Goji berries are the fruits of a unique plant that grows in the subtropical climate of Southeast Asia. The name of a tree that gives people fragrant and healthy fruits is ordinary dereza. And the exotic name Goji came up with the locals.
Growing in the green Tibetan valleys, the fruits of the tree are generously saturated with useful vitamins and minerals. Therefore, one should not be surprised at the positive effect of berries on metabolic processes and on the human body as a whole.
From the beginnings to the present day
Goji berry (wolf berry, Goji, common dereza, Tibetan barberry) is an evergreen shrub that grows in the subtropical climate of China, Tibet and Mongolia. Belongs to the family of nightshade plants, reaches a height of 2.5 - 3 meters.
Dereza vulgaris was discovered by Chinese monks about 5,000 years ago. Ancient people experimented with Tibetan barberry: they used it fresh and understood how to brew goji berries.
The positive properties of ordinary dereza, such as the normalization of the liver, kidneys and endocrine glands, have been tested by time. The fruits of the tree were used in Taoist, Tibetan, Chinese and other oriental medicine.
Soon the miraculous berry became known not only to monks, and ordinary Chinese. Further, it spread throughout the Asian continent and around the world. In Europe, the first Goji was sold in specialized stores. A certificate of quality and instructions on how to brew goji berries were attached to a small package.
Despite all the positive properties, goji berry “bites”. Curious people should not touch the tree in wildlife - an allergic reaction may occur.
High demand reason
Goji berries became really popular in the West, and then in Russia after 2004. The first who noticed the unique properties of berries were Western stars and representatives of domestic show business. Further growth in popularity reminded a chain reaction: the fruits of dereza fell to the taste of both businessmen and ordinary people.
What epithets did these berries not endow! And "male Viagra" and "conjugal wine" and "means for weight loss No. 1". It is not possible to check to the end the unique properties of goji berries - they affect each person in different ways. But one thing can be said: they really accelerate the metabolism and increase male potency.
A wealth of useful trace elements
Why do these berries have a positive effect on the human body? To do this, look under them under the peel and find out the composition:
- 4 polysaccharides.
- 21 minerals.
- Beta carotene.
- Essential amino acids that are not found in regular European food.
- Vitamins B, A and C.
- Antioxidants that prevent premature skin aging.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Fizalin is a substance that prevents serious blood diseases.
It is noteworthy that in a nondescript berry the size of a pumpkin seed, vitamin C is 5 times more than in a large orange.
The easiest way to check the effectiveness of the tool is to try it on yourself. How to brew, in what quantity to take goji berries - about all this in the next section.
Ways to use
Goji berries can be eaten either raw or in the form of a brewed drink.
The first option involves eating berries from a pack, similar to how you eat dried raisins or dried apricots. The taste of these peculiar dried fruits is very pleasant. We strongly recommend washing the berries before eating.
Goji berries will help diversify your morning diet. How to brew them to get a vitamin supplement? A pinch of berries should be doused with boiling water and mixed with yogurt, porridge or curd mass. Not only is the daily dose of vitamins replenished, so also the familiar food becomes more interesting.
Oddly enough, but goji berries are an excellent seasoning for meat dishes. They give a special aroma and make the taste of meat more refined.
The fruits of ordinary dereza have another unique property - when exposed to high temperatures, all useful trace elements remain intact. Read how to brew goji berries properly. Remember useful tips and put them into practice.
How to brew goji berries?
From dried fruits, you can get both aromatic tea and healing broth. It all depends on how to brew goji berries.
For losing weight people, a decoction is ideal. In this section, we will tell you how to brew goji berries. But this information is not enough. How much to brew goji berries and how to get fragrant tea from dried fruits?
The easiest way is to brew a medicinal product in boiling water. You will need a small 250 ml teapot and one tablespoon of berries. Pour dried fruits into a container and pour them with boiling water. After 20 minutes, the healing broth is ready for use! Such a drink should be taken three times a day in half a glass.
