Go Ji juice has become very popular recently and there are many claims about its benefits.

Unfortunately sometimes excellent natural remedies or herbs become promoted for purely commercial reasons.

However armed with more knowledge you will be able to judge its value for yourself.

Goji (Lycium chinensis) berries, also known as Gou Qi Zi, are considered to be a major blood tonic in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and legend has it that the famous herbalist Li Ch'ing Yuen, who was reputed to have lived for 256 years, regularly used Goji to promote longevity.

TCM has three classes of herbal medicines;

"Normal" herbs - these are generally used by professional herbalists to correct imbalances involved in illness. They are not generally used in healthy individuals nor for long periods of time (except in some chronic conditions). The majority of herbs available fall into this "Normal" category.

"Restricted" herbs - a subset of herbs only used by professional herbalists as they may be harmful if used incorrectly, some require correct preparation or they are toxic, some can injure the body if used for long periods of time or in the incorrect illness. Western prescription only medications would all fall into this category.

"Superior" or "Tonic" herbs - these are herbs that have the ability to support, encourage and sustain life. Tonic herbs are usually considered very safe to use, they have few if any side effects and can be used for long periods of time. They are some of the most well known of herbs and are commonly used by the general public to promote health and longevity. Because tonic herbs are supportive of life they are usually not taken during acute illness such as infections, as they have been known to provide support for the pathogen.

Goji berries are in the "Tonic" herb class. Goji berries are actually quite sweet and delicious, they are often used in cooking and are available as a dried fruit in Asian groceries.

Goji benefits the liver and nourishes the blood, it is said to relax the mood and promote cheerfulness, improve the vision, brighten the eyes, improve the complexion helping you look younger and to strengthen the legs.

Modern research shows that they are beneficial to the nervous system, improve liver function, help regulate blood sugar, are a rich source of anti oxidants and have anti bacterial and fungal properties.

So as you can see they are truly good for your health but in order to be effective you should consider the amount that you are getting.

In TCM a standard dose of Gou Qi Zi is 9 to 12 grams per day of dried berry or 80 to 100 berries.

In my experience many of the products for sale contain only a low percentage of goji juice and although some claim to be 100% juice they often contain other juices and are not 100% goji juice. At the same time they are expensive, so if you are interested in the possible benefits of goji berries I suggest you take a step back from the multilevel commercial promotions and talk to your local Chinese herbalist or Asian grocery supplier.