A Powerhouse of Natural Healing: The Tibetan Goji Berry

Are you familiar with the antioxidant and vitamin-rich goji berry? Over the past 20 years, they’ve become a popular superfood found at most grocery stores and smoothie shops. Even Costco carries bags of the dried berry.

There are actually two types of Lycium berries being marketed. One is the Tibetan goji berry, and the other is the Chinese wolfberry being sold with the same name, "goji”. The name Goji was never even heard of in China before 1995. 

Chinese Lycium wolfberry growers and manufacturers got wind of the Tibetan name 'goji berry' and liked the name. As they have taken over Tibet and rewritten its history, they have also usurped the name goji. Around 1996 they started using that name to take over the goji market and increase their wolfberry distribution as goji. 

Goji Berry or Wolfberry?

Both are Lycium berries and offer nutritional benefits, including antioxidants and vitamins. However, the Tibetan goji berry has special neutral and sweet energetic properties, making it a potent and useful ingredient in Tibetan healing formulas for centuries. The wolfberry shares some of the same healing benefits, but its energetic nature is hot and acrid rather than neutral and sweet.

Goji berries grow in nutrient-rich soil in the same harsh climates where they’ve been cultivated for centuries: Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, and areas of what is now China that used to be Tibet, like Amdo.

Commercial Chinese wolfberries have been grown on commercial farms using DMT and over 35 different chemical pesticides for over over 70 years. About 12 years ago they started a green project that was their equivalent of organic status. Many Chinese commercial goji and other agricultural farms that have been using chemicals in their soils for over 70 years have now adopted the new green plan and are now labeled organic.

Exclusive Access to Pure Goji Berries, Handpicked in Tibet

The Tibetan goji berry is native and organically grown on farms in the same wild areas they have been growing for centuries. About fifty years ago, the Tanaduk Research Institute of Tibetan Medicine initiated plant cultivation programs.

They taught farmers how to wildcraft, using wild plant starts to cultivate semi-wild organic goji berries, free of pesticides and chemicals, on farmlands in the same area. Jampha’s goji berries come directly from these wild and naturally organic lands of Amdo, Tibet. 

When you purchase goji berries through us, you support Tibetan farmers. You also access one of the world’s top superfoods for health and vitality.

Jampha is able to provide U.S. buyers with these rare goji berries shipped directly from Tibet because of our collaborations with these organic goji farms.

Nutritional Composition of Tibetan Goji Berries

Goji berries have held the title of superfood for centuries but have only recently become popular in the west. They are nutrient-packed, exceeding the nutrition of almost any other fruit. Here is a quick look at someof the nutritional benefits of goji berries.

Vitamin C

Goji berries are an abundant source of vitamin C. While the exact amount in the berries can vary, they often have more vitamin C by weight than oranges. 

It is absolutely critical to have Vitamin C in your diet because our bodies cannot produce it. Vitamin C is necessary for wound healing, collagen production, iron absorption, and healthy bones and teeth. It is also a powerful antioxidant that helps fight cancer. 

Carotenoids, Including Beta Carotene

Carotenoids are a primary source of dietary Vitamin A and the reason that goji berries are so abundant in this essential nutrient. Three tablespoons of Jampha’s goji berries supply 140% of the RDA for vitamin A.

Carotenoids protect and help defend cells and tissues. They help fight cancer and heart disease and support eye health.

Antioxidants

Sometimes called “the red diamond” for its anti-aging properties, goji berries are abundant in natural antioxidants. Antioxidants remove free radicals from your body that can otherwise contribute to cancer, heart disease, or other ailments.

Natural antioxidants, like those found in goji berries, are more effective than synthetic antioxidants. Natural antioxidants are more stable and more likely to deliver the desired health benefits.

Vitamins B1, B2, B6

Goji berries are a rich source of B vitamins, including B1, B2, and B6. B vitamins support brain and cellular function. They help enzymes do their jobs, including breaking down carbohydrates and transporting them throughout the body.

Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are long chains of carbohydrate molecules that are beneficial to digestion. Unlike monosaccharides that break down quickly and can cause glycemic spikes, polysaccharides are fibrous. They feed the microbiome and support cell health.

Amino Acids & Fatty Acids

Goji berries are a source of both essential amino acids and fatty acids. Amino acids keep your immune system strong, help build strong muscles, and aid digestion. Fatty acids keep your hair and skin healthy. They help regulate hormones, blood pressure, and inflammatory responses.

