goji berries and why we should grow them
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Gojiberriesandwhy
weshouldgrowthem.Abstract
Goji is nutrient dense, has higher yields, takes minimal resources to produce, and provides an annual
crop without annual planting. Sustainable permaculture increases our food security on the farm and
goji is a way of doing this while having a long term, positive effect on our nutrition.
Table of Contents
Aliases of plant materials or the plant as a whole … page 1
History of medicinal use and modern study … page 1
Nutrient content … page 2-4
How I compared plant stock choices … page 4-5
Care and maintenance … page 5-6
Preservation and storage … page 6
Conclusion … page 7
Further avenues of study ... page 7
Resources … page 8-19
1 Jay Kovach
Aliases of plant materials or the plant as a whole
� Bocksdorn
� Boksdoorn
� Boxthorn
� Fructus Lycii
� Goji berry
� Gou Qi Zi
� Kei Tze
� Lycium barbarum L.
� Wolfberry
History of medicinal use and modern study
Goji berries have a mild, sweet & sour taste that has been compared to raspberries or cranberries. They
are often eaten raw and when dehydrated they are similar in size and texture to raisins. Grown all over
East Asia, they are a well-known component of traditional Chinese medicine. Tonics, wines, teas, and
extracts are made from the plant in addition to the leaves and berries being used as food additives.
In Ningxia, a province known for the production of goji, it is said there are 16 times more centenarians
there than anywhere else in the country. It is also said that a man once lived to the age of 252 from
eating goji soup. The promotion of longevity has to be the top benefit, an overall “wellness” is claimed
and felt when consuming the berries and a sustained life is experienced. Chinese herbal medicine
prescribes goji in a variety of other instances:
� Cancer
� Circulatory health
� Diabetes
� Eye health
� Fertility
� Immune health
� Insomnia
� Leg health
� Liver health
� Sexual function
Modern research is discovering the science behind the observed history of goji use. When used as a
food item to improve the overall diet and not as a supplement or “superfood fix-it,” many of the claims
prove to be based in truth. Goji has antitumor and antioxidant properties that merit further research
but its nutritional content tells us quite a bit.
2 Goji berries and why we should grow them.
Nutrient content
The L. barbarum data used here is sourced from the information available on the specific variety that I
have selected as my growing stock.
Nutrient Food Item per Gram What does it do?
Vitamin K
75-120 mcg/day
Kale 8.17 mcg Blood clotting & bone
metabolism.
*anticoagulant & K use
should be monitored
Spinach 4.83 mcg
Goji leaves 2.31 mcg
Brussel sprouts 1.77 mcg
Vitamin C
65,000-90,000 mcg/d
Acerola 16,770 mcg
Antioxidant; heart
health.
Goji leaves 1020 mcg
Sweet pepper, yellow 1.83 mcg
Strawberries .588 mcg
Oranges .532 mcg
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
1000-1200 mcg/d
Rice Bran 28 mcg
Mood; energy level. Goji berry 2.4 mcg
Moose liver, braised 2 mcg
Spirulina 2 mcg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
1100-1300 mcg/d
Moose liver, braised 41 mcg Antioxidant; conversion
of carbohydrates into
fuel.
Goji leaves 9.03 mcg
Spirulina 3 mcg
Rice bran 3 mcg
Vitamin B3 (niacin)
14,000-16,000 mcg/d
Rice bran 340 mcg
Energy metabolism.
Moose liver, braised 107 mcg
Goji leaves 21.5 mcg
Spirulina 12 mcg
Goji berry 10.4 mcg
Vitamin E
15,000 mcg/d
Alpha-tocopherol
Goji leaves 578.86 mcg
Antioxidant.
Sunflower seeds 330 mcg
Paprika 298 mcg
Almonds 262 mcg
Goji berry 13.44 mcg
Beta-tocopherol Sunflower seeds 11 mcg
Antioxidant.
Goji leaves 4.7 mcg
Paprika 4 mcg
Almonds 3 mcg
Goji berry .65 mcg
Gamma-tocopherol Paprika 33 mcg
Antioxidant.
