With the post-80s and post-90s brain doors with less and less hair, more and more health. I don't know which of your colleagues and classmates will get a thermos cup tomorrow to drink goji berry water...
Goji berries, image source: pixabay.com
There is a proverb with clouds: "Every day goji berry water, live to two hundred years old." "People have high hopes for this red fruit. The question is, is it really that magical to soak in goji berries?
Can goji berries soaked in water be visible?
There are two ingredients in goji berries that are related to vision.
One is vitamin A. The occasional mention of retinol, α-carotene, and β-carotene in online health articles all belong to the vitamin A family.
Vitamin A is an essential element of the human body, and insufficient intake can cause diseases such as decreased immunity, corneal perforation, and even growth and development disorders. Specific to vision, if the eye is compared to a camera, the visual cells on the retina are equivalent to film, and vitamin A is the layer of photosensitive material on the film - without vitamin A, the rod cells have no way to sense light in a dark environment, and we will become visually impaired and cannot see things when night falls. [1]
The other is lutein. The vegetables and fruits in the supermarket are very rich in color, red, yellow and green, and lutein is the basic ingredient that makes up these colors.
Lutein is a fundamental component of fruit and vegetable color, image source: pxhere.com
Lutein can also be found in our retina. Because this part is yellowed in color, it is clinically called the macula, and the area most sensitive to light is hidden in the center, which is called the macular fovea. As we age, the macula may age, become diseased, and affect vision.
Studies have shown that the aging and lesions of the macula may be related to lutein. [2] As a result, doctors have speculated that proper lutein supplementation may alleviate or even prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Clinical studies have confirmed this: supplementation with 6 to 12 mg of lutein per day may reduce the risk of AMD. [3]
However, specific to the operational level, the problem comes: vitamin A and lutein are fat-soluble and insoluble in water... That is, if you soak the goji berries in water, these two substances will stubbornly remain in the goji berries, so the goji berries you drink are almost free of vitamin A and lutein.
Therefore, if there is vitamin A and lutein deficiency, eating some goji berries will help, and goji berries will not play any role in soaking water.
Can goji berries soaked in water fight cancer?
It is often mentioned in articles that goji berries contain germanium (Ge), and germanium can prevent cancer and fight cancer.
Related remarks, image source: Baidu
Germanium is a mineral that is not uncommon to say. We have to go online every day, and the fiber used to access the Internet contains a little germanium. In the 1970s, a Japanese scholar named Kazuhiko Asai discovered that some Chinese herbs seemed to curb cancer, and they all contained large amounts of germanium. Therefore, he speculated that germanium, as well as various compounds of germanium, could treat cancer.
The problem is that there are many small molecules in Chinese herbal medicine, and there are also many components that can deal with cancer cells. Because the herbs contain germanium, it is logically unreasonable to think that germanium is a functioning ingredient.
In addition, Chinese scholars have tested Chinese medicines such as ganoderma lucidum, ginseng, and goji berries. The germanium in these herbs came from the soil and the content was extremely low, a thousand times less than as reported by Kazuhiko Asai. If they are planted in germanium-rich soil, they will not survive at all. Therefore, experts believe that their efficacy is not related to germanium content. [4]
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), there is currently no evidence that germanium can deal with cancer. At the same time, many studies have clearly shown its harms, especially kidney damage — taking supplements containing germanium can cause kidney failure. Interestingly, naturally occurring germanium and inside plants did not exhibit toxicity because the content was so small. [5]
American Cancer Society statement on germanium, Image source: cancer.org
Perhaps, future scientific research will reveal the exact effects of germanium on health. Based on the current research results, it is better to be cautious. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has repeatedly issued bans on the addition of germanium to foods. [6]
The ACS and FDA prohibit the use of germanium in food and treatment, Credit: Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals
Can goji berries soaked in water lower blood sugar?
