HERBAL NAME: Gou Qi Zi – Fructus Lycii (Goji Berry)
Scientific Name (Pharmaceutical Name): Lycium barbarum L. (Lycii Fructus)
English Common Name: Goji Berry
Family: Solanaceae
Storage: Store in tightly closed containers in a dry place.
Taste and Nature: Bitter, cold in nature.
Meridian Entry: Liver, Kidney, and Lung meridians.
Therapeutic Actions (According to Traditional Chinese Medicine):
Gou Qi Zi nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin, enriches the Blood, brightens the eyes, moistens the Lung, generates body fluids, and tonifies Qi. Prolonged use strengthens tendons and bones, promotes agility, and delays aging.
Indicated for deficiency of Liver and Kidney Yin leading to dizziness, blurred vision, or diminished eyesight. Protects the Liver, prevents fat accumulation in hepatic tissue, and promotes regeneration of liver cells.
Used for tinnitus, hearing loss, and gum inflammation; helps strengthen teeth and promote regeneration. Tonifies Kidney and Qi, indicated for seminal emission, impotence, infertility, and sterility.
Also used in rheumatic conditions causing generalized pain, weakness of the lumbar and knees, and lumbago.
Helps reduce blood glucose in wasting-thirst disorders (diabetes), cough (either dry or with phlegm), and consumptive diseases (chronic deficiency involving Qi, Blood, Yin, and Yang).
Gou Qi Zi has the effects of moistening the Lung, generating body fluids, and gently promoting bowel movement. It is suitable for individuals with constipation caused by Blood deficiency, Yin deficiency, or insufficiency of body fluids.
Regulates lipid metabolism, lowers blood pressure, dilates blood vessels, slows atherosclerosis, and enhances hematopoiesis in the bone marrow.
Improves and regulates immune function, strengthens the activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal–gonadal axis (including the prostate), corresponding to tonifying Qi and Blood, harmonizing Yin and Yang, strengthening the Spleen, and tonifying the Kidney.
Exhibits antioxidant and anti-aging properties, resists radiation, and inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells.
Chemical Constituents:
Dosage and Administration:
8–20 grams per day. Can be used alone or combined with other herbal ingredients in decoction or prescription form.
Contraindications and Precautions:
Due to its rich and tonifying nature, use with caution in patients with Spleen and Stomach deficiency or chronic diarrhea. Overdosage may cause loose stools.
Contraindicated in cases of Spleen deficiency with damp accumulation or external excess heat pathogens.
Beyond its nutritional and therapeutic value, Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum L.) has distinctive ecological characteristics involving reproductive biology, seed dispersal, and dryland adaptation:
Goji Berry provides ecological functions associated with pollination, wildlife interactions, and adaptation to dry environments. These functions depend on cultivar characteristics, habitat conditions, and appropriate management.
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