Goji leaves 12.03 mcg
Almonds 7 mcg
Goji berry 1.99 mcg
Sunflower seeds 1 mcg
3 Jay Kovach
Delta-tocopherol Almonds 1 mcg
Antioxidant. Paprika 1 mcg
Goji leaves .95 mcg
Betaine Spinach 5500 mcg Liver, heart, & kidney
health; can reduce
elevated homocysteine
concentrations.
Goji leaves 1540 mcg
Sunflower seeds 354 mcg
Goji berry 4.61 mcg
Vitamin A
700-900 mcg/d
Alpha-carotene
Carrot 34.77 mcg
Goji leaves 1.58 mcg
Tomato 1.01 mcg
Beta-carotene Carrot 82.85 mcg
Antioxidant; immunity. Spinach 56.26 mcg
Goji leaves 2.34 mcg
Lycopene Goji leaves 242 mcg
Antioxidant. Tomato 25.73 mcg
Carrot .01 mcg
Zeaznthin + Lutein Goji leaves 84 + 416 mcg Eye health; age-related
macular degeneration
research suggests
possible benefits.
Goji berry 84 + 41.44 mcg
Spinach 121.97 mcg
Carrot 2.56 mcg
Tomato 1.23 mcg
Folic acid Goji leaves 5.97 mcg
Pyrroloquinoline
quinone (PQQ)
Goji berry 17.9 mcg Antioxidant;
mitochondrial health. Natto (fermented soybean) .061 mcg
Ellagic acid Goji berry 11.92 mcg
Bioflavonoids Goji leaves 19.83 mcg Antioxidant.
Catechin Goji leaves 2 mcg Total
Epicatechin .2 mcg
Antioxidants; influences
hunger triggers.
Epicatechin gallate .1 mcg
Catechin gallate .2 mcg
Gallocatechin .5 mcg
Epigallocatechin .2 mcg
Gallocatechin gallate .1 mcg
Epigallocatechin gallate .1 mcg
Phenolics Goji leaves 30,500 mcg Increases antioxidant
potential. Plums & cherries 28,000 mcg
When examining and comparing the nutrient content of goji with other foods considered nutrient dense
or high in their respective nutrients, goji proves itself to be a useful addition to a regular diet. The
negative effects of eating too much are few; loose bowel movements or an upset stomach, nothing
atypical of overeating fruit. The vitamin K content of the leaves are a concern for someone on blood
4 Goji berries and why we should grow them.
thinners but research encountered paints L. barbarum as complementary to other conventional
treatments and therapies.
Labeling foods as a “superfood” can be overly dramatic or ambiguous. It is safe to say that goji leaves
and berries are a wise addition to a regular diet.
How I compared plant stock choices
Internet findings for goji berry startup stock.
Source Size/Age Cost Taxes, S & H
Potted
Sears.com 4” $11.99 $6.25
Gurneys.com ? 9.99 16.94
Ebay 4” 8.99 10.25
Ebay 10 * 1 gal 100.00 55.00
Rootstock
Dancing Creek Farm 1 y/o $15.95 ?
2 y/o 24.95 ?
10 * 2 y/o 150.00 ?
3 y/o 35.99 ?
GardenHarvestSupply.com 1 y/o 13.95 ?
OneGreenWorld.com ? 19.95 ?
Phoenix Tears Nursery 1 y/o 6.50 12.95
2 y/o 10.00 27.99
3 y/o 20.00 90.65
4 y/o 50.00 319.00
Findings: Goji plants are not the easiest to find and distributers in the United States are few and far between.
Choices are limited but diverse enough for my needs and preferences. Phoenix Tears was the only one with really
strong incentive pricing, the more you purchase the cheaper they are apiece. The prices I have listed here are
what each plant costs if you purchase 20 of them, the shipping was calculated by lot size number and totaled out.
One important thing to consider is how much something costs per unit and what your final shipping costs will be, if
a company fails to be upfront about them, I tend to try and avoid using them.