The second way is to add goji berries to the boiling water. How to make tea? Very simple - you need to mix a pinch of dried fruit with your favorite tea. A great idea is to brew goji berries in a thermos. So you will not part with your favorite tonic drink even at work!
A way for gourmets is to create a unique mix of oriental herbs. You will need a teaspoon of green tea, a pinch of chrysanthemum, jasmine and goji berries. All components are mixed and poured with hot boiling water. Tea is infused for 25 minutes. The resulting drink warms, tones and strengthens the immune system.
We have listed only the basic ways of making goji berries. The reviews of the above recipes speak for themselves - people are happy to drink various drinks with the addition of this gift of nature.
Benefits of Goji Berries
- The acceleration of metabolism. A big plus of goji berries as a means for losing weight is a gradual normalization of weight. A special effect is achieved by people who combine physical activity with the use of a decoction of the above fruits. We remind you that all losing weight people should eat right (do not eat after six, refuse flour, give preference to protein foods). Only in this case the set goal will be achieved.
- Strengthening the immune system. Doctors recommend eating goji berries in the offseason - at the time of viral infections. Thus, you practically eliminate the possibility of getting sick.
- Slowing down the aging process. In China, the legendary berry is called the key to longevity. This is true because it is very rich in antioxidants - substances that prevent tissue aging.
- Improving sexual function. Statistical observation of men and women who regularly consume berry infusion showed normalization of potency and libido.
- Digestive system restoration. If you have problems with the functioning of the digestive tract, then take an infusion of goji berries on an empty stomach and before bedtime.
- Great eyesight. The longevity berry is rich in beta-carotene - a substance responsible for the quality of vision.
- Normalization of blood. If you have problems with red blood cells or hemoglobin is reduced, then goji berries are what you need! They contain iron many times more than in cilantro, tomatoes and red meat.
- Liver cleansing. This body considers fat to be poison. This natural product will help to remove excess cholesterol from hepatocytes (liver cells).
- Improving the mental state. In China, goji berry is considered an antidepressant.
Surprisingly, the fact is that a plain little berry has a powerful healing effect on a weakened body.
Harm
Despite the unique properties of the fetus, the opposite effect is also possible. It is observed in those who do not know how to brew goji berries, or significantly exceed the allowable daily dose.
Possible side effects include the following:
- Insomnia.
- Diarrhea.
- Abdominal pain.
- Headache.
Goji berries are not recommended for people with severe food allergies. Hypertensive patients, diabetics and with problems with the gastrointestinal tract should take the fruits with caution. You should also not eat raw fruits.
How to distinguish an original berry from a fake?
Unfortunately, recently, cases of selling fake products have become more frequent. Instead of the Tibetan berry, dried barberry or tinted cranberries are put in the package. In order not to become a victim of scammers, you need to know what a real dried fruit looks like. We list the signs that make it possible to say with accuracy that this is a real Tibetan barberry:
- Natural color.
- Size from 1 to 1.5 cm.
- Sweet and sour taste.
- Dry and hard consistency, towards the end the fruit of the ordinary dereza is sharpened.
- When brewing, the dried fruits float up, and the water turns light yellow.
- The resulting broth is sweet and tastes good.
If you order goji berries online, then you should pay attention to the resource offering the product.
Signs of a suspicious site
- Obsessive presentation of information.
- The absurdity of the results. It is clear that the promise to lose weight in three days by 12 kg is a clear exaggeration.
- The price of the goods is too high.
- Too low product price. Chances are good to get a fake.
- The exact number of dried berries per package is not indicated.
Sometimes the fruits of dereza can be seen in ordinary stores. Most often, such a product of medium quality and produced in Russia. The best option is to order a small portion of goji berries online. It is necessary to give preference to foreign online stores with a clear site interface.
Follow these simple rules, beware of fakes!
Legend of a chinese monk
In the Chinese epic there is a myth about a monk who lived for 252 years. Every day, he ate some raw goji berries. There is no documented evidence of the myth, but recently (in 2006), Japanese doctor H. Wu made a curious discovery: Goji juice restores damaged DNA structure.