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If you’re looking for a healthy, non-junk-food happy meal, you might want to incorporate the goji berry into your diet. This bright red berry  commonly found in China and Mongolia is used as a health food and as part of many Asian medicinal practices. It also has a reputation for making people feel more content, which is why it got the name “goji berry.” In Chinese, that roughly translates to “the happy berry.”

Also known as the wolfberry or gougi berry, the goji berry was mentioned in the earliest known medical text. In fact, documented use of the berry extends as far back as 1,900 years ago when prominent traveling healers used it as part of a regimen for their patients, believing it had the ability to keep the body nourished and healthy. These early healers would roam the country diagnosing health problems and attempting to keep their patients properly nourished. Unlike health care providers today, the healers would only be paid as long as their patients were healthy. If a person became ill, they would cease to pay the healer until he had brought them back to wellness.

And undocumented use of the goji berry extends back even longer than the 1,900 years of recorded medical history. Chinese legends tell of the first emperor of China who was reputed to have eaten the fruit daily because he believed it kept him well and free from sickness.

The goji berry has become central to many cultures throughout Asia, especially in China, and has a reputation as a healthy food with powerful natural abilities in the human body. Asians believe it can purge the body of illness, and doctors attest that they have seen regular consumption of the berry improve the health of their patients and cure various forms of sickness. As a result, the Chinese have even adopted the goji berry into many of their social events, including a special celebration meant to honor the fruit. And the goji berry has become popular in western cultures, too, where it is used as a health food. Likened to green tea, the goji berry has especially been favored by Hollywood celebrities, many of whom believe it may help them look younger longer.

Scientific Studies

Until recently the berry’s benefits were untested. Chinese medical authorities regularly used the berry and claimed to have scientific proof of its effects on the human body, but none of them were deemed accurate enough by western medical authorities.

Early in 2008, however, new studies were conducted using an approved scientific format to document the effect of a goji product in the body. The product was GoChi Juice, a health drink made from the goji berry. Clinical trials were conducted on people of all ages using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled format. Subjects were studied and their progress measured at 14 and 30 days of using the product after consuming 4 oz. of the product daily. After 14 days of use, those who drank the juice experienced:

• Sharper mental acuity
• Better quality sleep
• Easier ability to wake up
• Feeling healthier and more content
• Improved regularity
• Improved athletic performance
• Increased energy
• Reduced stress
• Increased ability to focus

After 30 days, those who drank the goji juice were also shown to have improved immune system functioning and natural antioxidant production. The placebo group showed no significant improvements in either function. These results were so ground-breaking, after being peer reviewed, the study was featured in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine.

Currently, China is the only country that farms the berry commercially. Though it’s is sold in many forms, the berry is most commonly marketed as a juice. Dried berries are also available. While the berries are much less expensive, they don’t contain all the nutrients found in the juice.

Image via WikipediaThis FAQ covers all the basic concepts you need to know as you read our health articles.

What are herbs?
According to Webster’s dictionary, an herb is “a plant valued for its medicinal, savory or aromatic qualities.” In fact, a number of today’s synthetic pharmaceutical preparations are derived from herbal extracts that were originally discovered and prescribed many years ago. The drug digitalis, for example, which is used to treat various types of heart ailments, is made from the leaves of the foxglove plant.

What are standardized extracts?
One problem with selecting herbal supplements is that you can’t always be certain of the potency of a particular formulation. Potency depends on a number of factors — what part of the plant was used, where it was grown, when it was harvested, how it has been processed and packaged — and it can either be very strong or virtually inert.

Because of these variables, it’s best to look for herbal supplements that list a “standardized” level of potency. The active compounds found in herbal extracts are usually expressed as a percentage of the total. For example, if a typical standardization level for an ingredient is expressed as 6 percent, that means 100 mg of the standardized herb supplies 6 mg of the active ingredient.

What are vitamins and carotenoids?
Although vitamins do not share a common chemistry, they share certain characteristics. They are all organic nutrients that are necessary in small amounts for normal metabolism and good health. Most vitamins must be provided by the diet or by supplements, but three vitamins (D, K and the B-vitamin biotin) can be manufactured in the body from non-dietary sources. Vitamins are not sources of energy as are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Instead, vitamins serve as chemical partners for the enzymes involved in the body’s metabolism, cell production, tissue repair and other vital processes. Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble.

The fat-soluble vitamins, which include A, D, E and K, are absorbed by the body using processes that closely parallel the absorption of fat. They are stored in the liver and used up by the body very slowly. The water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the B vitamins. The body uses these vitamins very quickly. Excess amounts are eliminated in urine.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamins, which is set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, has been enhanced with a standard called the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI). The DRI is a general term for four different rating sets that apply to vitamins, minerals and proteins taken by men or women in specific age groups. These ratings are:

* Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
EAR is the daily intake of vitamins that meets the requirements of 50 percent of the population group.