My plan involves 20 initial Lycium barbarum plants so the best deal for me will be Phoenix Tears Nursery
in Utah (www.phoenixtearsnursery.com). There are factors that cannot be charted that play a role in
my decision making. I want rootstock instead of potted plants, you get more plant material for your
money and I have had better success in the past with rootstock. Also, I always have more success going
5 Jay Kovach
with small, mom & pop operations; they tend to be more tailored to what I need. I have had moderate
success with chain-stores and continue to use some of them on occasion, however, I have almost
completely sworn off catalog companies. I don’t want plant stock that is too young or small – 1 y/o and
younger are out – and anything as old 3 or 4 y/o would be too risky as they tend to be too acclimated to
their climate of origin which is different from mine. From there the choice was a matter of which
provided the better deal and $227.99 for 20 rootstocks is it.
Care and maintenance
Goji berries can be grown several different ways. Based on my preferences and experiences I believe
that setting them up in a vineyard-type layout (figure 1) is the best option. Measurements and spacing
are educated guesses balancing the plants and my needs, considering the limited information, I am
confident that my layout will capitalize on the plants’ capabilities rather well. Ultimately, it will be a trial
and error experiment but I am reassured by the plant’s prolific, almost aggressive growth.
Figure 1
6 Goji berries and why we should grow them.
I considered an irrigation system however, after the first year L. barbarum is very drought tolerant. It is
also resistant to deer and many pests but a net to keep out the birds may need to be considered down
the road. Acquiring organic fertilizer will also not be necessary as using it can be harmful to the plants; it
seems they like somewhat poorer soils or locations used for growing grasses for fodder.
In addition to the 24 posts,
20 plants, and 500+ feet of
wire I will need mulch for
the bed. I didn’t note the
amount needed or cost as
it will be nominal. We
source it very affordably
from a log cabin building
company.
Spacing of growth and
pruning (figure 2) were
determined with air
filtration and maintenance
in mind and to keep plants
producing 6-7 lbs. of
berries a year.
Preservation and storage
What we currently have or are in the process of obtaining will be sufficient for dehydration and storage.
Figure 2
7 Jay Kovach
Conclusion
Goji berries would be an easy and intelligent food source to integrate into our current production. Being
nutrient dense food and an herbal treatment for many illnesses makes this a high utility item. The bulk
of the cost is the plant material itself which is cheaper than expected and a lot of the additional costs
are materials we use on the farm currently or are relatively inexpensive. There is also a high probability
that we can set this up using found materials as we have for projects in the past. Additionally, as the
size of the plot and the production levels increase there is a strong potential for selling the leaves and
berries online and at farmers markets. This cash could be used for a multitude of things but I would like
it to be used on the gojis themselves and my academic pursuits.
Further avenues of study
I have begun looking into vacuum-sealing and mylar bags with oxygen absorbers as additional means of
preservation. If I sell some of my stock at farmers’ markets or online to make some extra money to help
out during my academic pursuits then mylar bags might be the thing for me. Each bag could contain a 1-
3 day supply (30g) for an individual person and would keep much better than one large storage
container that is continually exposed to air and bacteria whenever opened. A downside of the bags may
be the food-safe/non-chemical absorbers, they may be too expensive. Additionally, I need to weigh out
the environmental and health implications of the mylar bags themselves, how much toxin is produced
when they are made and what happens when I am done using them?
I also want to look into organics more and have started going through some of the USDA training
materials. Even if I do not obtain a USDA seal for organics, I can still follow their guidelines. Until then I
will manage my plants as responsibly and sustainably as I can.
8 Goji berries and why we should grow them.
Resources
Amagase, H. & Nance, D. M. (2008). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of
the general effects of a standardized lyceum barbarum (goji) juice, GoChi™. The Journal of
Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(4), 403-412. 10.1089/acm.2008.0004
Amerman, D. What are the health benefits of fructus lycii? SF Gate Healthy Eating. Retrieved 07.07.13
from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-fructus-lycii-1289.html
Benzie, I. F. F., Chung, W. Y., Wang, J., Richelle, M., & Bucheli, P. (2006). Enhanced bioavailability of
zeaxanthin in a milk-based formulation of wolfberry (Gou Qi Zi; Fructus barbarum L.). British
Journal of Nutrition, 96, 154-160. 10.1079/BJN20061796
Breithaupt, D. E., Weller, P., Wolters, M., & Hahn, A. (2004). Comparison of plasma responses in human
subjects after the ingestion of 3R,3R’-zeaxanthin dipalmitate from wolfberry (Lycium barbarum)
and non-esterfied 3R,3R’-zeaxanthin using chiral high-performance liquid chromatography.
