The inhabitants shared one trait that distinguished them from others. They were predominantly vegetarian and regularly consumed wolfberries. Moreover, the people who consumed this fruit lived free of common degenerative diseases like arthritis, cancer, and diabetes. Both the Ningxia wolfberry (also known as Lycium barbarum by botanists and as the goji berry by native Chinese) and ginseng (Panax ginseng) have been highly regarded for centuries as the foremost nutritional and therapeutic plants in China.
In fact, the Chinese hold a strong belief that human life might be extended significantly by using either of these herbs for an extended period. Unfortunately, ginseng is considered too strong for continuous use, and large amounts may not be suitable for people with high blood pressure or heart disease. On the other hand, the wolfberry is much milder, with no known risk from continuous use.
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Some 17 different varieties of wolfberry have been identified. However, only one "the Ningxia cultivar" has been shown to possess the extraordinary nutrient and anti-oxidant content to support greater longevity. Until recently the Ningxia wolfberry was grown only on the Yellow River in the Ningxia Province of China, but it has been successfully transplanted and cultivated at the Young Living farm in Mona, Utah.
In 1988, the Beijing Nutrition Research Institute conducted detailed chemical analyses and nutritional composition studies of the dried wolfberry fruit. The Ningxia wolfberry contained over 18 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, more protein than bee pollen, more vitamin C than oranges, and nearly as much beta carotene as carrots.
Perhaps this is why the Chinese have traditionally attributed so many benefits to the wolfberry, claiming it protects liver function, replenishes vital essences, improves visual acuity, and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. The Ningxia wolfberry was also said to strengthen muscles and bones, stimulate the heart, and work as an aid to treat diabetes and impotence.
Strongest Antioxidant known according to a new test known as ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), developed by USDA researchers at Tufts University, The Ningxia Wolfberry is the highest known antioxidant food, possessing an unmatched ability to absorb injurious free radicals that attack the body and contribute to cancer and aging.
Developed by Dr. Guohua Cao at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, the ORAC test is one of the most sensitive and reliable methods for measuring the ability of antioxidants to absorb oxygen radicals. It is the only test to combine both time and degree of inhibition of free radicals.
Since the early 1980s, the Ningxia wolfberry has been the subject of a number of important clinical studies, including several published by the State Scientific and Technological Commission in China. These studies have documented the antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties of the Chinese wolfberry.
From July 1982 to January 1984, the Ningxia Institute of Drug Inspection conducted a pharmacological experiment using multi-index screening (Register No. 870303). Their conclusion was: The fruits and pedicels of the Ningxia wolfberry were effective in increasing white blood cells, protecting the liver, and relieving hypertension. The alcoholic extract of wolfberry fruits inhibited tumor growth in mice by 58 percent, and the protein of wolfberry displayed an insulin-like action that was effective in promoting fat decomposition and reducing blood sugar.
Another clinical experiment by the Ningxia Institute (Register No. 870306, October 1982 to May 1985) studied the effects of Ningxia wolfberry on the immune, physiological, and biochemical indexes of the blood of aged volunteers. The results indicated that the wolfberry caused the blood of older people to noticeably revert to a younger state.
Can the Ningxia Wolfberry Boost Immune Function? According to a report of the State Scientific and Technological Commission of China, the Ningxia wolfberry contains compounds known as lycium polysacharides, which appear to be highly effective in promoting immunity.
This conclusion was supported in a number of clinical trials. In one study on a group of cancer patients, the wolfberry triggered an increase in both lymphocyte transformation rate and white blood cell count (measures of immune function). In another study involving a group of 50 people with lower-limit white blood cell counts, the Ningxia wolfberry increased phagocytosis and the titre of serum antibodies (another index of immune function).
Unhealthy levels of titre of serum antibodies have long been assoÂciated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as Epstein-Barr). Does this mean that the wolfberry could be used as a weapon against Epstein-Barr? The possibilities are intriguing.
In another study, consumption of Ningxia wolfberry led to a strengthening of immunoglobulin A levels (an index of immune function). Because the decline of immunoglobulin A is one of the signs of aging, an increase in these levels suggests that the wolfberry may enable injured DNA to better repair itself and ward off tissue degeneration.Is the Ningxia Wolfberry a Powerful Antioxidant?
As we grow older, the levels of lipid peroxide in our blood increase, while levels of health-protecting antioxidants, like superoxide dismutase (SOD), decrease. In a clinical study of people who consumed doses of wolfberry, SOD in the blood increased by a remarkable 48 percent while hemoglobin increased by 12 percent. Even better, lipid peroxide levels dropped by an astonishing 65 percent.
Does the Ningxia Wolfberry Protect Eyesight? A test was conducted on the effects of wolfberry on eyesight. Twenty-seven people were tested and showed a dramatic improvement in both dark adaptation and vitamin A and carotene content of their serum (measures of eyesight acuity).
