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Goji Berry

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Botanical Name :Lycium barbarum/Wolfberry

Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Lycium
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Solanales

Common Name :Chinese wolfberry, mede berry, barbary matrimony vine, bocksdorn, Duke of Argyll’s tea tree, Murali (in India), red medlar, or matrimony vine.] Unrelated to the plant’s geographic origin, the names Tibetan goji and Himalayan goji are in common use in the health food market for products from this plant.

If you are passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle then you are probably already aware of the current worldwide interest in the nutritional power of the Far East‘s best-kept secret – The legendary GOJI Berry!

Habitat :It is native to southeastern Europe and Asia

Description:
Wolfberry species are deciduous woody perennial plants, growing 1–3 m high. L. chinense is grown in the south of China and tends to be somewhat shorter, while L. barbarum is grown in the north, primarily in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and tends to be somewhat taller…... click & see

Now you can grow this amazing plant in your own garden for a continuous supply of this nutritional super-fruit………Click to see the picture

Fruit :These species produce a bright orange-red, ellipsoid berry 1–2-cm deep. The number of seeds in each berry varies widely based on cultivar and fruit size, containing anywhere between 10–60 tiny yellow seeds that are compressed with a curved embryo. The berries ripen from July to October in the northern hemisphere………..click & see

Leaves & Flowers:
Wolfberry leaves form on the shoot either in an alternating arrangement or in bundles of up to three, each having a shape that is either lanceolate (shaped like a spearhead longer than it is wide) or ovate (egg-like). Leaf dimensions are 7-cm wide by 3.5-cm broad with blunted or round tips…...click & see

The flowers grow in groups of one to three in the leaf axils. The calyx (eventually ruptured by the growing berry) consists of bell-shaped or tubular sepals forming short, triangular lobes. The corolla are lavender or light purple, 9–14 mm wide with five or six lobes shorter than the tube. The stamens are structured with filaments longer than the anthers. The anthers are longitudinally dehiscent.

In the northern hemisphere, flowering occurs from June through September and berry maturation from August to October, depending on the latitude, altitude, and climate.

Height: 72 inches
Position: Full Sun
Fruit ready to eat: April

Click to see the picture

Originally cultivated in the tranquil valleys of the Himalayan mountain range, the Goji Berry is one of nature’s best-kept secrets. Although this nutrient-rich superfood has been treasured by the Himalayan people for over 2000 years and praised for its unrivalled nutritional properties, it has remained unknown to the Western world until now.

Click to see the pictur.

How to use
Berries are sweet and tasty – eat anytime as a healthy snack .Add the berries to juices and smoothies . Use dried berries for highest nutritional benefits Brew them into a refreshing tea ,Soak dried berries in water for a tonic .Add to cereals and muesli mixes
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How to grow
As easy to grow as tomatoes! Grow in any well-drained soil in full sun Drought tolerant & self-pollinating . Plants are hardy down to -15C! High yielding plants – 1kg in their second year!
The key to a longer, healthier life just might be a single nutrient-packed berry.

A life expectancy of more than 100 years is not uncommon in some remote areas of the world. Even more interesting is the fact that these centenarians live long lives that are filled with health and vitality. Most of these people do not experience high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, many types of cancer, and the crippling pain of arthritis and degenerative diseases that we do here. Even as they age, their vision is sharp, they have energy and strength, and their minds are clear.

There is a region on the West Elbow Plateau of the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia where people have lived to be more than 120 years old. And the people of West Elbow are not the only ones to enjoy an extremely long life. In a remote region of southwestern China, in the tiny hamlet of Pinghan, which is located deep within a stand of limestone hills, the people there also experience extremely long lives. There are more than 74 centenarians and 237 residents who have reached their 90s in Pinghan and the surrounding area. That’s one of the highest concentrations of elderly people per capita in the world, according to Chen Jinchao, a surgeon who has run the Guangxi Bama Long Life Research Institute for the past 10 years.

Living longer and healthier lives is not exclusive to these two small tribal villages. A small handful of cultures where people live well into their 90s and beyond exist and are scattered across the mountains of Asia. Although the inhabitants of these areas where longevity exists and thrives might not know of the existence of the others, they all have some very important things in common: They live in isolated and sometimes inaccessible places. This isolation keeps them away from the more harmful influences of modern Western civilization. They don’t know what it means to eat processed or fast foods. Their diet consists mainly of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains; and it is low in animal fats. Most importantly, many of these people that live long and healthy lives consume regular daily helpings of a tiny red fruit that just happens to be the world’s most powerful anti-aging food, the goji berry.

