Goji Berries Benefits for Skin, Hair, and Health
Tiny, yet full of nutrients and mighty in beneficial effects for skin, hair, and health, Goji berries are a real force of nature and powerful superfood. Botanically named Lycium barbarum, Goji berries are also called wolfberries, Fructus Lycii, and also known in traditional Chinese Medicine as Gouqi.
Goji berries are eaten as raw or dried, as juice, syrup, tea, extract, powder, capsules, or tablets. For skincare, the berries are used in creams, lotions, serums, oils, shampoos, and so on.
Now, fill a bowl with yummy Goji berries and snack on them while I tell you more about their benefits.
The Fascinating Story of the Goji Berry
Goji berries are native from China, and they have been one of the most ancient used fruits both as food and medicine for over 2,000 years. They also grow in other warm regions such as Central and Southwest Asia, North America, Australia, and the Mediterranean area.
The Goji tree grows to be 3 meters tall, yet the berries are tiny. They are no more than 2 cm, oblong in shape, vividly red-orange, with as much as 60 tiny-tiny yellow seeds and they taste sweet-sour-ish. Goji trees thrive in harsh conditions and love the sun.
Small, Goji is no ordinary fruit. It’s so unique, that it has its place among over 300 other plants, in China’s first herbal encyclopedia “Materia medica” of Shen Nong, dating from the First Century BC. Classified with superior tonic qualities for longevity and stamina Goji berries keep you young and healthy, says the book.
Goji has been used both as food and medicine in many Asian countries from ancient times. It’s such a fantastic tree that all the parts of this plant have medicinal value: berries, leaves, bark, and root.
Tibetan monks used it, too, for vibrant vitality, energy, health and for a boost in mental strength to meditate for more extended periods.
Well, it seems ancients knew what science is just discovering now.
What’s Inside a Goji Berry?
So, what’s inside that vibrant orange, slim, and delicately sweet berry that makes it so wanted?
This cute and tiny berry is a powerhouse of nutrients which have a plethora of benefits for skin, hair, and health.
- Amino-acids
- Phenolics
- Carotenoids (beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin)
- Flavonoids
- Vitamin A, B2, and C
- Copper
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Iron
- Potassium
Goji berries are so widely used in China, that in a survey, they came on the third place, after ginseng and another famous Chinese herbal mixture.
Aren’t they great? I can hear you say “Ok, ok, I’m eating them right now, but what effects will they have on me?”
What are the Beauty Advantages of Goji Berries?
Here are ten of the most significant, most fantastic benefits of the Goji berry for your skin, hair, and health.
1. Amazing Phytonutrient Powerhouse for Skin
Goji berries can be consumed or applied topically on the skin as creams, lotions, serums, and other skincare products. They’ll nourish, hydrate, and rejuvenate your skin, making it younger, tighter, firmer, smoother, and brighter.
Vitamin C and other phytonutrients and polyphenols in Goji berries decrease the oxidative stress of skin cells, regulate the sebum production, and detoxify the skin, thus reducing the risk of acne and other skin problems.
Goji berry seed oil has a low comedogenic rate so it won’t clog your pores, making it perfect for acne-prone skin, mature skin, and oily skin.
2. Anti-UV Rays Knight In Orange Armor
Do you know the vivid orange color in Goji berries? Well, the master painter is this class of bioactive compounds called carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene). But are they good for other things besides the coloring effect?
Due to its high antioxidant content, it protects the skin from UV rays, and it fights against free radicals that can damage skin cells. So, Goji berries are really like mighty, yet, tiny knights in orange armors fighting for the health of your skin.
3. Anti-inflammatory Wiz
Your skin also benefits from the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers of the Goji berry. They help reduce inflammation in various skin condition such as acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis.
Goji berries can assist with other inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, rheumatism, and gout. Anti-inflammatory nutrients such as vitamin C protect the cell and tissues from free radical which, otherwise, would cause inflammation and pain.
Moreover, the antifungal properties of Goji save you from fungal infections, while another compound present in Goji berries, called Solavetivone, calms down allergic reactions.
The polysaccharides in Goji berries have shown antioxidative, hepatoprotective, and heart-protective properties.
4. Stimulate the Collagen Production
Goji berries are super high in vitamin C, which is known to stimulate collagen production in the skin. This additional collagen production will help maintain the skin’s elasticity and juggle with the oxidative stress so it won’t mess with your skin. You get superelastic, super supple, and super firm skin with Goji berries, if you consume them as food and use them topically, in natural cosmetics.
5. Hair Beautifiers
Girls, wear some cute berries in your hair, and you’ll have a magical glow around your head. Well, while it’s not working like that (would be too easy, right?), Goji berries do help your hair if you use hair products (shampoos, masks, conditioners, hair tonics) containing these fruits.
Rich in vitamin A and C, Goji berries stimulate the microcirculation in your scalp, thus stimulating hair growth.
Your hair loves the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and polyphenols in Goji berries, as they nourish the scalp and hair follicles, leaving your hair shiny and lustrous. They also help you get rid of dandruff.
6. Anti-Cancer and Anti-Tumor Fierce Fighters
Goji berries have proven to support and enhance other cancer treatments due to their immunomodulatory and anti-cancer properties. Their bioactive compounds like polysaccharides, vitamin C, and scopoletin have inhibitory effects on cancer cell lines.
More studies show that vitamin C in the Goji berry can suppress cervical cancer.
7. Tiny Berry for a Tiny Waist Line
With a low calorie and low glycemic index, and a fair amount of fibers, this superfood speeds up your metabolic rate, burns out belly fat faster, keep you feeling fuller for a longer time, decreasing your need to eat and reducing cravings. The result is in your waistline.
Drinking Goji berry juice may significantly improve your gastrointestinal functions helping you get better digestion and increase your body’s ability to eliminate toxins and prevent fat storage.
8. Hugh Stamina and Fertility
These berries are tiny but mighty. Full of stamina for men and fertility for women. You can say that it’s a natural Viagra, as it boosts sexual drive and stamina.
Due to their aphrodisiac properties, they improve sperm quality and increase testosterone levels in men.
Goji berries also restore hormonal health and the women’s ability to ovulate regularly.
9. Kidney Protectors
The Goji berry protects the kidneys due to their antioxidant content with anti-inflammatory properties.
In traditional Chinese Medicine, Goji berries are known to unlock and boost the energy in the kidney and liver meridians of the body. They restore your body’s vitality, cleanse the blood, and help remove kidney stones quickly.
10. Immortality Wizards
What??? Ok, I’m kidding. But I caught your attention, right? I know that both you and I dream of living forever (who wouldn’t want that, right?), but even if Goji berries don’t make you immortal, they have anti-age powers that can allegedly prolong your life for quite some years.
The longevity secret lies not only in your genes but in these tiny berries, too.
The anti-age powers of this tiny berry are incredible. They are not only protecting your skin from oxidative damage but your whole body, too.
The brain, liver, heart, eyes benefit from Goji berries’ powerful anti-aging effects. Encouraging studies to show that L. Barbarum (Goji berries) are fantastically useful in neurodegenerative diseases, retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma, and ocular hypertension, and protect neurons.
Polysaccharides and betaine in Goji berries can improve dry eye disease caused by oxidative stress and inflammation.
The scientifically proven therapeutic effects of the Goji berry go even further, on neuronal function, neurogenesis, learning, and memory, and they also reduce DNA damage.
Eat Goji Berries For Your Health
Maybe we won’t live forever if we use Goji berries in our daily skincare and health routines, but we’ll surely live a little bit healthier and happier for as long as we’ll live. And that’s what matters.