Health Nutrition & Diet 5 Ways Bright-Red Goji Berries Can Boost Your Health—Especially Immunity These red, raisin-looking berries are teeming with vitamin C and tons more antioxidants. By Kirsten Nunez Kirsten Nunez Kirsten Nunez has been a health and fitness writer at Real Simple since 2021 and has been writing for nearly a decade. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 26, 2024 Fact checked by Haley Mades Fact checked by Haley Mades Haley is a Wisconsin-based creative freelancer and recent graduate. She has worked as an editor, fact checker, and copywriter for various digital and print publications. Her most recent position was in academic publishing as a publicity and marketing assistant for the University of Wisconsin Press Our Fact-Checking Process Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Aniko Hobel/Getty Images You’re familiar with blueberries and strawberries, and probably even acai berries and elderberries—but have you ever tried goji berries? These tiny fruits, which are typically eaten dried, boast a sweet-and-sour flavor that’s like a party for your taste buds. Goji berries are native to China, where they’re traditionally used in soups and teas—though you can enjoy them in preparations like smoothies, granola, cereal, and trail mix as well. (This recipe for Nutty Superfood Breakfast Bites includes 3/4 cup of goji berries for tart sweetness and, of course, its amazing healthy benefits!) And get this: Bright red goji berries are so nutritious they’ve been added to the list of bonafide “superfoods,” along with the more familiar types of berries you already know and love. We asked dietitians about all the impressive health benefits of goji berries, and why they’re so good for you. Check out what they had to say, below. The 6 Sweetest Health Benefits of Blackberries Health Benefits of Goji Berries 01 of 05 Goji berries contain carotenoids to promote eye health. If you’re looking for a tasty way to support your peepers, carrots aren’t your only option: Reach for goji berries, too. These bite-size fruits are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which are carotenoids, which are antioxidant plant pigments that give vegetables and fruits (like goji berries) their vibrant, red-orange color. Specifically, carotenoids fight oxidative stress and inflammation involved in eye damage, according to registered dietitian Joanna Foley, RD. In fact, a 2021 study in the journal Nutrients found that adults who regularly ate goji berries had a lower risk for age-related macular degeneration, a top cause of blindness. 02 of 05 Goji berries are rich in antioxidants like vitamins C and E. If you’re on a mission to eat more antioxidants, goji berries can help you out there. In addition to lutein and zeaxanthin, goji berries offer antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and lycopene, just to name a few compounds. “In fact, goji berries contain more antioxidants than other common fruits such as kiwi, raspberries, and oranges,” Foley says. This is worth calling out because antioxidants fight free radicals, or unstable molecules that can build up in cells due to smoking cigarettes, environmental pollution, stress, and more. Over time, high levels of free radicals can lead to chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, or type 2 diabetes—but eating plenty of antioxidants (from goji berries or otherwise) can help decrease the risk of disease. Goji Berries, Brussels Sprouts, and More Foods Packed With Vitamin C 03 of 05 Goji berries contain fiber for gut health. Fruits in general are some of the best sources of fiber, and goji berries are no exception. According to the USDA, just 5 tablespoons of dried goji berries contain nearly 4 grams of fiber, which is more than what’s found in 1 cup of strawberries. This is great news for your gut, which relies on fiber for bulking up stool and promoting regularity. 04 of 05 Goji berries may help manage blood sugar. Although more research is needed, there’s some evidence that goji berries are a food that can help control blood sugar. For example, one small study found that polysaccharides (a type of carbohydrate) in goji berries reduced blood glucose in folks with type 2 diabetes. The goji berry polysaccharides were also found to increase the insulinogenic index, or stimulation of insulin production, according to Amy Moyer, M.Ed, RDN, LDN, CCMS, registered dietitian and assistant professor University of North Carolina at Greensboro. This is key because insulin is a hormone that helps the body manage blood sugar. Animal studies have also found that goji berries have a glucose-lowering effect in rats and mice, but more research in humans is needed. 05 of 05 Goji berries have immune-boosting nutrients like vitamin C. “Goji berries are high in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals [with] antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which fight free radicals and strengthen the immune system,” explains Moyer. This includes nutrients like vitamin C and zinc, both of which are needed for key cellular pathways involved in immunity. In fact, 5 tablespoons of goji berries offer more than 15% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C for women. Vitamin C also helps white blood cells find and destroy harmful germs, ultimately keeping cells healthy and well. 6 Exceptional Superfoods to Eat for a Strong, Healthy Immune System Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Ma ZF, Zhang H, Teh SS, et al. Goji berries as a potential natural antioxidant medicine: an insight into their molecular mechanisms of action. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019;2019:2437397. doi:10.1155/2019/2437397 Li X, Holt RR, Keen CL, Morse LS, Yiu G, Hackman RM. Goji berry intake increases macular pigment optical density in healthy adults: a randomized pilot trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(12):4409. doi:10.3390/nu13124409 Vidović BB, Milinčić DD, Marčetić MD, et al. Health benefits and applications of goji berries in functional food products development: A review. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022;11(2):248. doi:10.3390/antiox11020248 USDA FoodData Central. Goji berries, dried. USDA FoodData Central. Strawberries, raw. Cai H, Liu F, Zuo P, et al. Practical application of antidiabetic efficacy of lycium barbarum polysaccharide in patients with type 2 diabetes. Med Chem. 2015;11(4):383-90. doi:10.2174/1573406410666141110153858 Tourkochristou E, Triantos C, Mouzaki A. The influence of nutritional factors on immunological outcomes. Front Immunol. 2021;12:665968. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.665968 National Institutes of Health. Vitamin C. Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and immune function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. doi:10.3390/nu9111211