The goji berry may be the most nutritionally dense food ever discovered on the planet. Goji contains the following:

* 19 amino acids, the building blocks of protein, including all eight essential for life;
* 21 trace minerals, including germanium, an anti-cancer mineral rarely found in foods;
* more protein than whole wheat 13 percent;
* a complete spectrum of antioxidant carotenoids, including beta carotene (a better source than even carrots) and zeaxanthin (protects the eyes); goji berries are the richest source of carotenoids of all known foods;
* vitamin C at higher levels than those found in oranges by 500 percent per ounce;
* B-complex vitamins, necessary for converting food into energy;
* vitamin E, which is rarely found in fruits, only in grains and seeds;
* beta sitosterol, an anti-inflammatory agent; beta sitosterol also lowers cholesterol, and has been used to treat sexual impotence and prostate enlargement;
* essential fatty acids, which are required for the body’s production of hormones and the smooth functioning of the brain and nervous system;
* cyperone, a sesquiterpene that benefits the heart and blood pressure, alleviates menstrual discomfort and has been used in treating cervical cancer;
* solavetivone, a powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial compound;
* physalin, a natural compound that is active against all major types of leukemia; it has been shown to increase splenic, natural killer-cell activity in normal and tumor-bearing mice, with broad spectrum, anti-cancer effect; it has been used as a treatment for hepatitis B;
* betaine, which is used by the liver to produce choline, a compound that calms nervousness, enhances memory, promotes muscle growth and protects against fatty liver disease; Betaine also provides methyl groups in the body’s energy reactions and can help reduce levels of homocysteine, a prime risk factor in heart disease; it also protects DNA; and
* most importantly, it contains 23 bioactive polysaccharides and four unique bioactive polysaccharides called lyceum barbarum 1, lyceum barbarum 2, lyceum barbarum 3 and lyceum barbarum 4; these four unique bioactive polysaccharides are found only in the goji berry.

You may already know about vitamins, minerals and antioxidants when it comes to nutrition, but have you heard about bioactive polysaccharides, glyconutrients and glycobiology?

This new healing science is changing the way doctors view health, nutrition and longevity. Glyconutrition is the science of saccharides, or sugars, that maintain cellular communication in the body, and is extremely important for good health and longevity. In fact, four of the last eight Nobel Prizes for medicine have been awarded for work in glycobiology and cellular communication and their importance to wellness.

Gylconutrients, also known as bioactive polysaccharides, are a family of complex carbohydrates bound to proteins. They are produced by some plants as an extremely effective defense mechanism against attacks by viruses, bacteria, fungi, soil-borne parasites, cell mutations, toxic pollutants and environmental free radicals. This defense mechanism is passed on to us when we consume the plant or fruit. These glyconutrients help prevent some illnesses and promote recovery from others, including cancer, heart disease, auto-immune disease and recurring infections.

The words glyconutrients and bioactive polysaccharides are often used interchangeably. They are special sugars that help the body distinguish what belongs in it from what does not. So it is clear just how important these special sugars are when it comes to how our cells react to foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. The body does not produce these special sugars. We get them through our diet.

It has also been shown in clinical trials that bioactive polysaccharides reduce the effects of allergies and diminish symptoms of arthritis or diabetes. They also help heal skin conditions like psoriasis, and increase the body’s resistance to viruses, including those causing the common cold and the flu. They help prevent recurrent bacterial ear infections that plague children. A number of people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and other autoimmune disorders have reported improvement in their symptoms when they supplemented their diet with these simple sugars. And the “sweet” thing about these sugars is they won’t cause the body to gain weight or increase insulin levels. The opposite is true. These bioactive polysaccharides have been shown to help patients lose weight, can be taken while on a low-carbohydrate diet and have no contraindications for diabetes.
Nutritional studies tell us that foods we eat play a crucial role in aging. Scientists tell us, when it comes to longevity, our genetic potential is 120 to 140 years.

So why should we need to supplement our diets with additional bioactive polysaccharides? If the body’s natural defense mechanisms are compromised by long-term stress, a sequence of debilitating problems can occur. Note that stress is not just the cause of a bad or difficult experience. It could also be the way you handle daily life, time management issues or concerns about the way people view you. When the body is under stress, it may not be able to manufacture bioactive polysaccharides properly or fast enough.

When this happens, your body begins to shut down and won’t work properly. Faulty communication occurs when the body begins manufacturing imperfect glycoproteins, which are protective substances made from bioactive polysaccharides. Glycoproteins combine sugars and proteins, which cover cells. When these glycoproteins are compromised, disease may eventually result, especially if the body is under prolonged physical, emotional or mental stress.

