Vernacular names: Goji berry, common wolfberry, Barbary wolfberry, Thorn of Christ
Binomial Names: Lycium barbarum
Description: This shrub species is native to Asia and is widely distributed in southern Europe.
It is a shrub that can reach 80 cm to 3 m in height, with flexuous, hanging and slightly thorny branches.
The leaves are solitary, lanceolate or long elliptical and measure 2-3 cm in length and 30-40 mm in width. They are obsolete.
Flowering takes place from June to September. The flower has a 4-5 mm campanulate calyx, usually with 2 lobes and a purple corolla with an 8-10 mm tube and shorter lobes. They are purple in color.
The fruit is a red berry more or less orange, oblong, developing sweet flavors a little harsh. Harvest these berries from August to October.
Cultivation: The soil must be rich in humus and alkaline.
Fertilizer for green plants rich in nitrogen and potassium every three weeks.
Exposure: full sun
This plant supports a minimum temperature of -20°C but protect from frost if the plant is still green
Phytotherapeutic effects: The berry is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, carotenoids, trace elements, immuno-stimulating polysaccharide elements.
Properties and uses: The Barbary wolfberry, or Goji, is a small shrub sought after for the production of berries. Its oblong red-orange berries are edible and appear from August to October. They are very rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and have been used for millennia in Chinese pharmacopoeia. Consumed daily, preferably dried, they would have beneficial effects on the body and improve health. In Chinese medicine, goji berries are eaten in soups and dishes made with vegetables and chicken, to regulate the flow of qi in the body.
For an adult, the normal consumption is 20 to 30g of Goji berries per day, but if you take a little more or a little less, it does not matter! The important thing is to consume it regularly so that the effects of Goji can act.
According to some scientific studies, it is recommended to consume Goji berries in different forms to maximize the triggering of its therapeutic effects. You can therefore, for example, chew them raw, drink them in fruit juice, add them to soups or cooked vegetables, add them to muesli, etc.
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