Goji berries: a nutritionally rich food with proven benefits

Whether you like your goji berries dried, cooked, or straight off the vine, one thing is certain: they are one of the most nutritionally rich foods found in nature. Goji berries, the reddish-orange fruit also known as wolfberries, have been consumed in their native China for centuries as a means of maintaining youthfulness. It is widely believed that goji berries increase longevity while at the same time allowing those who consume them to remain young, both physically and in spirit. And it's not as much of a stretch as it might sound -- like the increasingly popular fruit pomegranate, goji berries are high in antioxidants, which help eliminate harmful free radicals. And reducing free radicals helps reduce the risk of a variety of illnesses, not the very least of which include cancer and heart disease.

Goji berries are plentiful in vitamins as well. The fruit contains at least 6 essential vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E) in addition to compounds containing vitamin A, which may also contribute to that highly sought after anti-aging effect. Vitamin A helps boost the immune system and is great for preserving good vision.

Goji berries also contain 11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals as well as 19 amino acids. There are 8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides in the fruit. These compounds can also help fight off those harmful free radicals as well as repairing damaged DNA -- traits which have earned goji berries the nickname "the longevity fruit." Also found in goji berries are 5 unsaturated fatty acids (including essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid) and 5 carotenoids: beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene. Lycopene is yet another compound with antioxidant properties, and it is vital to basic health -- its benefits include lessening the likelihood of cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

And the health benefits don't end there. By weight, goji berries contain more beta-carotene than carrots and more vitamin C than oranges, which can mean a much needed immune system boost. Goji berries can be dried and cooked without losing much of their nutritional value, which allows for them to be consumed as a snack, or even as a tea or wine. And as one of the most nutritionally rich foods on the planet, it is certainly a fruit worth trying.