Wolfberry can not only lower blood sugar, but also increase sperm? Is it better to eat dried wolfberry, or soak it in water? Here comes the answer

"Fried rice with wolfberry, cake with wolfberry, salad with wolfberry, ice cream with wolfberry, facial mask with wolfberry..."

In foreign countries, wolfberry is the darling, and in China, there is also a health preservation method of "soaking wolfberry in a thermos". Even developed wolfberry coffee, wolfberry beer, wolfberry soda... What about the nutritional value of wolfberry?

1. What happens when you drink wolfberry in water every day?

"Shen Nong's Materia Medica" records that wolfberry "strengthens muscles and bones for a long time, light body and not old, cold and heat resistant".

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

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

Raw food: Eating directly can fully absorb the nutrients of wolfberry and effectively exert its health care effect, but it is not advisable to eat too much.

Soaking in water: The method of brewing wolfberry is simple, but it cannot fully dissolve the active ingredients of wolfberry. It is recommended to eat wolfberry after drinking water .

Boiled paste: wolfberry paste can retain more nutrients and exert a strong nourishing effect. During the cooking process, black sesame, jujube, donkey-hide gelatin, longan and other medicinal materials can be added. It should not be used in large quantities for a long time. People with excess body heat, spleen deficiency and dampness, diarrhea, hypotension, allergies, etc. should use it with caution.

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

Sparkling wine: Goji berry sparkling wine is easy to dissolve the active ingredients in it, and the two help each other to give full play to the effect. Because it is alcohol, people with poor liver and kidney function need to pay attention to taking it .

2. Can wolfberry increase sperm 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 wolfberry improve sperm quality in men? At present, there has not been any 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 discovery of active cells in animals. The wolfberry extract in animal experiments is not equal to wolfberry , so it cannot be Treat oligospermia in men or improve sperm survival and quality simply by eating wolfberry.

Can wolfberry lower blood sugar? Lycium barbarum extract has 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. It is not recommended for diabetics to eat more .

In addition to this, there is also a black wolfberry, known as "soft gold". It is said to have the functions of beauty for women, kidney nourishment for men, cancer prevention for the elderly, and eye protection for children. However, in the final analysis, black wolfberry is still a food, not a health care product.

Ma Shizhen, an associate researcher at the Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained that the active components of black wolfberry are similar to those of red wolfberry, and contain the highest content of anthocyanins in 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 have anthocyanins , and some manufacturers independently promote the efficacy of black wolfberry, which is suspected of hyping the health care value.

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

3. Eat wolfberry safely, pay attention to 4 points

Although wolfberry has high nutritional value, it should not be eaten indiscriminately.

1. Do not use wolfberry tea for cardiovascular medicine

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

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

2. Do not store in a thermos for a long time

Nowadays, many people prefer to choose the brewing method when they eat wolfberry, and brewing wolfberry in a thermos cup is even more popular among health care people. However, long-term soaking in nutritious food such as wolfberry in a thermos cup will breed microorganisms and metabolize gases such as carbon dioxide .

The thermal insulation cup with good sealing performance and narrow space is continuously squeezed by the gas, and the inner wall of the cup is subjected to a large pressure. The sudden release of the pressure during opening may cause an explosion .

Although high water temperature helps to leach water-soluble components such as polysaccharides, high water temperature easily destroys heat-labile carotenoids and vitamins, affecting their nutritional value , such as 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 one without blackheads is a good wolfberry. Second , the good wolfberry itself emits a sweet and sour smell, while the wolfberry smoked with sulfur has a distinct sour or pungent smell. After three tastes , the 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, and the more you eat every day, the better. Lycium barbarum is also not suitable for everyone. People with weak spleen and stomach, high blood pressure, colds, diarrhea, etc. are not suitable for consumption . Excessive consumption of wolfberry will also cause side effects, such as causing anger, red and swollen eyes and other symptoms.

Although wolfberry is rich in nutrients, it cannot replace the curative effect of medicine. We should 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 and absorb best". Life Times. 2018-10-08

[2] "Soft gold" black wolfberry was robbed? Expert: It's better to go home and eat eggplant skin". Life Times. 2015-09-08

[3] "Experts say | Soak wolfberry in a thermos? Eating wolfberry in this way is effective". Life Times. 2020-12-04

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