GOJI BERRIES
Lycium barbarum is the botanical name for the small red berries commonly known as goji berries or wolfberries in English. These berries are native to Tibet and are harvested from shrubs that grow wild in Mongolia and the Ningxia province in central China.
Widely consumed in the diet of Asian populations, their phytotherapeutic properties are known in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
They contain a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, especially omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential components of cell membranes and thereby exert a positive action on cellular function.
The ascorbic acid (vitamin C) found in goji berries exerts an antioxidant effect, benefitting connective tissues, while the tocopherols of vitamin E and the carotenoids of provitamin A play significant roles in protecting against oxidative stress. The carotenoids in particular have a positive impact on the visual system, enhancing eye health.
Several studies have found that goji berry supplementation helps preserve macular thickness and structure as well as visual acuity. Moreover, goji berries exhibit a neuroprotective effect on the human retina and may help reduce or delay cone degeneration in individuals with retinitis pigmentosa.
Used in: Pinelli Glau Project®
READ SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS ON GOJI BERRIES:
- Effects of Lycium barbarum on the Visual System – ScienceDirect
- Lycium barbarum polysaccharides related RAGE and Aβ levels in the retina of mice with acute ocular hypertension and promote maintenance of blood retinal barrier
- Posttreatment Intervention With Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides is Neuroprotective in a Rat Model of Chronic Ocular Hypertension