Goji berries contain a very specific ingredient called goji polysaccharides (LBP), which are complex compounds made up of many sugars and proteins. [7] Multiple studies at the cellular and animal levels have shown many effects, including antioxidants, fatigue relief, lowering blood lipids, and more. [8]
There are not many studies that have entered the clinical stage. In 2012, Southeast University conducted a small-scale study. The results showed that taking 300mg of goji polysaccharides per day could reduce fasting blood sugar, but had no effect on waist circumference and weight. In other words, goji polysaccharides may alleviate the condition of diabetics to a certain extent, but they are not enough to comprehensively improve the state of diabetics. [7]
It is this effect that it is difficult to achieve by soaking goji berries in water. Some scholars have specifically studied the precipitation of goji berry polysaccharides, put 5g of goji berries into 150ml, 90 °C hot water, 30 minutes later, the goji polysaccharides in the water do not exceed 30mg/100ml. [9]
At different brewing times and temperatures, the polysaccharide content of goji berries in the solution,
Image source: "Research on the Drying Technology of Goji Berries and their Anti-Hydrogenation and Phytochemical Composition of Their Brewing Liquid"
According to this speculation, if you want to consume 300mg of goji berries polysaccharides every day through brewing, you must use at least 50g of goji berries - according to the national standards implemented in 2014, 50g of goji berries are as little as 200 grains, more than a thousand, who will soak so much at once.
Grade of goji berries, image source: GBT 18672-2014 Goji berries
In fact, when it comes to improving blood sugar, authoritative literature at home and abroad has never mentioned any magical food, but emphasizes a healthy lifestyle. Quit cigarettes, control alcohol, exercise appropriately, food should be rich, light and not excessive, do a good job of these aspects, you can effectively control blood sugar, the risk of type 2 diabetes reduced by half. [10]
Goji berries are medicinal and food homologous foods, and many people think that as long as they eat a little every day, they can play a role in medicine. In fact, "medicinal and food homology" refers to the traditional use of drugs, and has a long history of use, do not have to worry about safety, can be eaten like ordinary food. As a food, goji berries are very nutritious, but there is no unique ingredient. Those who like to eat goji berries can continue to eat, and those who like to soak in water can also continue to drink - it is not realistic to expect goji berries to soak in water to prolong their life.
Nutritional content of goji berries, image source: Public Health Science Data Center
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Zhao Kanxing, Yang Peizeng. Ophthalmology[M/OL]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2013[2020–12–18]. https://book.douban.com/subject/25823706/.
[3] Anon. Lutein: MedlinePlus Supplements[EB/OL] (date unknown)[2020–12–18]. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/754.html.
Kong Xiangrui. Toxicity of Organic Germanium and Its Role in Healthcare[J]. Chinese Medical Journal, 1993, 73(8): 454–456.
[5] Anon. Germanium[R/OL]. ACS, 2007. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Germanium.asp.
[6] KEITH L S, FAROON O M, MAPLES-REYNOLDS N, 等. Chapter 37 - Germanium∗[M/OL]. NORDBERG G F, FOWLER B A, NORDBERG M, 编//Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals (Fourth Edition). San Diego: Academic Press, 2015: 799–816[2020–12–18]. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444594532000378. DOI:10.1016/B978-0-444-59453-2.00037-8.
Cai H J, Liu F K, Lu H H, et al. Short-term intervention of goji polysaccharides on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus[J]. FOOD SCIENCE, 2012, 33(13): 259–262.
[8] GAO Y, WEI Y, WANG Y, 等. Lycium Barbarum: A Traditional Chinese Herb and A Promising Anti-Aging Agent[J]. Aging and Disease, 2017, 8(6): 778–791. DOI:10.14336/AD.2017.0725.
[9] Rukya Gapal. Study on the Drying Technology of Goji Berries and the Antioxidant and Phytochemical Composition of Brewing Liquid[D/OL]. Zhejiang University, 2014[2020–12–18].
Hu Shengshou. Cardiovascular disease report in China[J]. National Cardiovascular Center, 2019: 1–234.