* Adequate Intake (AI)
If the EAR is unknown, AI is used. This is an estimate of an average intake that seems to be healthy and not dangerous.

* Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
RDA is the amount of a supplement that is sufficient to meet nearly all the needs of men or women in certain age groups.

* Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
UL is the maximum dose likely to be safe in nearly all individuals.

Another standard being developed is Daily Reference Values (DRV), which covers nutrients and other food components, such as phytoestrogens, fiber and nutritional factors that do not yet have any standards. Because vitamins and other dietary supplements are regulated as food (not drugs) by the government, no standards exist for effectiveness. Various manufacturers’ brands of vitamins differ in quality and in their ability to be absorbed by the body. The wise consumer shops for the lowest priced vitamins, as there appears to be no significant difference in quality between vitamins in various price ranges.

The FDA requires that vitamins and other dietary supplements include labels similar to those found on commercial foods. The label must include nutrient information and a list of all ingredients, as well as identification of the parts of plants from which ingredients are taken. Nonetheless, evaluation of the quality of a particular supplement is not required. There is no control over what goes into a dietary supplement, and little is known about long-term effects and risks. Studies on ginseng, for example, found that some supplements did not contain any active ingredients while others varied widely in the amount they contained. The US Pharmacopoeia, an independent organization that sets standards for drugs, has implemented standards for vitamins. Consumers should look for the USP label on supplements to ensure the products adhere to these standards.

We hope you found this health article helpful!

This health article about echinacea is provided to give you information that can empower you, but please be sure to use common sense when implementing any herbal treatment.

Depending on where you live, if you take a walk around your neighborhood during late summer to mid-autumn, you’re likely to see a flower garden with a profusion of tall, daisy-like, purple-pink flowers, called echinacea. This flower been a favorite of home gardeners for many years because of its tolerance to cold, heat and drought. As an added bonus, it attracts butterflies. But it’s more than just a pretty plant. While you may recognize it as the purple coneflower, it’s also one of America’s most popular herbal treatments.

Echinacea (pronounced ECK-in-AY-zhuh) has been used for generations by Native Americans to treat everything from a sore throat to snake bites to toothaches. Nineteenth century herbalists recognized its value as an immune system booster, and also used it to help speed wound healing, reduce inflammations, treat colds and flu, and fight infections. During the early 20th century, it was the best-selling medicinal tincture in America and was used for a variety of internal and external conditions. By around 1930, however, modern medicine dismissed it as worthless and it remained largely unused until the 1980s, when public interest in herbal remedies brought a renewed popularity to this hardy plant. Today, it’s among the best-selling herbal supplements; the two most popular varieties being Echinacea purpurea, which has larger, darker purple petals; and Echinacea angustifolia, which has narrower, paler petals.

Different studies typically show different results, but there is evidence that echinacea helps to relieve cold and flu symptoms and aids stimulation of the immune system. For best results, it’s recommended that you begin taking it at the first sign of a cold or flu, as it works best as a preventative rather than a cure-all. Better yet, take it at the beginning of cold and flu season to boost your immunity and guard against your catching a “bug.”

Echinacea has an excellent safety record: After hundreds of years of use, no toxicity or serious side-effects have been reported other than rare allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. It’s also a full-spectrum anti-microbial; that is, it’s effective against bacteria and viruses. It works not by destroying germs but by energizing your own immune system. And because it engages your body’s natural resources to affect a cure, negative side-effects (such as sometimes occur with synthetic antibiotics) are eliminated.

Most of the plant’s medicinal value is found in the root, with the Augustifolia root being slightly medicinally stronger than the Purpurea root — something to note when buying capsules or tinctures. Because of its ability to boost the immunity system, echinacea may also be recommended to overcome stress, malaise, or general weakness.

There is some question, though, as to whether it’s safe for people with auto-immune diseases. Because evidence tends to be somewhat inconclusive, it’s best to avoid it if you are HIV-positive or have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, multiple sclerosis or scleroderma. For most of us, though, it’s considered generally safe, although some digestive systems may need time to adjust to it. (It may cause mild nausea in rare cases.)

Echinacea is also recommend to combat seasonal spring allergies and sinus problems, but start taking the herb in February — before allergens are in the air. It’s important to note, however, that it shouldn’t be taken continuously. To maintain a healthy immune system, it’s best used on a “three weeks on, one week off” regimen because the body seems to become accustomed to it and it loses effectiveness. During the week you are not taking it, your immune system will adapt and increase in natural strength.

Photo by Ben Friday

We hope you found this echinacea health article helpful!