What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Goji Berries Regularly (2025)

Goji berries, known for their sweet-tangy flavor and bright red hue, have been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine. While human studies are limited, early research suggests they may support eye health, heart function, and liver protection due to their powerful antioxidant effects.

Jump to Key Takeaways.

1. Supports Eye Health

A few clinical trials have studied the effects of goji berries on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness. Goji berry contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids (red, yellow, or orange pigments) that protect the eye from damage. Goji is the richest dietary source of zeaxanthin.

According to the research, consuming goji berries may:

• Increase zeaxanthin levels: Studies show that consuming goji berries for 28 days can more than double the levels of zeaxanthin in the blood.
• Increase macular pigment: One trial of 114 older people with early AMD showed that goji berry increased macular pigment (a yellow pigment that helps absorb blue light and provides antioxidant effects) and zeaxanthin compared to placebo (sugar pill containing no therapeutic ingredients). These increases may slow the progression of degeneration in the eye. Another study of 54 people with myopia (nearsightedness) showed that zeaxanthin from goji berry increased macular pigment, which is associated with better vision.
• Strengthen the eyes and help prevent AMD: In another trial of healthy middle-aged adults, goji berries were more effective than taking a supplement containing smaller amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin. This trial was small, limited to just 27 people. However, results suggest that goji berries could help strengthen the eyes and prevent AMD, even in people without eye damage.
• Protect the retina and preserve vision: Goji berries have also been shown to protect the retina and preserve vision in retinitis. However, this was based on a small study, consisting of 42 people who took goji for 12 months.

Larger clinical trials are needed to verify these effects.

2. Helps Manage Diabetes

In a clinical trial, 67 people with type 2 diabetes ate goji berries for three months. It resulted in lower blood sugar and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ("good" cholesterol). The most significant effects were seen in people not taking other diabetes medications.

3. Promotes Heart Health

Goji berries, mainly when eaten as a whole food, may lower the risk of heart disease. It has been shown to decrease levels of triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol, which protect the heart.

A small clinical trial of 40 adults over 50 compared the effects of a healthy diet with and without whole dried goji berries. People who ate 15 grams (g) of goji berries daily along with a healthy diet had higher levels of HDL cholesterol and a decreased long-term risk of heart disease.

4. Supports Liver Function

Consuming goji berries for 12 weeks may improve liver function, according to a trial of 90 adults with elevated liver enzymes.

In the study, goji berries decreased the following liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and Y-glutamyltransferase (GGT). This was associated with healthy liver function.

Goji Berry Nutritional Information

Goji berry is available as a whole food, in commercially available food and drinks, and in supplement form. Whenever possible, eat goji as a whole food to optimize its therapeutic effects.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides the following nutritional profile for 5 tablespoons, or 28 g, of dried goji berries:

• Calories: 97.7
• Protein: 4 g
• Fat: 0.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 21.6 g
• Fiber: 3.6 g
• Calcium: 53.2 milligrams (mg)
• Iron: 1.9 mg
• Sodium: 83.4 mg
• Vitamin C: 13.6 mg
• Vitamin A: 7500 international units (IU)
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Threonine: 0.1 g
• Leucine: 0.128 g
• Lysine: 0.065 g
• Phenylalanine: 0.076 g
• Tyrosine: 0.062 g
• Aspartic acid: 0.479 g

Micronutrients such as the following are also found in goji berries:

• Riboflavin
• Thiamine
• Nicotinic acid
• Copper
• Manganese
• Magnesium
• Selenium

Goji berry supplements are available in capsule, extract, and powder forms. These forms may be less effective than incorporating fresh goji berries into your diet.

Are Goji Berries Safe to Consume?

Goji berries are unlikely to cause side effects in healthy adults. However, consuming a food like goji berries may have potential side effects. These side effects may be common and mild or less common and severe.

Keep the following precautions in mind before adding goji berries to your diet:

• Severe allergic reaction: Avoid using goji berry if you have a known allergy to it or its ingredients. People with allergies to tobacco, peaches, tomatoes, or nuts may be more likely to be allergic to goji.
• Toxic hepatitis (rare): A case of toxic hepatitis with stomach pain and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) was reported in an individual who consumed goji berry tea three times per day.
• Use in pregnancy or breastfeeding: There's not enough safety data about consuming goji berry during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. But because it may cause uterus contraction, it is typically not recommended to consume while pregnant.

Should you experience these symptoms, seek medical help right away.

Interactions

Goji berries may interact with the following medications:

• Jantoven (warfarin): Increased risk of bleeding may occur.
• Diabetes medications: Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a risk since goji has decreased blood sugar.

It is essential to carefully read a supplement's ingredients list and nutrition facts panel to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included. Please review the supplement label with your healthcare provider to discuss potential interactions with foods, other supplements, and medications.

How Many Goji Berries Should You Eat Per Day?

Goji berries are typically consumed at 15 to 30 g per day. Lower doses of 6 to 18 g daily may be used as part of combination herbal products.The dose studied in a clinical trial for AMD was 28 g five days a week for 90 days.

Key Takeaways

• Small studies have shown that goji berries may help preserve vision, promote heart health, and decrease blood sugar. However, larger, human clinical trials are still needed to verify these results.
• Goji berries are most beneficial when consumed as a whole food. Incorporate them into your diet as fresh or dried fruit or as an ingredient in commercially available foods and drinks.
• Goji berries are generally safe to consume, but watch for potential drug interactions with blood thinners and diabetes medications. They may also cause uterine contractions, so talk to your healthcare provider before consuming them if you're pregnant.