British Journal of Nutrition, 91, 707-713. 10.1079/BJN20041105
BuyGojiBerryPlants.com Frequently asked questions. Retrieved on 07.10.13 from
www.buygojiberryplants.com/?page_id=101
Chen, Z., Tan, B. K. H., & Chan, S. H. (2008). Activation of T lymphocytes by polysaccharide-protein
complex from Lycium barbarum L. International Immunopharmacology, 8, 1663-1671.
10.1016/j.intimp.2008.07.019
Cheng, C. Y., Chung, W. Y., Szeto, Y.T., & Benzie, I. F. F. (2005). Fasting plasma zeaxanthin response to
Fructus barbarum L. (wolfberry; Kei Tze) in a food-based human supplementation trial. British
Journal of Nutrition, 93, 123-130. 10.1079/BJN20041284
Gan, L., Zhang, S. H., Yang, X. L., & Xu, H. B. (2004). Immunomodulation and antitumor activity by a
polysaccharide-protein complex from Lycium barbarum. International Immunopharmacology, 4,
563-569. 10.1016/j.intimp.2004.01.023
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (2009). Dietary reference intakes: Vitamins. Retrieved
from
www.iom.edu/home/global/news%20announcements/~/media/files/activity%20files/nutrition/
dris/dri_vitamins.ashx
Oh, Y-C., Cho, W-K., Im, G. Y., Jeong, Y. H., Hwang, Y-H., Liang, C., & Ma, J. Y. (2012). Anti-inflammatory
effect of lycium fruit water extract in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage
cells. International Immunopharmacology, 13, 181-189. 10.1016/j.intimp.2012.03.020
Phoenix Tears Nursery. Goji-Wolfberry plant pruning guide. Retrieved on 07.14.13 from
www.phoenixtearsnursery.com/goji-wolfberry-plant-pruning.html
9 Jay Kovach
Phoenix Tears Nursery. Grower’s guide. Retrieved on 07.14.13 from
www.phoenixtearsnursery.com/growers-guide.html
Phoenix Tears Nursery. Health benefits of wolfberries. Retrieved on 07.14.13 from
www.phoenixtearsnursery.com/health-benefits-of-wolfberries.html
Phoenix Tears Nursery. Information. Retrieved on 07.12.13 from
www.phoenixtearsnursery.com/information.html
Phoenix Tears Nursery. Nutrient profile. Retrieved on 07.12.13 from
www.phoenixtearsnursery.com/nutrient-profile.html
Plants for A Future (PFAF). Lycium barbarum. Retrieved on 07.07.13 from www.pfaf.org
Ratini, M. (03.20.13). Goji berries: Health benefits and side effects. WebMD.com. Retrieved from
www.webmd.com/balance/goji-berries-health-benefits-and-side-effects?print=true
SELF Nutrition Data. Nutrient search tool. Accessed 07.23.13 from
nutritiondata.self.com/tools/nutrient-search
SELF Nutrition Data. Nutrition facts tool. Accessed 07.23.13 from nutritiondata.self.com
The Learning Channel (TLC). What are goji berries? Retrieved on 07.07.13 from
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/goji-berry.htm
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) Tables. Retrieved on
07.24.13 from fnic.nal.usda.gov/dietary-guidance/dietary-reference-intakes/dri-tables
Walters, S. (04.02.08). Studies show goji berries are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.
NaturalNews.com. Retrieved from www.natrualnews.com/022924_berries_goji_foods.html
Wong, C. (07.03.13). Goji berries: What should I know about them? About.com Alternative Medicine.
Retrieved from altmedicine.about.com/od/completeazindex/a/goji.htm?p=1
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