Supplementing with foods and nutrients rich in bioactive polysaccharides can help prevent this potential breakdown and help the body fend off illness. Glycoproteins can act as receptor sites on cell surfaces. Receptor sites are where the cell controls what enters it. These receptor sites can become blocked by environmental toxins and other substances. For cells to benefit fully from medicinal or nutritional therapies, receptors must be unblocked. Special bioactive polysaccharides, called free glyconutrients, literally clean the cells’ receptor sites so the cell can recognize and absorb the proper substances.

Bioactive polysaccharides are an important part of the body’s cell-to-cell communication process. From the moment life begins, cells communicate with each other using the sugars, or glycoproteins, on the cell’s surface.

Bioactive polysaccharides enable cells to send and receive messages. As mentioned before, glycoproteins are created inside our cells from the bioactive polysaccharides we take into our bodies. These glycoproteins are pushed out of the center of the cell to the cell’s surface, where they stick out, creating a peach fuzz effect. Cells brush up against each other touching these glycoproteins, or peach fuzz, which is how all the most important communication in the body takes place. When a foreign invader comes in contact with the glycoproteins of immune cells, the cells recognize it as an enemy and mount an immune-cell offensive to rush in and destroy it.

As we age, our bodies begin to break down. Our immune systems become less effective, our eyesight and hearing diminish, and osteoporosis sets in. Obviously, if we can figure out how to replace the old, sick cells with new, healthy ones, we can look forward to a much healthier life. Glyconutrition research indicates that bioactive polysaccharides help slow the aging process and, in some cases, even reverses it.

How can we use glyconutrition research to extend our health and longevity? Nutritional studies tell us that foods we eat play a crucial role in aging. Scientists tell us, when it comes to longevity, our genetic potential is 120 to 140 years.

Cells communicate with each other in their own language, which is an important aspect to human health and longevity. If our cells are missing the right amount of bioactive polysaccharides for building the receptors, the receptors wonâ€t form adequately. This leads to incomplete and incorrect communication between those cells, because part of the language used by the cells is missing.

This breakdown in cellular communication leaves us more susceptible to disease. By replenishing bioactive polysaccharides, thereby improving the quality of our cell’s receptor sites, we can give our body greater resistance against disease because our cells can communicate more effectively.

Goji contains the richest source of bioactive polysaccharides in the world, including four unique polysaccharides that are more powerful than any others that have ever been found in any plant on the planet. Research strongly suggests that goji’s unique bioactive polysaccharides, again sometimes referred to as glyconutrients, work in the body by serving as directors and carriers of the instructions the cells use to communicate. These master molecules command and control many of the body’s most important biochemical defense systems and balance the body’s chemistry.

Goji also acts to cause the secretion of GH factor, or growth hormone, from the pituitary gland. This is the youth hormone and can decrease body fat, reduce wrinkles, restore hair loss, increase energy, increase sexual function, improve memory, improve sleep, elevate mood, normalize blood pressure and improve blood sugar and insulin levels.

No one has all the answers for a longer and healthier life, but it is hoped that the information herein will have a profound impact on your health and that of your patients.

Click to learn more about the plant & fruit …..(1)…….(2).

Click to see:->
Compounds in Goji Berries and Other Plants May Prevent Blood Clots

What makes the Goji Berry so powerful???

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:

http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/product/

And Article by Peter Lazarnick, DC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry

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Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits & vegetables

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What is the diffenence between fruits and vegetables?

The difference between a fruit and vegetable depends largely on your perspective, From a botanical perspective, a fruit is the mature ovary of a plant, such as an apple, melon, cucumber, or tomato. From the common, every day “grocery store perspective,” we tend to use the word fruit with respect to fruits eaten fresh as desserts —- apples, peaches, cherries, etc. – We normally eat fruits raw and vegetables cooked. In India green papaya, green banana etc. are considered as vegetable, because, they eat them cooked but when they are ripen they call them fruit as then they eat them raw.Now sometimes vegetable when we eat raw we call them SALAD, like cucumber,tomato,onion,radish,cabbage,carrot etc

But whatever way you eat  “EATING FRUIT & VEGETABLES” is always good for health. Eating raw (uncooked) fresh vegetable is better. I have learnt about a family in India who eat only raw but fresh vegetables & fruits in their break fast, lunch and dinner.(never eat anything cooked).They have been doing this practice since last 20 years and they claim that none of their family members visited any doctor during this period for any kind of illness.They became a news flash in TV channel in Calcutta, (a city in India.)

Why do we eat vegetables?

This is a question that would never be asked of fruit. Fruit is sweet. We love sweet things. We love to eat fruit. But vegetables can be bitter, and apart from carrots and sweet potatoes, they are generally not sweet.

