Many office workers like to drink goji berry water, and they can list a whole bunch of its benefits: improving eyesight, nourishing the kidneys, and lowering blood sugar. However, experts say that simply drinking goji berry water does not allow for sufficient nutrient absorption. Here’s how to eat goji berries most effectively and which groups of people should avoid them.
Chrysanthemum, red date, and goji berry stewed snow pear
Goji berries are rich in various trace elements and vitamins, which can nourish yin, protect the eyes, and enhance immunity. For generations, doctors have used goji berries to treat blurred vision and night blindness caused by insufficient liver blood and kidney yin deficiency. Recently, British research has discovered the anti-aging effects of goji berries, but they only have medicinal value when consumed consistently; eating them occasionally once or twice is ineffective. The most common way to consume goji berries is by steeping them in water, but most of the vitamins in goji berries are water-soluble and can be easily destroyed by heat. Furthermore, substances like carotene are difficult to absorb completely. It is best to briefly soak them in warm water or to chew a few berries dry.
However, goji berries are not suitable for everyone. Those with a weak constitution and poor immunity can eat more. But because of their strong warming effect on the body, people with colds, fevers, inflammation, or diarrhea should best avoid them. Goji berries also have an "expiration date." If they smell of alcohol, they have spoiled and should not be eaten.