Wolfberry, also commonly known as goji berry, is the fruit of Lycium chinensis, a large, rangy shrub native to China. Valued by Chinese traditional herbalists, wolfberry has been used for centuries both as food and for numerous purported medicinal benefits. Because of its delicate structure, wolfberry does not withstand shipping and is usually found in dried form or as a juice. A 1/4-cup serving of dried wolfberries provides 4 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, 140 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin A and 20 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin C.

Protects Liver from Damage:
The liver is one of the most resilient organs in our body and it can protect itself from chemical, free radical, and physical damages. However, this cycle of damage and regeneration can ultimately result in liver damage. Goji berry, on the other hand, has been used traditionally in Chinese medicine to frequently treat liver diseases. The extracts of goji berry showed free radical scavenging in the liver and protective properties.

Skin protection:
Ultraviolet radiation is one of the threats that we are all facing, due to the depletion of the ozone layer in several parts of the world. The exposure of the skin to UV radiation can result in skin damage and skin cancer in extreme cases. We can reduce this risk by consuming goji berries. Goji berry extracts can protect our skin from damage caused by UV radiation. Studies have shown that goji berries significantly reduce skin inflammation and immune suppression. The antioxidant potential in goji berries has been attributed to this action.

Improves Sleep Quality:
Some of the Chinese traditional uses of goji berry were to induce sleep and to reduce stress. Research has shown that goji berry, when given to human subjects, improved their quality of sleep significantly without having any adverse effects. Apart from this, easy awakening was also observed, compared to the control group.

Diabetes Control:
Diabetes has emerged as one the major diseases in the world in modern times. Controlling or preventing diabetes is absolutely necessary, as it can lead to the development of several other diseases such as obesity, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and ocular diseases. One of the major health benefits of consuming goji berries is that it can help in controlling diabetes. Recent studies suggest that the fruit extracts of goji berries possess considerable hypoglycaemic properties. Studies also indicate that using goji berries to control diabetes will yield no negative side effects.

Cholesterol Control:
Cholesterol is one of the major reasons for the development of heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol forms plaque-like structures inside the blood vessels and arteries that obstruct the blood flow. This in turn causes the heart to pump with higher force, resulting in heart weakening, which can be followed by a heart attack. For starters, cholesterol is one of two types. One is HDL or high density lipid cholesterol, which is good cholesterol, and the other is LDL or low density lipid cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol. It is the LDL or the bad cholesterol that forms plaque and leads to heart weakening. Recent studies have shown that the intake of goji berries reduces high cholesterol levels. In particular, LDL cholesterol levels are reduced.

Cardiovascular Protection:
Free radicals can also attack the heart, just as any other organ. When heart muscles are attacked, the result can be that the heart will be weakened. Although this happens over a long period of time, it is still required to take precautionary measures. Goji berry can act as a protective measure, as it contains anti-oxidant chemicals that can protect the heart from the attack of free radicals. Recent studies have noted significant free radical scavenging in the heart by goji berry extracts.

Anti-Cancer Properties:
Goji berry has not only been eaten as food; the Chinese also used it to treat cancer in their traditional medicine. Scientific investigations into goji berry fruit extracts revealed various anti-cancerous properties. They were tested on human cancer cells, which showed considerable control over the growth of cancer cells. Apoptosis, or the sudden death of cells, was observed for cancer cells when goji berry extracts were administered.