Herb module
Gou Qi Zi
Ningxia Wolfberry (Goji)Lycium barbarum
The bright red goji berry, a gentle food-like tonic for the Liver and Kidney, the eyes, and deep Jing reserves.
Gou Qi Zi is the small, ruby-red berry many people know as goji. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is traditionally used to nourish the Liver and Kidney, the organs tied to our deepest reserves and to clear vision. It appears in four Zoi formulas: Resilience | Fós™, Longevity | The Zoi™, Heart Meridian™, and Liver Meridian™.
Best functions
- Tonifies the Liver and Kidney
- Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin
- Traditionally used to brighten the eyes
- Enriches Jing, the body's deep essence
- Benefits Lung Yin
Fascinating facts
- The berries are small, oval, and bright orange-red. They are usually dried, which gives them a chewy, raisin-like texture and a mildly sweet, slightly tangy taste.
- Ningxia, a region in north-central China along the Yellow River, is especially famous for its wolfberries, which is why the herb is often called Ningxia Wolfberry.
- Gou Qi Zi is fondly called the longevity tonic that also tastes good. It is one of the few herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine that people happily eat by the handful.
- Goji is rich in zeaxanthin, a yellow-orange pigment, and research has looked at how zeaxanthin and betaine from goji help protect the light-sensing cells at the back of the eye.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine
Gou Qi Zi is a sweet-tasting tonic herb. It is warm in nature and enters the Kidney and Liver channels.
Biomedical deep dive
Gou Qi Zi Ningxia Wolfberry (Goji)
From the Zoi Medicinals fact sheets’ Biomedical Details, with lines from Noa’s herb notes marked “Noa’s notes”.
On the fact sheet
- Gou Qi Zi (Ningxia Wolfberry, Lycium barbarum) is warm and enters the KI and LIV meridians; tonifies the Liver and Kidney, strengthens the sinews and bones, expels Wind-Damp, and warms and stabilizes the Kidney. · Resilience | Fós · Longevity | The Zoi · Heart Meridian · Liver Meridian sheets
Key active constituents
- Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP), named in several cited studies (Kwok et al., Biomed Res Int 2019)
- A wolfberry glycopeptide (sugar-protein compound), named in a cited mouse study (Dai et al., Phytomedicine 2023)
Pharmacology and mechanisms
- Wolfberry is one of the Liver Meridian herbs shown to be protective of the liver.
- Studies show it may help slow or ease liver fibrosis (scarring) and improve fat build-up in the liver.
- It has shown neuroprotective activity, and studies indicate it protects, and helps regenerate, the eye.
- The Longevity sheet lists it among herbs with anti-tumor functions and herbs that benefit the cardiovascular system.
- Zeaxanthin and betaine are antioxidants that protect retinal (eye) cells from oxidative damage. Noa’s notes
- Immune-stimulating: polysaccharides increase IL-2 and IFN-γ (immune signaling molecules). Noa’s notes
- Neuroprotective: promotes NGF (nerve growth factor) and axon (nerve fiber) regeneration. Noa’s notes
What the research says
- Lycium barbarum polysaccharide eased alcohol-related liver injury in female mice (Wang et al., Mol Nutr Food Res 2018).
- ALT and AST (liver-stress blood markers) fell with wolfberry in a rat study of liver inflammation and fibrosis (Wu et al., Am J Chin Med 2011).
- LBP improved chemically induced liver fibrosis and inflammation in rats (Gan et al., Life Sci 2018).
- Wolfberry lowered total cholesterol and triglycerides in rats, with positive effects on insulin resistance and blood sugar (Kwok et al., Biomed Res Int 2019).
- In a randomized controlled trial of 67 people with type 2 diabetes, wolfberry significantly lowered blood sugar and raised HDL after 3 months (Kwok et al., Biomed Res Int 2019).
- LBP eased heart enlargement and inhibited NF-κB (a master switch for inflammation) in diabetic rats (Liu et al., Exp Ther Med 2019).
- A wolfberry glycopeptide reduced stress-induced anxiety-like behavior in mice (Dai et al., Phytomedicine 2023).
- Wolfberry improved memory and stimulated the growth of new neurons in animals (Kwok et al., Biomed Res Int 2019).
Safety, interactions and cautions
- Every Zoi fact sheet: do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding unless directed by your health care practitioner.
- The Longevity | The Zoi fact sheet notes the formula suits most conventional medical therapies, but its use should be discussed with your doctor.
- The Resilience | Fós fact sheet advises anyone with a medical condition or taking medication to consult their doctor before use, and to take it earlier in the day if it interferes with sleep.
- Avoid with Spleen deficiency producing Dampness, loose stools or diarrhea. Noa’s notes
- Use caution with Damp-Heat. Noa’s notes
In these Zoi formulas
- ★ Longevity | The Zoi (#3 on the fact sheet)
- ★ Heart Meridian (#3 on the fact sheet)
- Resilience | Fós (#4 on the fact sheet)
- Liver Meridian (#6 on the fact sheet)
