an extra tasty and nutritious snack. Our berries are meticulously picked and preserved to ensure their potency, freshness, and flavor.
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