"Old Li, why are there goji berries steeped in your teacup?"
"The green tea is fragrant, the goji berries are bright red—this pairing looks soothing and tastes healthy."Old Li is renowned in his circle for his love of tea and his expertise in tea-based wellness practices. However, his belief that goji berries and green tea are the "perfect pairing" is actually neither wholesome nor healthy. This is because the tannic acid in green tea binds with trace minerals in goji berries, forming compounds that are difficult for the body to absorb. This leads to nutrient loss and can negatively impact health.
If goji berries shouldn't be paired with green tea, what is their ideal companion? How should they be used to maximize their therapeutic benefits?
Do you know about goji berries?
Goji berries possess significant medicinal value, containing nutrients including various vitamins and minerals such as carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. They support liver health and vision, demonstrating notable effects in antioxidant activity, anti-aging, and tumor suppression.
Boosting Immunity: Goji berries are rich in antioxidants like goji polysaccharides, carotene, and selenium. Goji polysaccharides possess potent activity, promoting phagocytosis by macrophages. This process helps maintain health by eliminating harmful microorganisms and pathogens.
Anti-tumor effects: Medical studies indicate goji berries significantly inhibit human cancer cells.
Liver protection: Goji berries shield the liver primarily due to their polysaccharides. These polysaccharides reduce fat pigment deposition and inhibit lipid peroxidation formation.
Anti-aging: Beyond polysaccharides, goji berries contain fats, proteins, free amino acids, and various bioelements including potassium, sodium, iron, and selenium. These components ensure normal cellular development while enhancing post-genetic damage repair capabilities, thereby delaying cellular aging.
Given these benefits, goji berries are suitable for individuals seeking to delay aging, nourish the liver and improve vision, boost immunity, or prevent cancer.
While beneficial, goji berries are not suitable for everyone. Due to their nourishing and warming properties, they should be avoided by those with colds, fevers, inflammation, or diarrhea. Individuals with hypertension or a hot temper should also consume them sparingly. Additionally, goji berries contain significant amounts of sugar, so diabetics must be cautious not to eat too many at once.
Three "Golden Pairings" for Goji Berries
· Red Dates
Combining red dates with goji berries improves complexion and alleviates cold hands and feet. This blend is especially beneficial for women and those with weak constitutions or low immunity.
Simply place red dates and goji berries in a cup, pour boiling water over them, or boil them directly in water for consumption.
· Japonica Rice
Japonica rice primarily boosts qi. When paired with goji berries, it not only nourishes the kidneys, enriches essence, and promotes blood circulation to improve vision but also alleviates symptoms like soreness in the lower back and knees, as well as dizziness.This combination is highly effective for those seeking to boost immunity, strengthen kidneys, and fortify the spleen.
Simply cook goji berries with japonica rice into porridge, consumed twice daily—morning and evening.
· Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum paired with goji berries offers notable health benefits for diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease, making it ideal for the elderly and those who strain their eyes frequently.
Preparing goji-chrysanthemum tea is simple: place a small amount of each into a teapot, add boiling water, and steep for ten minutes before drinking.
4 Tips for Selecting Quality Goji Berries · Look: Premium goji berries exhibit a deep red hue without excessive brightness, uniform size, and no blackened tips.· Touch: Quality goji berries feel non-sticky in your hand and show no clumping. If they feel rough or gritty, they are inferior. · Soak: Good goji berries are plump and tend to float on the water's surface when steeped.
· Smell: Some unscrupulous vendors use sulfur fumigation to enhance color, leaving behind a sour or pungent odor. Genuine goji berries lack such smells.
Moderate consumption of goji berries can nourish the body, but assess suitability before use.