Goji Berry
Lycium barbarum · Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ 枸杞子
Nutrient-dense 'longevity' berry rich in zeaxanthin.
Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
18 verified / 18
Classification
TCM Herb
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
What is Goji Berry?
Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum · Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ 枸杞子) is a traditional Chinese medicine herb used for antioxidant. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Goji (Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ) is used in TCM to nourish the liver, kidney, and eyes. It is exceptionally rich in zeaxanthin, a carotenoid concentrated in the retina, and small trials show supplementation raises macular pigment and plasma antioxidant levels. Other small RCTs report improved subjective energy and wellbeing. Evidence is preliminary and several studies are industry-funded, but its nutrient density is well established.
Purported Benefits
✓Antioxidant
✓Eye / macular health
✓Subjective wellbeing
✓Immune support
Evidence by outcome
The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.
| Outcome | Evidence | Effect | Studies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macular pigment / eye healthSeveral small RCTs raise macular pigment optical density and serum zeaxanthin, incl. an early-AMD trial. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · moderate | 4 |
| Plasma antioxidant / oxidative stressSmall RCTs show raised plasma carotenoids and reduced lipid peroxidation; mostly industry-funded. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · small | 3 |
| Blood lipids (triglycerides/HDL)MAs of LBP show small TG reduction and HDL rise; no significant change in total or LDL cholesterol. | Moderate | ↑ benefit · small | 3 |
| Subjective wellbeing / energySingle small industry-funded RCT reported improved wellbeing and energy; weak evidence. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · small | 1 |
| Immune (vaccine response)One 3-mo RCT in elderly found higher post-influenza-vaccine IgG with milk-based Lycium; single trial. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · small | 1 |
| Warfarin interaction (bleeding)Case report of elevated INR and bleeding rated a probable goji-warfarin interaction. | Preliminary | ⚠ risk | 1 |
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
15–45 g dried berries/day, or equivalent juice/extract.
Active Compounds
Safety & Cautions
Safe as a food. May raise INR / interact with warfarin. Rare allergy. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Goji Berry with any medicine.
Key Studies ★ 18 studies
Meta-analysis
Lipid profile meta-analysis 2023
✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (259 adults) showed Lycium barbarum supplementation significantly lowered triglycerides (MD ~0.14 mmol/L) and raised HDL-cholesterol (~0.07 mmol/L), with no significant change in total or LDL cholesterol.
Meta-analysis
Zhang 2023 (Medicine, Baltimore)
✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (n=259) found L. barbarum significantly lowered triglycerides (MD 0.14 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.08-0.20) and raised HDL-C (MD 0.07 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.01-0.13), with no significant change in total or LDL cholesterol.
Meta-analysis
Zhou 2022
✓ PubMed
Systematic review/meta-analysis of 7 RCTs found daily Lycium barbarum polysaccharide significantly reduced serum triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, and LDL cholesterol.
Meta-analysis
de Souza Mesquita 2021 / wolfberry CVD 2022 (Eur J Nutr)
✓ PubMed
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (from 785 screened) found wolfberry consumption, particularly as whole fruit, supports improvements in cardiovascular health-related indicators including blood lipids and oxidative-stress biomarkers.
randomized controlled trial
Periodontitis RCT 2024
✓ PubMed
In a randomized trial of 60 adults with periodontitis, Lycium barbarum mouthwash plus scaling/root planing reduced probing depth, plaque, gingival index and bleeding comparably to 0.2% chlorhexidine, and uniquely raised salivary antioxidant (protein thiol) levels.
rct
Varicocele LBP RCT 2026
✓ PubMed
In a double-blind randomized trial of 80 varicocele patients, 400 mg/day Lycium barbarum polysaccharide extract for 2 months significantly raised antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase) and testosterone while lowering malondialdehyde, and improved sperm count, motility, and morphology versus placebo.
RCT
Wolfberry plasma lipidome RCT 2024 (PMC)
✓ Full text
Randomized controlled trial in middle-aged and older adults found wolfberry consumption altered the human plasma lipidome in directions associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk factors.
RCT
Goji mouthwash periodontitis RCT 2024 (PMC)
✓ Full text
Randomized clinical trial found L. barbarum mouthwash plus scaling/root planing reduced periodontal indices in periodontitis patients, with no significant difference versus chlorhexidine.
RCT
Toh 2021
✓ PubMed
In a 90-day randomized pilot trial (n=27, ages 45-65), 28 g/day goji berries significantly increased macular pigment optical density at 0.25 and 1.75 eccentricities and skin carotenoids, whereas a lutein/zeaxanthin supplement did not.
RCT
Li 2021 (Nutrients)
✓ Full text
Randomized pilot trial (n=27, ages 45-65; 28 g goji berries 5x/week for 90 days) significantly increased macular pigment optical density at 0.25 and 1.75 eccentricities and raised skin carotenoids, exceeding a lutein/zeaxanthin supplement comparator.
RCT
Toh et al. 2021 (randomized controlled trial)
✓ PubMed
16-week parallel-design RCT (n=40 middle-aged/older adults): 15 g/day whole dried wolfberry within a healthy dietary pattern significantly raised plasma zeaxanthin and skin carotenoids and reduced lipid peroxidation (plasma 8-iso-prostaglandin F2alpha), with an inverse association between plasma zeaxanthin rise and oxidative stress marker; no change in the control group.
clinical trial
Li 2018
✓ PubMed
In a controlled trial of 114 patients with early age-related macular degeneration, 25 g/day goji berries for 90 days significantly increased macular pigment optical density (0.73 to 0.88 DU) and roughly tripled serum zeaxanthin, with soft drusen diminishing in the treated group.
RCT
Bucheli 2011
✓ PubMed
Increased plasma zeaxanthin (~26%) and macular pigment in adults aged 65–70.
rct
Vidal 2012
✓ PubMed
In a 3-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 150 healthy Chinese elderly (aged 65-70), 13.7 g/day Lacto-Wolfberry (milk-based Lycium barbarum) produced significantly higher post-vaccination influenza-specific serum IgG levels and seroconversion rate (days 30-90) versus placebo, with no serious adverse events.
Clinical trial
Amagase 2009
✓ PubMed
Improved subjective wellbeing and energy in a small RCT.
case report
Rivera 2012
✓ PubMed
Case report of a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who developed a markedly elevated (indeterminate) INR with epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding after 4 days of goji juice; the Naranjo scale rated the Lycium barbarum-warfarin interaction as probable.
case report
Gomez-Bernal 2012
✓ PubMed
Case report describing a middle-aged woman who developed autoimmune hepatitis temporally linked to goji berry consumption, illustrating a rare but documented hepatic safety concern with Lycium barbarum.
Study
Antioxidant studies
✓ PubMed
Raised plasma antioxidant capacity after regular intake.