Solanaceae · fruit
Goji berry
Lycium barbarum
Fruit mapped as Gou Qi Zi: nourishes Liver and Kidney yin in classical lists, with some human antioxidant/metabolic extract files.
Safety first
Ripe fruit is food-like. Solanaceae nightshade family. Rare warfarin-INR anecdotes with large intakes. Not a night-vision drug. Related L. chinense leaf is a different drug (di gu pi is root bark).
Tradition vs trials
Traditional record. Bensky: Gou Qi Zi tonifies Liver and Kidney, brightens the eyes, and moistens the Lung.
Trial literature. Polysaccharide extracts have small human metabolic and visual-function files. Culinary handfuls are not those extracts.
Practical ranges
Educational ranges — not a prescription. Culinary use is not an extract.
dried fruit
Classical handful-to-15 g in formulas; culinary handfuls are food-like
Chinese Pharmacopoeia / Bensky — Educational range only — not a prescription. A licensed clinician individualizes product, dose, and duration.
Pregnancy, nursing, children
- Pregnancy. Culinary fruit is often treated as food-like; medicinal extracts lack adequate data.
- Nursing. Insufficient reliable data; avoid unless a clinician directs otherwise.
- Children. Culinary fruit.
Contraindications
- known nightshade allergy
Key interactions
- warfarin · note
Anecdotal INR changes with large intakes.