Supplement Type:
Herbs & Plants, Superfood, Vegan
Chinese Energy:
Chi
Dr Cousens' Description:
Goji berries are one of my favorite super-foods. They grow in great abundance in Arizona, and we grow them at the Tree of Life. Goji is an adaptogen and primarily supports Yin Jing. It is almost always included in soups and broths as a tonic in Chinese home cooking. They are one of the main foods consumed by Li Ching Yuen, who was said to have lived 252 years. (He also consumed Reishi mushrooms, He Shou Wu, and Ginseng.) The Ningxia Province in China, where these berries grow in their most potent form (called Di-Tao), has more centenarians than the rest of China. The residents age gracefully, and they are more active, healthy, and vibrant than elderly Westerners. Chinese medicine teaches that Goji berries builds yin jing energy in the
body, especially the adrenal and kidneys where the jing is centered. Strengthened jing energy creates and maintains basic ojas, (endurance, strength, sexual energy, immunity, and longevity). Life in our toxic world depletes the prenatal and post-natal jing. Goji berries also help to alkalize the system. They also outstanding for building and maintaining general vitality and longevity on every level, as well as being a general anti-oxidant. They could be one of the top longevity foods in the world. New research has found some unique bio-active molecules that are only found in Goji berries, called Lycium barbarum polysaccharides, which may be the secret of the Goji berry's power.
Goji berries also boost Human Growth Hormone (HGH) production, which helps us to retain our youthfulness. They are high in sesquiterpenoids, which are anti-inflammatory and stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands, increasing glandular production of HGH. Goji contain the anti-oxidants Zeaxanthin and Lutein in high concentrations, which are the key phytonutrients to build eyesight. The goji berry boosts immunity through its concentration of polysaccharides, beta-carotene, and organic germanium, which boasts cancer-fighting properties. They help with Choline production, as an essential brain, memory, and nervous system nutrient that combats free radical damage linked to neurological degeneration and Alzheimer's disease. Goji also combat oxidized cholesterol, which causes heart disease. They increase production of superoxide dismutase (SOD), which acts as an anti-oxidant preventing the oxidation of cholesterol. The berry detoxifies the liver and guards against liver damage from carcinogens and hepatitis. I recommend eating a handful of Goji berries every day. You may also soak Goji berries in water or add the berries to your herbal tea blend. The best quality berries are a deep red and come soft and moist.
Dr Cousens - Video Transcription:
Now, even though I really like goji, I was interested in a personal conversation around tea garden that he doesn't consider goji in the top level. It's good, don't misunderstand. It's in the top 22, but he's really talking the top two or three, and gynostemma is kinda more in the top three. You've got Reishi and ginseng, gynostemma, and then you have your next level of your herbal tonics which include goji. Other people may say goji is, you know, the great princess of prince of it. In the Jin... J-I-N-G-X-I-N-G Province, where the goji is the best, didao, that area has the most longevity. Goji is a Yin Jing herb. It will generally increase your energy. It will improve memory. Thinking process. Remember what I said about Jing. What did I say about Jing? It includes the brain and the bones. This is the brain part, okay? It helps a little bit with, you know, senility. It helps with your general life force, general vitality, sexual energy. It stimulates growth hormone. It stimulates the pineal pituitary in the production of growth hormone. So that's, you know, a certain nice consideration. It, again, is building this lower area, what we call the kidney Jing, but we mentioned the kidneys include sexual energy, ovum, sperm, brain, bone, and so forth. And adrenals of course. They're red color, and so it fits into my rainbow diet, on the first, second chakra. So you're building your basic life force energy, your basic, you know it's a Yin Jing herb, it's also a lot of energy in terms of your Qi. Your vital life force. It also has lutein and xeanthin, Lutein and xeanthin, which are, they're phytogens that build your vision and eyesight. Night vision? No, all vision. All vision. Your night vision. X-E-A-N-T-H-I-N. And lutein, L-U-T-E-I-N. Right, right. Yea, it's not quite the same, but I would definitely take it because I think they do help build the retina, lutein and xeanthin. So those are some of the qualities of the goji, again a Yin, Jing, and very good for the Qi, not quite so powerful for the Shen, as an emphasis. Very good for longevity, very good for mind, very good for clarity, very good for growth, HGH, Human Growth Hormone. It's got a lot of immune stimulating and regulating. More regulating. Yes? What about for cancer. If somebody has cancer, is that a prescriptive? I probably wouldn't put that as number one. The reason for that is it's not specific, like Reishi is more specific for cancer, liver and cancers. But because it's a little on the sweet side. And what we know is that cancer loves sugar. And, cancer cells need 10 to 50 times more sugar. So, we don't generally do fruit, even, with cancer. No fruit, not the carrot juice, not the beet juice and so forth. We just minimize sugar and minimize fructose, because that's again 10 to 50 times more growth producing for cancer cells. So that's just a slight, I wouldn't call it a contraindication but I would cut it down as low. It's got immune things, but as a specific cancer treatment I probably wouldn't use it. Do you do like all of phase one? Yea. For Chi (Qi)ldren that they are, too short... Is it good? Yes. 'Cause it stimulates human growth hormone. I'm not sure what you just said. It's a superfood isn't it, Yes. So what does it contain in nutrition... It's got most of the amino acids, it's got a certain amount of protein, but it's not exactly the way to think about it. You know, because it's an energy, if you follow what I'm saying. It has... A lot of these kind of, they're called barbenes... It has different glycosides, you know, different long chain sugars that give it it's uniqueness. But don't think of it as a food, think of it as an energy. That's why I don't use the word superfood with them. I use the word, super immune, super adaptogen, but really it's a food... You want to think bigger than that. You know, it's a tonifier. The word is tonifier. It tones and strengthens your general function. Superfood is confusing. I mean yes it's a food, but it's really an herb, it's really a berry, whatever you want to say. But in a sense, it's a tonifier. And that's the way it's more traditionally talked about. In America, or, they may call it a superfood but it's really a basically super tonifier. If that makes sense. What's a good dosage for a normal, healthy person? A small handful a day. You know... A tablespoon? Yea, or two, or three. Yea, you can do that. Like a small handful, like maybe two to three tablespoons. Is a reasonable dose. It does, maybe raise your blood sugar. It varies.