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Goji (Lycium chinense; Lycium barbarum) is a shrub. The berries, berry juice, and root bark have been used for many purposes, but with little evidence.
Goji grows in the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia. It contains chemicals that might help lower blood pressure and blood sugar. It might also help stimulate the immune system and protect organs.
Goji is used for many conditions including diabetes, weight loss, improving quality of life, and as a tonic, but there is no good scientific evidence to support any of these uses.
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- Cognitive function. It is unclear if oral goji berry improves cognition in healthy young individuals.
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- Diabetes. It is unclear if oral goji berry polysaccharides improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes.
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- Obesity. It is unclear if oral goji berry juice improves weight loss.
Login for details - Quality of life. Small clinical studies suggest that oral goji berry juice may modestly improve quality of life in healthy adults.
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When taken by mouth: Goji fruit is possibly safe when taken short-term. Up to 15 grams of goji fruit daily has been used safely for up to 4 months. In rare cases, goji fruit can cause allergic reactions.
There isn't enough reliable information available to know if other parts of the goji plant are safe or what the side effects might be.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if goji is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. There is some concern that goji fruit might cause the uterus to contract. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.Allergy to protein in certain products: Goji might cause an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to tobacco, peaches, tomatoes, and nuts.
Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) substrates)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver.
Lycium might decrease how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking lycium along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can increase the effects and side effects of some medications. Before taking lycium talk to your healthcare provider if you take any medications that are changed by the liver.
Some medications that are changed by the liver include amitriptyline (Elavil), diazepam (Valium), zileuton (Zyflo), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Voltaren), fluvastatin (Lescol), glipizide (Glucotrol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), phenytoin (Dilantin), piroxicam (Feldene), tamoxifen (Nolvadex), tolbutamide (Tolinase), torsemide (Demadex), warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Lycium bark might decrease blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking lycium bark along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.
Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Lycium seems to decrease blood pressure. Taking lycium along with medications for high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low.
Some medications for high blood pressure include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), Amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDiuril), furosemide (Lasix), and many others.
Warfarin (Coumadin)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Warfarin (Coumadin) is used to slow blood clotting. Lycium might increase how long warfarin (Coumadin) is in the body, and increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Be sure to have your blood checked regularly. The dose of your warfarin (Coumadin) might need to be changed.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood pressure: Goji root bark might lower blood pressure. Taking it with other supplements that have the same effect might cause blood pressure to drop too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include andrographis, casein peptides, L-arginine, niacin, and stinging nettle.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood sugar: Goji might lower blood sugar. Taking it with other supplements with similar effects might lower blood sugar too much. Examples of supplements with this effect include aloe, bitter melon, cassia cinnamon, chromium, and prickly pear cactus.
There are no known interactions with foods.
There isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of goji might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.
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