How is it, then, that we came to eat vegetables? Partly, it is ‘hardwired’ into us. For good body efficiency reasons.

Basically, we are an evolutionary line from a group of mammals that, from about 65 million years ago until around 50 million years ago were small insectivores, but which evolved to fill tree top vegetable-matter (foliage, fruit, tree seeds, or mixed vegetation based diets) eating niches, while still eating insects whenever we could (chimpanzees , orang-utans, gorillas, gibbons, and the siamang – all apes – eat insects).

Gorillas probably branched out earlier from the ape human ancestral line and so their life way gives us fewer insights into our ancestry (they probably went their separate way around 8 million years ago). Mountain gorillas, in particular, are primarily foliage eaters, consuming large amounts of pithy stems, buds, leaves and shoots. These foods are low in energy density, and gorillas have to eat a lot of plant material to meet their energy needs. They are now fairly specialized vegetation eaters.

Chimps, which have more recently diverged from our ancestral line (generally estimated at around 4.5 million years ago), are more likely to reflect at least some of our ancestral food preferences. Chimps don’t seem to tolerate grossly fibrous food as well as gorillas. They chew leaves into a “wadge’, and press the wadge against their teeth to extract the juicy parts, then spit out the fibrous residue. Chimps prefer insects and meat where it is available in their environment, but in their (primarily) forest environment it is not commonly available. Succulent piths – carefully peeled of the tough exterior – blossoms, fruit, shoots, and leaves are the mainstay (around 95%) of their diet, with insects, eggs, and monkey meat opportunistically thrown in as and when available.

Even limited omnivory is a conservative adaptive trait, and even in the great apes, which have put ‘all their eggs in one evolutionary basket’, so to speak, retain the ability and desire to eat insects (and eggs!).

We eat vegetables because, while we intensively exploit ground based and shoreline animal protein and fats, we share massive amounts of our genetic profile with our related plant food subsisting apes (some scientists assert the genetic similarities are so overwhelmingly great that chimpanzees, the ape genetically ‘closest’ to us, ought to be classified as a species of human), and we are therefore genetically ‘programmed’ to exploit plant food as part of the primate omnivorous capabilities.

Even by the Australopithecine stage in our evolutionary line, we lacked the kind of molar configuration to deal with very pithy vegetation. But we did have the kind of jaw form that could do a lot of chewing on moderately firm and fibrous foods – such as lizards, locusts, baby birds, and plant ‘underground storage organs’ – tubers, roots, corms, bulbs – soft new stems, immature flower buds, fleshy leaf bases, tender new shoots, tree seeds (once opened with rocks), fungi, and acacia gums. The microscopic wear marks on Australopithecus afarensis front teeth are very similar to those on baboon front teeth – suggestive of an intake of similar highly selected, nutrient dense shoots, bulbs, and leaves.

Our gut has become overall shorter, but with an increase in the proportion devoted to the small intestine (where high nutrient foods such as meat are dealt to and absorbed) in order to be able to handle the higher nutrient density foods of seashore and hunt. The price of a shorter gut is less efficient digestion of plant materials, as there is not enough room for the necessary micro flora to help break it down (the female of our species is said to have a longer gut than men. It is an interesting speculation whether this is an evolutionary adaptation to eating more vegetable foods than men, and whether this explains the difference in ‘intestinal gas production’ between men and women -women have more vegetable efficient guts).

Because we have taken omnivory far further than any other related animal, and can live quite well on an almost exclusive meat and fat diet if we had to, does not mean that we can forever abandon eating plants. Plants are ‘powerhouses’ of many and complex ‘life enhancing compounds’, and we almost instinctively ‘know’ that we need them. If our sense of taste hasn’t been completely dulled and distorted by the cultural forces of our urban ‘fad’ diet, we sometimes feel a craving for ‘bitter herbs’, and seek them out. There may be the distant echo of instinctive ‘self medication’, or perhaps, ‘self biochemical regulation’ in this feeling.

Vegetables are an important – perhaps key – part of our ‘generalist’ evolutionary niche, in that the reliable carbohydrate source of bulbs and roots (and certain seeds) acted as insurance against failure in the high value but much more uncertain hunt. On top of this, humans need far more energy to fuel our brains than any other primate – around 300 kcal when at rest, and it has to be in the form of glucose, because that is the fuel the brain runs on. This energy requirement can be met relatively easily with some roots and tubers, depending on the carbohydrate content of the particular species. In some respects, we should perhaps consider roots and tubers as a major food item, in a separate class to leafy greens, shoots, buds, and flowers

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