Goji Berries: Nutrition, Benefits, And Side Effects - Healthline

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Evidence BasedWhat are Goji Berries? This Unique Red Fruit, Explained

Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT — Written by Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD — Updated on December 12, 2024

Basics
Benefits
Downsides
Uses
Bottom line

Goji berries are known for their vibrant hue and unique sour flavor. They contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant content that may promote immune function and eye health.

Goji berries are tiny red fruits packed with antioxidants and powerful medicinal properties. They’re not only great for adding a pop of color to your plate but also delicious and full of flavor.

These berries are often sold powdered or dried and added to many supplements and juice blends.

Learn more about the nutritional value, benefits, and side effects of goji berries.

An overview of goji berries

Also called wolfberries, goji berries (Lycium barbarum) are native to Asia.

Known for their sweet, slightly sour flavor and vibrant red hue, they’ve been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. In fact, they’re believed to slow signs of aging and maintain eye health.

Thanks to their growing popularity, goji berries are also frequently featured in supplements, and superfood blends alongside other fruits, herbs, and extracts.

Also, you can often find these berries in dried or powdered forms and add them to a variety of recipes.

Potential health benefits

Goji berries have been linked to several potential health benefits.

Highly nutritious

They’re a good source of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Just 5 tablespoons (28 grams) of dried goji berries contain:

Calories: 98
Protein: 4 grams
Fat: 0.1 grams
Carbs: 21.6 grams
Fiber: 3.6 grams
Sugar: 12.8 grams
Iron: 11% of the daily value (DV)
Vitamin A: 250% of the DV
Vitamin C: 15% of the DV

Even a small serving of this fruit is a good source of fiber, iron, and vitamins A and C.

Iron is an essential mineral involved in oxygen transport and the production of healthy red blood cells. Meanwhile, both vitamins A and C play central roles in immune function and act as antioxidants in your body.

Antioxidants are compounds that help neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals, preventing cell damage.

Research suggests that increasing antioxidant intake may reduce inflammation and protect against chronic conditions like cancer. However, further research is still necessary to confirm this.

May promote eye health

Promising research suggests that goji berries may enhance eye health and protect against disorders like macular degeneration, a progressive eye condition that can lead to vision loss.

A study in 114 people with early macular degeneration showed that daily goji berry supplements improved the density of macular pigment, which may protect against the progression of macular degeneration.

Goji berries are also packed with antioxidants like zeaxanthin, which help protect your lenses and retinas against damage.

May support immune function

Goji berries have long been used in traditional medicine to ward off infection. Research has also shown that it may help enhance immunity.

However, further research is still necessary to confirm whether goji berries can effectively support immune function.

Potential downsides

Most healthy adults can enjoy goji berries in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

However, these berries may trigger an allergic reaction in rare cases, especially in individuals who are allergic to other fruits.

Additionally, goji berries may interact with certain drugs, including blood thinners and medications for diabetes or high blood pressure.

If you’re taking medications or have underlying health conditions, you may want to talk with a healthcare professional before adding goji berries to your diet.

How to add goji berries to your diet

Goji berries are widely available in dried form.

They can easily be substituted for other dried fruits in cereal, yogurt, trail mix, and granola. You can also add them to baked goods like cookies, muffins, brownies, and breads.

To soften and rehydrate them, try soaking dried goji berries for a few minutes. Rehydrated goji berries make a great addition to salsas, smoothies, soups, and stir-fries.

Finally, goji berry powders and juice blends can be mixed into many drinks, shakes, and smoothies.

The bottom line

Goji berries are known for their vibrant hue and unique sour flavor.

In addition to their vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content, these berries may promote immune function and eye health.

They’re available in several forms and can be added to numerous recipes.

If you’re taking medications or have any underlying health conditions, it’s important to talk with a healthcare professional before eating goji berries.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Antioxidants and cancer prevention. (n.d.).https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/antioxidants-fact-sheet
Goji. (n.d.).https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/1025.html
Goji berries, dried. (2018).https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173032/nutrients
Li S, et al. (2018). Macular pigment and serum zeaxanthin levels with Goji berry supplement in early age-related macular degeneration.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6010398/
Ma ZF, et al. (2019). Goji Berries as a potential natural antioxidant medicine: An insight into their molecular mechanisms of action.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6343173/
Uasuf CG, et al. (2020). Emerging allergens in goji berry superfruit: The identification of new IgE binding proteins towards allergic patients’ sera.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7277879/

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Evidence Based

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1, 2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT — Written by Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD — Updated on December 12, 2024

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Nutrition

Nutrition

An overview of goji berries

Potential health benefits

Highly nutritious

May promote eye health

May support immune function

Potential downsides

How to add goji berries to your diet

The bottom line

How we reviewed this article:

Evidence Based

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