Minerals

Goji berries are a tasty source of several important minerals, including:

Magnesium - essential to keeping your blood pressure low and heart healthy and strong.

Calcium- necessary to build and maintain strong bones, may also support heart health.

Potassium- helps regulate the heartbeat and supports muscles and nerve function.

Copper- helps regulate blood pressure, keep your immune system healthy, helps nerve cells communicate, keeps your bones strong and joints healthy.

Iron- supports healthy hormone production and the delivery of oxygen to the muscles and throughout your body.

Manganese- helps regulate blood sugar and calcium absorptions, supports healthy connective tissue and bones, helps regulate sex hormones, supports brain and nerve function.

Zinc- has a significant impact on immune health, including helping to heal damaged tisssue and healthy cell growth.

Health Benefits of Tibetan Goji Berries

The modern world has taken many of us away from the remarkable healing properties that nature has to offer. At the same time, ancient healing techniques using available materials like goji berries were developed by trial and error. 

Today, we can verify the rich, abundant healing properties offered by the natural world through the insights of modern science. Here are a few of the health benefits of the goji berry.

Prevent Cell Oxidation and Slow Signs of Aging

Too many free radicals in your body, whether from smoke, environmental toxins, diet, or stress, damage your cells. Cell oxidation refers to the damage caused by free radicals to cells, proteins, and DNA. They are a significant component of aging.

Lycium berries have been used in Asia for centuries to slow the signs of aging and promote longevity, and modern research is discovering how that works. Initial studies show that goji berry extracts protected cells from radiation-induced DNA damage even at very low doses. 

Protect the Brain and Fights Alzheimer's

Traditional healers have included goji berries in tinctures designed to protect the brain cells and nerves from neurodegeneration. Modern science is backing this up with initial, pre-clinical studies demonstrating that goji berries improve cognitive function and protect against Alzheimer's.

Fight Cancer

In a study on human liver cells, goji berry extract was effective at fighting cancer. Additional studies showed the same results against skin cancer and breast cancer cells.

In a preclinical study using mice, researchers found that goji berries may inhibit cancer growth and strengthen the effectiveness of cancertreatments.

Strengthen the Immune System

With so many minerals and vitamins, it makes sense that goji berries would strengthen the immune system and help it function better. A preclinical study in Korea found that goji berries helped improve immune system function and also aided in fatigue recovery and stamina. 

Protect the Liver

Your liver works day and night to break down and create nutrients and balance the contents of your blood, so the right vitamins, minerals, and enzymes reach each part of your body. Research shows that goji berries reduce liver toxicity and oxidative stress and reduce the DNA damage these conditions would otherwise cause.

Support Healthy Eyesight

Modern life with hours of screen time and artificial light puts extra strain on the eyes. A study showed that goji berries had a beneficial impact on eye health and may prevent or delay age-related macular degeneration, while participants who took lutein and zeaxanthin supplements instead of goji berries saw little to no benefit. 

Another study indicates goji berries may protect the retina from the ganglion cells responsible for glaucoma.

Aid Digestion

Researchers are discovering more and more connections between digestion and mental health. It turns out that goji berries may benefit both.

In a double-blind study that gave participants either goji berry juice or a placebo for 14 days, researchers found that people who drank the goji berry juice reported an increase in general well-being, improved neurologic performance, and better digestion.

Goji Berry Skin Benefits

In addition to their antioxidant and anti-aging benefits, goji berries protect your skin against UV radiation. Many of the components found in goji berries, from vitamin C to essential fatty acids, are good for your skin. 

Vitamin C supports the production of collagen. Fatty acids strengthen the skin barrier and help reduce inflammation. The antioxidants in goji berries help fight skin reactions, reduce signs of aging, and eliminate toxins from the skin.

In a preclinical study, researchers found that goji berry juice reduced the inflammation from sunburn and counteracted the immune suppression that sunburn would typically cause.

Goji berry liquid and powders are finding their way into more and more skin products.

Get Your Goji Berries Direct From the Source

If you are looking for a delicious, potent health supplement, it’s hard to beat the chewy texture and sweet taste of goji berries. Three tablespoons a day packs many of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs to find and maintain optimal health.

While many countries have started growing goji berries to capitalize on their superfood status, when you purchase goji berries from Jampha, you tap into a time-honored tradition. Our hand-picked and hand-dried organic goji berries are shipped directly from Tibet, where they have been carefully cultivated and used as food and medicine for thousands of years.