Dictionary.com defines the word unique as “existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics.” There are multitudes of things that are unique. Your fingerprint is unique. Each snow flake is unique. Each bloom of the pansies outside my front door is unique. In our youth we are very concerned with being like our peers, but with maturity we learn to accept and cherish our uniqueness.

As I read more and more material on the Goji Berry, I am repeatedly confronted with the phrase “four unique polysaccharides.” I have not yet learned the single sugars that make up these polysaccharides but I am convinced from reading scientific studies that they are indeed unique. Apparently these particular combinations do not occur elsewhere in nature as far as we currently know.

I am communicating with a microbiologist from the National University Singapore regarding his research. He is investigating the effect of goji berry extracts “on immune function and it stimulates T cells. (sic) We also have results on a placebo controlled clinical trial on subjects with high IgA anti-EBV serology which is the result of low T cell function.” If you are like me, that may as well be Greek, but what it tells me is these polysaccharide extracts may be able to treat illnesses that have up to now confounded us.

Another study I read is reporting on research of its anti-tumor properties. Yet another study is examining its traditional use in protecting the eyes. In these legitimate scientific papers, the polysaccharides are referred to as LBP (lycium barbarum polysaccharide) 1, 2, 3, and 4.

I am not one to believe the Goji Berry will be a cure for all our problems, but how delightful it is to know that this beautiful unique fruit from Tibet is so available to us here in the US. Like you I am not impressed with advertising hype, so I try to get as much information as I can from technical papers. Not one, so far, has issued any overdose information, or warnings regarding the use of Goji Berries.

Keep on enjoying your Goji Berries. Enjoy them as a juice, a chewy snack, or as a tea. They really are beautifully unique.

Eating Healthy,

Tim