Goji berries are one of the most beloved medicinal herbs among Chinese people. These days, they’ve even become something of a cultural meme — the middle-aged man’s goji-and-chrysanthemum tea, sipped as a badge of wellness consciousness. Their health benefits have truly entered the public imagination.
Listed as a superior-grade herb in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), the entire goji plant — from leaf to root — is medicinally valuable. The fruit itself, goji berries, is the concentrated essence and stands apart in its ability to strengthen bodily functions.
In clinical practice, whenever I encounter deficiency of the liver and kidneys, I can almost always prescribe goji berries. When there are clear signs of liver-kidney yin deficiency, insufficient liver blood, soreness and pain in the lower back, or fatigue and listlessness, I can use them boldly — starting at 30 grams (one liang) without hesitation.
Many classical and modern materia medica texts warn that those with spleen deficiency and loose stools should avoid goji berries. I respectfully disagree. In the context of a properly composed formula — within the framework of sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy — spleen deficiency simply ceases to be a concern.
However, for daily wellness consumption, if someone has chronic loose stools or poor digestion, they should indeed exercise caution with goji berries.
So how should you actually use them?
I see piles of discarded goji berries in the bathroom almost every day. What a waste.
Goji berries are not meant to be steeped in hot water and then tossed. You should eat every last one of them.
These days, the chances of buying genuine Ningxia goji berries are slim. Those plump, oversized, vividly red, and overly sweet berries you see on the market are almost certainly from Xinjiang — and their medicinal potency pales in comparison to Ningxia goji.
So here is my recommended daily approach:
1. If you’re generally healthy and simply want to maintain wellness: steep about 30 berries a day, refill the water a few times, and eat them once they’ve softened.
2. If you have symptoms like soreness in the lower back and knees, dry and painful eyes, or anemia, and want to use goji as a therapeutic food: steep at least 60 berries daily — and always eat them at the end.
3. If you suffer from severe lower back and muscle pain, I recommend chewing goji berries dry. Fresh goji are ideal for this. Eating 40–50 berries this way can noticeably relieve back pain, especially the deep aching around the lumbar area.
On a separate note, there is a reliable way to identify authentic Ningxia goji berries:
I’ve discussed this with several experienced herb workers, and their consensus is clear: Ningxia goji berries do not clump together in summer, while goji from other regions will become soft and sticky.
This is a wonderfully simple and effective identification method — one glance tells you everything you need to know.
中文原文 / Chinese Original
枸杞子是中国老百姓喜闻乐见的一味中药，现在更是流行中年油腻男人手一杯枸杞菊花茶的梗，其养生功效已经深入人心。
作为神农本草经的上品药，枸杞树从叶子到根都是非常优秀的药材，其果实精华枸杞子更是药效显著，在提高机体功能方面可谓独树一帜。
临床中，凡是见了肝肾不足者，几乎都可以用枸杞子，若是出现明显的肝肾阴虚、肝血不足、腰酸腰痛、乏力无神者，更是可以放胆用之，一两起步毫无问题。
古今记载中，许多本草书都说脾虚泄泻者不宜服用枸杞，我很不以为然，处方是要配伍的，在君臣佐使的制度下，脾虚不存在。
但是，作为日常养生服用时，如果常年大便不成形，消化不良的话，还是要谨慎服用枸杞子。
那么究竟该怎么用呢？
我几乎每天都会在厕所看到一大堆倒掉的枸杞子，真是浪费。
枸杞的生命不是用热水泡泡就完事了，应该全部吃掉。
目前能买到宁夏好枸杞的概率还是很小的，尤其是市面上见到的又红又大又胖又甜的枸杞，基本上都是新疆枸杞，药效远不如宁夏枸杞。
所以，我建议日常服用枸杞的方法是：
1、如果身体没有明显不适，就是想养养生的，每天泡30粒枸杞，随便泡几次，最后软了吃掉就可以
2、如果有腰膝酸软、眼睛干涩疼痛、贫血等等症状，想用作食疗的，每天至少要泡60粒，最后吃掉
3、如果平时腰背肌肉痛很严重的，建议干嚼枸杞，干嚼鲜枸杞最好，一般吃上四五十粒就能明显缓解腰背疼痛，特别是腰眼酸痛的情况
另外，鉴别宁夏枸杞有一个比较好的方法
我与多位资深药工沟通过，他们的一致看法是：宁夏枸杞在夏天不会粘成一坨，而其他地方的枸杞都会变软变粘。
这是一个非常简单有效的鉴别方法，一看便知。
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