Goji Berry

Food · Fruit · Food, Typed Supps

A dried fruit that behaves like other dried fruits, whatever the packet says.

Stage by stage

Intake (Chewy and dense): Dried berries take real chewing, which slows intake in a way juice or powder does not.
Digestion (Fibre moderates release): An intact fibre matrix slows sugar release despite the high concentration of it.
Absorption (Sugars, potassium, non-heme iron): Sugars and potassium absorb readily; the iron is non-heme and poorly absorbed, and beta-carotene needs dietary fat.
Large intestine (Fermented by gut bacteria): The fibre reaching the colon is fermented into short-chain fatty acids, a real if unglamorous benefit.

Time to effect

Under an hour: Blood glucose rises within about an hour, tempered by the fibre they arrive in.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

155 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

1.5 kg CO2e and 420 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Berries & grapes" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £9 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Fibre
Potassium
Iron
Beta-carotene

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 297
Protein: 11.9g
Carbohydrate: 49.1g
of which sugars: 47.7g
Fat: 3.7g
of which saturated: 0.6g
Fibre: 11.2g
Sodium: 450mg

Food vs. supplement

Goji capsules, powders and juices are sold on antioxidant capacity measures the USDA itself withdrew as misleading. There is no case for supplementing them.

Kitchen tip

Soak briefly in hot water to soften for porridge or tea. Use them as you would sultanas — a small handful, not a bowlful.

Common myth

“Goji berries are a uniquely powerful superfood.” In reality: Nutritionally they behave like other dried fruit: concentrated sugar, useful fibre and a good amount of potassium. The specific health claims rest on laboratory and animal studies, and the human evidence is thin.