Wolfberry—A National Treasure in China The good health and vitality of the elderly in Ningxia, China, has long been attributed to wolfberries. A bowl of fresh wolfberries a day is part of daily life in Ningxia. And a yearly two-week festival in Ningxia celebrates the wolfberry and the amazing health benefits of the fruit, which is considered a national treasure.

A strong body of modern scientific evidence supports the wolfberry''''s legendary reputation.

Ancient references cited the wolfberry''''s ability to aid and protect the pancreas.* And modern Chinese scientists have determined that the wolfberry polysaccharide has “definite protective effects” on the pancreas cells that regulate the body''''s insulin system, the islets of Langerhans.*

Other researchers have determined that substances found in wolfberries have “prominent hepatoprotective activity,” meaning that they help protect the liver.*

Studies done in Beijing, China, show wolfberries to be effective in inhibiting inflammation and that they may induce an immune response.*

A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association concluded, “Wolfberry juice and its mixtures were shown to have immunomodulatory effects... by increasing splenic (spleen) microphages and splenic weight.”* There are a number of other studies that correlate increased spleen weight and improved immunological function.

Domestic and Foreign magazine published a story in the 1950s about the great herbal master Li Qingyun who lived more than 200 years and died in 1930. Li attributed his longevity to taking five grams of wolfberries every day. Li said, “From then on I became healthy and agile. I can walk a hundred li (a li equals half a kilometer) and not feel tired. I became better in strength and stamina than the average person.”

As studies continue, the science is clear—this remarkable fruit provides an abundance of health benefits!

 

It takes something truly extraordinary to last for 5,000 years. And, while Egyptians built the pyramids, and 2,200 years before Hippocrates became the father of Western medicine, Chinese physicians began recording their treasured medicinal legacy. Throughout these ancient writings, three health tonics consistently emerge: ginseng, ling tzi, and wolfberries. While ginseng was expensive and too potent for daily use and ling tzi was difficult to find, wolfberries were widely available and ideal for daily consumption.

Love Goji contains the amazing Ningxia or Chinese wolfberry, cherished for centuries, particularly in the Ningxia Province in China. Ancient medical texts mention the Chinese wolfberry''''s ability to regulate “vital energy,” “strengthen the physique,” and provide nourishment that can “lead to longevity.” The Chinese wolfberry was also said to “replenish vital essences” and “strengthen and restore major organs.”*

The most frequent references to wolfberries in early Chinese medical texts recommended wolfberries for strengthening the eyes, liver, and kidneys,* as well as for fortifying the “qi” (chi), or life force. The well-respected medical book, Shen Nung Ben Tsao, noted wolfberry benefits ranging from replenishing vital essences to strengthening and restoring major organs.* Li Shiz Hen, regarded by many as the greatest herbalist of all time, compiled the well-renowned physician''''s handbook Ben Cao Gang Mu. The book reports, “Taking in Chinese wolfberry regularly may regulate the flow of vital energy and strengthen the physique, which can lead to longevity.”

The book also shares this account:

“The Bao Shou herb store recorded a wolfberry elixir that promotes longevity.... A barefooted man named Zhang passed the formula of this elixir to an elderly person at Yi Shi County, who followed the recipe and lived for over a hundred years. The elderly man could walk extremely fast as if he was flying. His gray hair turned black again....”

There is another story of a woman who, during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.), lived more than three hundred years. She said that her secret to longevity was the wolfberry.