Goji Juice Research

Goji juice has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years, so it has been around long enough to have its nutritional abilities tested. Since it was so widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine it only makes sense that most of the goji juice research has been conducted by researchers in China. In TCM the berry has been used to protect the liver, strengthen eyesight, extend life and promote longevity, improve circulation, improve fertility and boost overall sexual function, and to fortify the immune system. Many of the goji berry research projects have been aimed at testing and proving these tradition uses of the berry.

In 2004 at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology tested the modulation of a polysaccharide-protein complex from goji berries on the immune system and tumors of mice. They gave the mice goji for ten days and found that it had a highly significant effect on tumor weight and that it improved the immune system of the mice.

In 2003 in the School of Public Health at Wuhan University there was a study designed to test the protective action of goji berry juice on DNA impairments of testicle cells caused by oxidation in mice. They concluded that it could clean out the free-radicals in the testicle cells, and would also start to repair some of the damage caused by the oxidative stress. This study was a great step in proving many of the health claims that stem from goji juice's incredibly high levels of antioxidants. This is some real proof that one of the main goji juicce benefits is for real.

The Department of Hygiene at The Hubei Medical University ran some goji juice research on the anti-fatigue effects of juice. This study showed that the goji polysaccharide "induced a remarkable adaptability to exercise load, enhanced resistance and accelerated elimination of fatigue. It also enhance the storage of muscle and liver glycogen, increase the activity of LDH before and after swimming, decrease the increase of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) after strenuous exercise, and accelerate the clearance of BUN after exercise." This was great news for those who want to use goji juice as an all natural replacement for other risky performance enhancing drugs for sports and weight lifting.

Since this product was only recently introduced to the western world there have been limited studies completed in the US in the UK. Like any other studies, goji research studies take a long time to do correctly. With the extreme word of mouth popularity and goji juice testimonials I would expect the medical and scientific communities of the western world to add their input in as soon as possible.

Here is a very interesting presentation by Dr. Victor Marcial-Vega on the effects of goji juice on blood cells, cholesterol, and ph balance. The best part about this study is that Dr. Vega is not affiliated with any companies that sell the product, so this is purely an unbiased goji juice research study.