Goji berry is the fruit of Lycium barbarum or Lycium chinense – Asian-native shrub species that have long been used in traditional eastern cuisine and medicine. You will also find the fruit by the name of wolfberry, and you will often see claims about its health benefits and relations to natural weight loss.
These claims have two basic origins that supplement and complement each other: ancient tradition and modern-day science. The health benefits and the slimming effect of goji berries have been widely researched in recent years, and below you will find the answers to whether and how you can use this savory fruit in your weight loss plan.
Nutritional Facts About Goji Berries
All of the effects of goji berries on the human body come due to the fruits’ nutritional components and values. So – here is a quick glimpse into what’s actually in there and how it will help you address different problems with your health and silhouette.
According to SELF Nutrition Data, what you’ll find in 1 ounce (28g) goji berries include:
Vitamins
The vitamins in goji berries are:
- Vitamin A: 2520 IU, or 50% of the recommended daily intake
- Vitamin C: 5.4mg, or 9% of the recommended daily intake
- Riboflavin: 0.4mg, or 21% of the recommended daily intake
Minerals
The minerals found in goji berries are:
- Calcium: 28.0mg, or 3% of the recommended daily intake
- Iron: 2.5mg, or 14% of the recommended daily intake
- Potassium: 235mg, or 7% of the recommended daily intake
- Zinc: 0.8mg, or 5% of the recommended daily intake
- Copper: 0.6mg, or 28% of the recommended daily intake
- Selenium: 17.8mcg, or 25% of the recommended daily intake
And Others
In addition, goji will give your body the following:
- Protein: 3.1g, or 6% of the recommended daily intake
- Dietary Fiber: 2.2g, or 9% of the recommended daily intake
- Calories: 23.2 (97.1 kJ), or just 1% of the average recommended daily intake
Given the fact that these are values for only 1 ounce (28g) of goji berries per day, we can easily give these fruits the “superfood” label with no second thoughts. So now – theory into practice – let’s see what this means for your general health and weight loss efforts.
How do Goji Berries Help With Weight Loss?
The effects of goji berries on your body are amazing, and most of them are directly related to your efforts to lose weight naturally, with no harsh diets. Some of the most amazing qualities of goji berries confirmed by science are the following.
They Have a Low Glycemic Index
Normally, nutritionists will advise you to watch the fruits on your plate during a diet. That’s because most fruits have high natural sugar content and – consequently – a high glycemic index. Not goji berries! These sweet fruits have a glycemic index of only 29, which is significantly lower in comparison to most fruits.
Put shortly; this means that goji berries won’t raise your blood sugar levels and will keep your insulin levels low. As a result, you will experience fewer cravings throughout the day, and you won’t feel tempted to consume carbs and sugary bites.
They’ll Keep You Full For Longer
About ⅕ of a goji berry is made up of dietary fiber. Except for supporting your gut health and your regular metabolism, fibers are proven to take longer to digest, thus making you feel full for longer periods, on fewer calories. Sounds like a recipe for intelligent diet management, right? Because it definitely is!
Add the high protein content to the equation, and you get the best alternative for a light snack throughout the day. Gojis will satisfy your cravings while also providing stable energy, functional nutrition, and 100% compatibility with your plans to lose weight.
They’ll Block Fat Storage
You don’t need to be a nutritional expert to know that excess energy from food is stored in your body in the form of fat. Anyway, nature has given goji berries a hack to convert into direct energy instead of fat storage.
It happens due to the high thiamin and calcium contents. Both of these nutrients encourage your body to transform calories into an immediate power boost instead of preserving them for later – mostly on your tummy, waist, and hips.
They Promote the Growth of Lean Muscle Mass
If you’ve been paying attention, you already know that about 30 grams of goji berries will give you about 6% of the protein supply for the day. That may not seem like an extraordinary amount, but it works together with potassium and two important amino acids – L-arginine and l-glutamine.
The combination does an impressive trick by triggering the body to produce more growth hormones. These hormones are exactly what you need in order to build more lean muscle mass – especially if you do a little extra strength training at the gym.
They Improve Your Exercise Efficiency
Gojis are shown to improve athletic performance – both if you’re a beginner and if you’re a devoted fitness connoisseur. How does that happen? By feeding you proteins, promoting muscle growth, improving your hormonal profile, reducing internal inflammation, and giving you a healthy energy boost with no side effects.
In fact, a 2021 study by scientists from Italy and Albania proved that goji berries greatly improve both the productive and reproductive performance of animals. More data is needed, but this is generally an excellent foundation for exploring the potential of goji berries for alternative treatment of exhaustion, fatigue, and habitual weakness.
Additional Health Benefits of Goji Berry Fruits
Now that you know that you can grab some goji berries to lose weight, you’d probably want to learn what else they will do for your general well-being.
According to different studies, the health benefits of goji berries also include:
- Supporting your immune system and helping you fight off pathogens.
- Promoting eye health and protecting against disorders like macular degeneration.
- Reducing oxidative stress and protecting against cell damage caused by free radicals.
- Slowing tumor growth and helping the body to detoxify naturally.
- Improving skin health and reducing skin irritation episodes.
- Managing the impact of aging and UV exposure on the skin.
- Improving the mood, sleep quality, and general emotional health.
- Increasing the reproductive abilities in both males and females.
Some studies suggest that eating goji berries can also help you manage your cholesterol levels, help with arthritis, and reduce the chances of developing different cognitive disorders.
How to Incorporate Goji Berries into Your Diet?
You have plenty of options if you decide to try eating goji berries as a part of your weight-management program and functional diet.
The most easily manageable and tasty among them include:
- Grab some dried goji berries as a stand-alone snack throughout the day.
- Add dried goji to your smoothie bowl, cereal, yogurt, or granola.
- Use soaked and rehydrated goji in your salads, soups, or dressings.
- Pop some goji fruits in your bakes – muffins, cakes, raw desserts, etc.
- Make yourself a goji berry jam from fresh or dried fruits.
- Boil the dried fruits to make flavourful goji berry tea.
- Prepare a detoxifying goji berry juice.
- Or add it to your recipe for exotic eastern soups and meals.
As of today, you can even take goji berries as a ready-made dietary supplement in the form of powder and capsules. But, of course, consuming the fruits whole and fresh is always better, especially if you manage to find some freshly picked and undried berries near you.
So – are you ready to diet smart instead of dieting hard? Stay with the Lucky Fit blog to explore all the paths for hacking your health and fitness!
