Discover the Goji

Source Wikipedia
Wolfberry, commercially called goji berry, is the common name for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum (Chinese: 寧夏枸杞; pinyin: Níngxià gǒuqǐ) and L. chinense (Chinese: 枸杞; pinyin: gǒuqǐ)


Macronutrients

Wolfberry contains significant percentages of a day's macronutrient needs – carbohydrates, protein, fat and dietary fiber. About 68% of the mass of dried wolfberries exists as carbohydrate, 12% as protein, and 10% each as fiber and fat, giving a total caloric value in a 100 gram serving of 370 (kilo)calories.
[edit] Micronutrients and phytochemicals

Wolfberries contain many nutrients and phytochemicals including

* 11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals
* 18 amino acids
* 6 essential vitamins
* 8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides
* 5 unsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid
* beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols
* 5 carotenoids, including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin (below), lutein, lycopene and cryptoxanthin, a xanthophyll
* numerous phenolic pigments (phenols) associated with antioxidant properties

Select examples given below are for 100 grams of dried berries.

* Calcium. Wolfberries contain 112 mg per 100 gram serving, providing about 8-10% of the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI).
* Potassium. Wolfberries contain 1,132 mg per 100 grams dried fruit, giving about 24% of the DRI.
* Iron. Wolfberries have 9 mg iron per 100 grams (100% DRI).
* Zinc. 2 mg per 100 grams dried fruit (18% DRI).
* Selenium. 100 grams of dried wolfberries contain 50 micrograms (91% DRI)
* Riboflavin (vitamin B2). At 1.3 mg, 100 grams of dried wolfberries provide 100% of DRI.
* Vitamin C. Vitamin C content in dried wolfberries has a wide range (from different sources[citation needed]) from 29 mg per 100 grams to as high as 148 mg per 100 grams (respectively, 32% and 163% DRI).

Wolfberries also contain numerous phytochemicals for which there are no established DRI values. Examples:

* Beta-carotene: 7 mg per 100 grams dried fruit.
* Zeaxanthin. Reported values for zeaxanthin content in dried wolfberries vary considerably, from 2.4 mg per 100 grams [41] to 82.4 mg per 100 grams [42] to 200 mg per 100 grams[43]. The higher values would make wolfberry one of the richest edible plant sources known for zeaxanthin content.[44] Up to 77% of total carotenoids present in wolfberry exist as zeaxanthin.[45]
* Polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are a major constituent of wolfberries, representing up to 31% of pulp weight.






Goji Berries and ORAC

ORAC is the standard test, adopted by the US Department of Agriculture, to measure the potency of antioxidants in food.



Fruits ORAC Score

Goji Berries 25,300
Black Raspberries 7,700
Prunes 5,770
Bilberry 4,460
Pomegranates 3,307
Raisins 2,830
Blueberries 2,400