Superfood Sunday // Goji berries

Hello lovelies, it is sunday once again which means that it is time for `Superfood Sunday´ and yet another post on one of my favorite superfoods – this week it will be all about goji berries! If the term superfood is new to you I would recommend reading my first post in the series, which focuses on superfoods in general – find it right here. Also make sure to check out my previous posts on chia seeds, maca, blueberries and broccoli.

Pancake breakfast pizzas topped with goji berries – recipe here!

Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, are red berries that origin from the Himalayan Mountains and even though the berry is quite new to the western countries, it has been known and consumed for its nutritional and medicinal benefits in China and Tibet for thousands of years.

Smoothie bowl with goji berries – recipe here!

Nutrional and health benefits:
“Unique among fruits because they contain all essential amino acids, goji berries also have the highest concentration of protein of any fruit. They are also loaded with vitamin C, contain more carotenoids than any other food, have twenty-one trace minerals, and are high in fiber. Boasting 15 times the amount of iron found in spinach, as well as calcium, zinc, selenium and many other important trace minerals, there is no doubt that the humble goji berry is a nutritional powerhouse.

This amazing little superfruit also contains natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. Their powerful antioxidant properties and polysaccharides help to boost the immune system. It’s no wonder then, that in traditional Chinese medicine they are renowned for increasing strength and longevity.” Source: The Healthy Eating site

Other health benefits:

• Supports the immune system (source)
• May decrease the risk of cancer and help cancer patients fight the disease (source)
• Contains anti-aging properties due to the high amounts of antioxidants
• Helps stabilize blood pressure and blood sugar levels
• Eyesight – may decrease the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (source)
• Lower cholesterol
• Support the liver (source)
• May aid weight loss (source)
• Improve skin and hair health (source)

Warning:
Please note that if you are taking medication for diabetes or blood pressure or if you take anticoagulant drugs (blood thinners) there can be adverse interactions if you consume goji berries. If you take medication for any of the above, then please make sure to consult with your doctor before adding goji berries to your diet.

Raspberry/goji berry smoothie – recipe here!

How to eat them
Goji berries are usually sold in dried form and they are chevy with a mild tangy taste that is slightly sweet and sour and taste a bit like cranberries. When it comes down to how to consume goji berries the possibilities are pretty much endless, they can simply be eaten raw as a snack or the berries can be made into juice, tea or extract or they can be added to soups, trail mix, muesli bars, smoothies, salads, baked goods, muesli, oatmeal etc.

You can click the links underneath the pictures to see some of my recipes containing goji berries, enjoy!

Trailmix with goji berries – details here!

Where to find goji berries
Goji berries are becoming more and more popular, which also makes the little red berries a lot easier to get a hold of. Goji berries are starting to become available in many supermarkets and grocery stores, but they usually only sell them in small and very overpriced bags so I would recommend buying them in health stores or online, where you can usually buy larger bags at a much better price. Make sure to buy goji berries that are licensed organic, the non-organic berries originating from China are often very heavily sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers.

Raw chocolate with goji berries – recipe here!