Goji berries can not only lower blood sugar, but also increase sperm? Is it better to eat wolfberry dried or soaked in water? here comes the answer

"Goji berry fried rice, goji berry cake, goji berry salad, goji berry ice cream, goji berry mask..."

In foreign countries, wolfberry is the darling, and in China, there is also a health-preserving method of "soaking wolfberry in a thermos cup". Even developed goji berry coffee, goji berry beer, goji berry soda...how about the nutritional value of goji berry?

1. What will happen if you drink wolfberry in water every day?

"Shen Nong's Materia Medica" records that wolfberry "takes for a long time to strengthen the muscles and bones, lighten the body and not grow old, and is resistant to cold and heat".

Lycium barbarum is rich in nutrients, including not only water-soluble nutrients such as wolfberry polysaccharides, alkaloids, and oligosaccharides, but also fat-soluble nutrients such as zeatin, lutein, and vitamin A. Lycium barbarum polysaccharide , one of the most important nutritionally active ingredients , has the functions of immune regulation, anti-oxidative aging, and blood fat reduction.

There are many ways to eat wolfberry, which is better to eat raw or soaked in water, boiled ointment, porridge, or soaked in wine?

Raw eating: Eating directly can fully absorb the nutrients of wolfberry and effectively exert its health effects, but it is not suitable to eat too much.

Soaking in water: The method of brewing wolfberry is simple, but the active ingredients of wolfberry cannot be fully dissolved. It is recommended to eat wolfberry every time you drink water .

Boiled ointment: Goji berry ointment can retain more nutrients and exert a strong nourishing effect. During the boiling process, medicinal materials such as black sesame, jujube, donkey-hide gelatin, and longan can be added. It should not be taken in large quantities for a long time. People with excessive heat in the body, spleen deficiency and dampness, diarrhea, hypotension, and allergies should use it with caution.

Cooking porridge: Cooking wolfberry and japonica rice at the same time can effectively release the ingredients of wolfberry , making it easier to dissolve in porridge and soup, which is convenient for human body to digest and absorb.

Soaking wine: Goji berry soaking wine is easy to dissolve the active ingredients in it, and the two help each other to give full play to the effect. Since it is a liquor, people with poor liver and kidney function should take it with caution .

2. Can wolfberry increase sperm concentration and lower blood sugar?

In recent years, there have been endless claims about the magical effects of wolfberry. In fact, most of these claims have no scientific basis.

Can Goji Berry Improve Sperm Quality in Men? At present, there is no medical clinical scientific research. Although clinical studies have found that wolfberry is rich in flavonoid metabolites and polysaccharides, these substances are usually only due to the active cells found in animals. Animal experiment wolfberry extract is not equal to wolfberry , so it cannot Treat male oligospermia or improve sperm survival rate and quality just by eating wolfberry.

Can wolfberry lower blood sugar? Lycium barbarum extract has a hypoglycemic effect, but the content is relatively small. From a nutritional point of view, ordinary wolfberry has a high sugar content, about 19 grams of sugar per 100 grams. Diabetics are not recommended to eat more .

In addition, there is also a kind of black wolfberry, which is called "soft gold". It is said to have the effect of beautifying women, nourishing kidneys of men, preventing cancer for the elderly, and protecting children's eyes. However, in the final analysis, black wolfberry is still a kind of food, not a health product.

Ma Shizhen, an associate researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained that the active ingredients of black wolfberry are similar to those of red wolfberry, and contain the highest content of anthocyanins among all plants. Although anthocyanins can resist oxidation and eliminate free radicals, they cannot protect the liver. , prevent cancer, enhance immunity, etc.

Anthocyanins are a type of anthocyanins , blueberries, grapes, eggplants and other fruits and vegetables also contain anthocyanins , and some manufacturers alone promote the efficacy of black wolfberry, which is suspected of hyping the health value.

In short, whether it is wolfberry or black wolfberry, although it is very healthy, when facing these "functions and effects", the most important attitude is not to expect too much. After all, these active ingredients are few, and we don't eat much every day. Just eat wolfberry as a kind of dried fruit with good nutritional value .

3. Eat wolfberry safely, pay attention to 4 points

Although goji berries have high nutritional value, they should not be eaten at will.

1. Do not mix cardiovascular medicine with wolfberry tea

A case report recently published in the "European Heart Journal" showed that drinking wolfberry tea was prone to poisoning when taking cardiovascular drugs flecainide and warfarin .

While taking flecainide, warfarin and other cardiovascular drugs, drinking wolfberry tea is likely to inhibit the enzymes that metabolize drugs, which may cause poisoning. Studies have shown that taking more than 6-12 grams of wolfberry can significantly enhance the anticoagulant effect of warfarin, or cause dangerous situations such as subcutaneous hemorrhage.

2. Don't store it in a thermos for a long time

Nowadays, many people like to choose the way of brewing goji berries. Soaking goji berries in a thermos cup is very popular among health-preserving people. However, soaking goji berries and other nutrient-rich foods in a thermos cup for a long time will breed microorganisms and metabolize carbon dioxide and other gases .

The thermos cup with good sealing performance and narrow space is constantly squeezed by the gas, and the inner wall of the cup is under great pressure. The sudden release of pressure may cause an explosion when it is opened .

Although high water temperature helps to extract water-soluble components such as polysaccharides, high water temperature easily destroys heat-labile carotenoids and vitamins, affecting their nutritional value , such as causing discoloration of wolfberry. In addition to wolfberry, tea and milk are not suitable for long-term storage in thermos cups.

3. Learn to distinguish

At first glance, the appearance is dark red, the color is not too bright, and the ones without blackheads are good wolfberries. Second smell , the good wolfberry itself emits a sweet and sour smell, while the wolfberry smoked by sulfur has an obvious sour or pungent smell. Three tastes , high-quality wolfberry has a slightly sour taste, sweet but not greasy, and slightly bitter after chewing.

4. Wolfberry is not suitable for everyone

Li Guohui, director of the Pharmacy Department of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences , said that wolfberry is not a panacea food, and the more you eat every day, the better. Goji berries are not suitable for everyone. People with weak spleen and stomach, high blood pressure, colds, and diarrhea are not suitable for consumption . Excessive consumption of goji berries can also cause side effects, such as getting angry and red and swollen eyes.

Although wolfberry is rich in nutrition, it cannot replace the curative effect of drugs. We must face up to the curative effect of wolfberry in our daily life and do not eat it blindly.

references:

[1] "Four ways to eat wolfberry! How to eat for the best absorption effect". Life Times. 2018-10-08

[2] "Soft gold" black goji berry is snapped up? Expert: It’s better to go home and eat eggplant skin”. Life Times. 2015-09-08

[3] "Experts Say | Soak Goji Berry in a Thermos Cup? Eating goji berries in this way is effective.” Life Times. 2020-12-04

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