The Goji Berry- Nature’s Secret Weapon Against Aging
How do we find a way to wage war against the aging process? Many have sought the answers in exotic places, filled with magic and mystery. They have sought it in exercise, in herbal medicine, in special food substances.
The Well of Youthful Living – The Trail Leads to China
And so, of course, many have sought these great secrets in China - home of the Shaolin temple. Here was a focal point for a great movement in the furthering of the martial arts, of Taoist yoga, of Chinese acupuncture and herbal medicine. In all these disciplines, Masters sought the secret of immortality and extreme longevity. Yet, despite the arduous path to most of this knowledge, perhaps one of its China’s most accessible tools for extending the human lifespan is a simple food, a tiny little berry - the Goji.
In the Americas, explorer Ponce de Leon sought the answer in Floridian waters, where he chased after for the Fountain of Youth. But, in China, during the T’ang Dynasty, about eight centuries into our era, near a remote Buddhist temple, there was a tiny well embroiled in Goji vines. The poet Liu Yuxi, who died in 842 A. D., penned an ode to this well, which he called, “The Well of Youthful Living.” For to those, who like Liu, observed those who came back and forth from the well, after sampling its clear water and feasting on the fresh Goji berries, there was a sense of regeneration and youth in the very old, pilgrims over eighty with black and shining hair and a mouthful of teeth. Surely legend had intruded into this story. But was there truth as well?
Ling Qing Yuen and His Goji Soup
A later legend talks about a Chinese man named, Ling Qing Yuen, an herbivore born in 1678 A. D. Ling did not eat meat, subsisting primarily on steamed vegetables grown above the ground, some special herbs and a daily soup - made of Goji berries! According this story, Ling Yuen lived to 252 years old, dying in 1930 A.D. Surely his diet would be of some interest to people looking towards finding a weapon against aging.
Was there Goji before China?
Although legend traces the Goji to China, it also suggests that its ancient powers may have been discovered in the Himalayas, the source of much of the Goji berries today. Goji juice may have been mined by Himalayan sages centuries before the Well of Youthful Living was dug in 8 th Century China. According to legend, the generous Himalayan sages shared their wisdom with the herbalists of India, of Tibet and of China. A small handful of seed, hidden in a monk’s robe would seed the magic berry in remote valleys in other parts of Asia.
Why the Himalayas?
According to scientists, Goji berries are the most nutrient-dense berry on Earth with special, bioactive polysaccharides. It may be due, in part, to the fact that this range of mountains is closer to the sun than any other place on Earth.
Goji’s Incarnates in the Twentieth Century
Where can you gain access to Goji today? Why, you need look no father than this simple web page, comparable to crevices of an eight-century monk’s robe! With a simple click of your mouse, you gain access to this flavorful, exciting nutritional substance in a pure, but powerful state.
Scientific Research
Goji, whose scientific name is lycium barbarum (Goji's Latin name) has been the subject of many scientific studies. Reports based on the over 50 scientific studies about Goji have been published in the British Journal of Nutrition, the Physiology Academic Journal, the Journal of Chinese Herbal Medicine, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Hygiene Research and other prestigious health publications.
We highly recommend that those interested in Goji look for themselves at reports of the scientific studies that have been done on this marvelous fruit.
Why is Goji Juice so Powerful as a Food? What Kinds of Nutrients are Present in Lycium Barbarum?
Try 19 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, a plethora of anti-oxidants, including beta-carotene- more protein than wheat, more Vitamin C than oranges; Vitamin E, which is rarely found in fruits; essential fatty acids and many other substances. Still, scientists suspect, knowing the vitality of lycium barbarum - that there may be some surprises still up for grabs in magic molecular composition of this nutrient-packed substance.
