(Note: This article was published in two parts in the December 31, 2010 and January 1, 2011 issues of the Philippine Journal)
This being the Christmas Season, I acceded to the “nudge” of Ped Xing to write on something that is light. I rationalized it as still within the scope of my declared advocacy (stated in my first article) of writing about “quality, productivity, manufacturing operations, mechanical engineering and atbp”, so I’m posting the following modified material earlier written by me for an in-house publication:
I believe that not many people have heard of, and more so know of, the GOJI Berry.
This fruit was introduced to me by a retired engineer friend - a very credible person, who in the past headed various trade and civic organizations, among them, the Jaycees and the Rotary Club. He also held very responsible executive positions in various top notch local and multi-national corporations, topping it with being President and CEO of one for more than 10 years prior to his retirement. He is currently still involved with organizations and of course with his own businesses which includes among others, a jewellery factory, a chain of jewellery stores located in major hotels and malls in Metro Manila, and a large pomelo and mango farm in Central Luzon. In addition to these activities is his “advocacy” in introducing and promoting the benefits of Goji.
It was my lucky streak that the fruit was introduced to me by this friend because if it were not for his credibility, I would have easily dismissed the subject in favour of more “important concerns”. It is luck for me because if my natural reaction to matters like this one had prevailed, I would have missed the opportunity of benefiting from the wonderful effects that this fruit had on my health and general feeling of well being.
My personal appreciation of Goji started when a few weeks after I started drinking it on a regular basis, I was invited to the birthday party in the condo-residence of my “balae” which is located in the penthouse of a four storey building located in Mandaluyong City. I went there straight from a visit with a client in Bulacan so I had my heavy laptop with me, and which I decided, after parking, to carry to the party so as to spare myself the worry of the possibility of losing in it to “bukas kotse” gangs.
As I negotiated the stairs (there was no elevator), I heard laughter from the penthouse and a voice that said, “kaya ba niyang umakyat ng four floors?” The party group was aware of my arrival since I announced it by phone to my wife who went there ahead of me, and as I exited the door of the stairwell, I saw a lot of smiling faces with eyes staring at me. That was when I heard the voice of my male balae who said, “o, kantiyaw kayo ng kantiyaw e ni hindi nga humihingal!” The statement was of course followed by merry laughter and “kumustahan”, but it was at that point that I became conscious of the benefits of Goji. I realized that I never stopped in any of the landings going up the four floors, given that I was carrying the “heavy” laptop – a load that would make me, at that time, pant even when walking that distance on level ground.
This incident got me to be more observant of the effects of this very pleasant tasting Goji Berry juice that I was drinking. I started to get back the feeling of my left “little finger” which had been numb for some time. I also had more energy during the day and a lot more restful sleep. My work as a consultant would at times find me staying up to the wee hours of the morning preparing for a lecture or presentation later in the day. In situations like this, if I go to bed at say 3 A.M., it will usually take me more than an hour before I can sleep, and this doesn’t give me enough rest time - given that I have to get up and be prepared for an 8:00 A.M. appointment. The situation changed ever since I started drinking the juice because my difficulty in going to sleep disappeared.
I also noticed that under situations where I have to go without sleep to be able to meet professional commitments, doubling my daily dosage would get me through the following day with out difficulty and also with no negative effects on my efficiency. This particular observation, to me, is amazing, given that I am already a senior citizen.
Although I attribute my availing of the benefits of Goji to the credibility of my engineer friend, I – being an engineer myself – somehow also did my own research about the fruit. It turns out it has been used in traditional Chinese medicines for nearly 2,000 years and its attributed medicinal properties correlate well with recent scientific studies. The fruit comes from the herb Lycium Barbarum that grows prominently as evergreen shrubs in the Himalayas, Tibet, Mongolia and China. Recent scientific studies of the fruit have identified the richness of its nutrients and its very high antioxidant qualities prompting one internationally respected news magazine to dub it a “superfruit”. This accolade is somehow substantiated by Dr. Norman M. Fansworth, a world renowned Professor of Pharmacognosy (study of plant-based medicines) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who said that “clinical studies [of Lycium Barbarum or Goji] have shown multiple health benefits for humans, especially for general well-being, for immune modulation, and for its anti-oxidant effects”.
The story of Goji, it is said, started when the community around a monastery in the Himalayas realized that the reason for the exceptional longevity as well as the vigour of the monks despite their advance age was due to the water they drink from their well. It so happened that Goji shrubs growing beside the well were regularly dropping their berries into the well so that as they are soaked over a period of time, the nutrients which are soluble are absorbed by the water. These nutrients are then absorbed by the monks daily, when they drink the water from the well.
One of my wonders was on how this fruit got to pack so much health and medicinal nutrients in it. The explanation I gathered seems to be related to both survival and evolution. The most potent Goji fruit are found in the Himalayas where the weather conditions are very harsh, making it very difficult for plants to survive. But the Lycium Barbarum indeed survived and in the process it evolved the necessary nutrients that it needed to overcome the harsh conditions that threaten its demise. These very nutrients are passed on to the very fruit and seeds that guarantee the survival of its specie. And the benefits of these nutrients are passed on to the person/s (initially the monks) who eat the Goji berry or imbibe its juice.
My engineer friend, who like me is also a senior citizen, told me he has stopped taking his medicines since he started to drink Goji more than two years ago and has been feeling fine since then. His good health is also validated by the results of the regular medical check-ups he takes. I have been regularly drinking, together with my wife, Goji juice since February this year, and although I feel the improved vigour and general well being, I’m afraid I’m not yet as bold as my friend to stop all of the medication normally taken by a senior citizen. This I can do – maybe in due time.
Some of the other benefits claimed to be experienced by other Goji drinkers are the following: permanent curing of some allergies; curing of kidney problems; shrinking of tumours; curing of skin diseases; curing of haemorrhoids; control of diabetes; helps control hypertension; cures vision related diseases; boosts sex life; fights cellulite; improves fertility; helps reduce anxiety and stress; anti-aging; etc.
There are still a lot that can be told about Goji, but space availability limits it. So, for those who either got intrigued by, or got interested in the fruit, you are most welcome to get in touch through this writer’s email, where we can interact more extensively on the matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment