The story began five years ago when Professor Chao visited me at our Riverton office. He was on a special teaching and information-gathering assignment from the Natural Science University in Beijing, China. He had heard of essential oils and was fascinated by their potential.

As we started discussing the medical properties of essential oils, he told me of another powerful botanical that had been used for centuries in Inner Mongolia but had only recently been researched. It was called the Chinese wolfberry (also known by its Latin name, Lycium barbarum, or colloquial name, "goji berry".

The people who consumed this fruit apparently lived free of common diseases like arthritis, cancer and diabetes. Moreover, their life expectancies reached over 100 years.

Both the wolfberry and ginseng have been highly regarded for centuries as the foremost nutritional and therapeutic plants in China. In fact, the Chinese hold a strong belief that human life might be extended significantly by using either of these herbs for an extended period of time.

Unfortunately, ginseng is considered too strong for continuous use, and large amounts may not be suitable for people with high blood pressure or heart disease. On the other hand, the wolfberry is much milder, with no known risk from continuous use.

Contains 500 Times More
Vitamin C Than Oranges

In 1988, the Beijing Nutrition Research Institute conducted detailed chemical analyses and nutritional composition studies of the dried wolfberry fruit.

What they discovered was stunning.

The wolfberry contained over 18 amino acids (that is six times higher in proportion than bee pollen), 21 trace minerals, more beta carotene than carrots, and an astonishing 500 times more vitamin C by weight than oranges. It is also packed with vitamin B1, vitamin B6 and vitamin E.

The fruits and pedicels of wolfberry were effective in increasing white blood cells, protecting the liver and relieving hypertension. The alcoholic extract of wolfberry fruits inhibited tumor growth in mice by 58%, and the protein of wolfberry displayed an insulin-like action that was effective in promoting fat decomposition and reducing blood sugar.

Another clinical experiment by the Ningxia Institute (Register No.870306, October 1982 to May 1985) studied the effects of wolfberry on the immune, physiological and biochemical indexes of the blood of aged volunteers. The results were amazing, indicating that the wolfberry caused the blood of older people to noticeably revert to a younger slate.

Can the Wolfberry Boost Immune Function?

According to a report of the State Scientific and Technological Commission of China, the wolfberry contains compounds known as lycium polysaccharides, which appeared to be highly effective in promoting immunity. These results were validated in a number of clinical trials.

In one study on a group of cancer patients, the wolfberry triggered an increase in both, lymphocyte transformation rate and white blood cell count (measures of immune function).

In another study involving a group of 50 people with lower-limit white blood cell counts, the wolfberry increased phagocytosis and the titre of serum antibodies (another index of immune function). Unhealthy levels of titre of serum antibodies have long been associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as Epstein-Barr). Does this mean that the wolfberry could be used as a weapon against Epstein-Barr? The possibilities are intriguing.

In another study, consumption of wolfberry lead to a strengthening of immunoglobulin A levels (an index of immune function). Because the decline of immunoglobulin A is one of the signs of aging, an increase in these levels suggests that the wolfberry may enable injured DNA to better repair itself and ward off tissue degeneration.

Is the WoIfberry a Powerful Antioxidant?

As we grow older, the levels of lipid peroxide in our blood increase, while levels of health-protecting antioxidants, like superoxide dismutase (SOD), decrease. In a clinical study of people who consumed doses of wolfberry, SOD in the blood increased by a remarkable 48% while hemoglobin increased by 12%. Even better, lipid peroxide levels dropped by a whopping 65%.

Does the WoIfberry Protect Eyesight?

A test was conducted on the effects of wolfberry on eyesight. Twenty-seven people were tested and showed a dramatic improvement in both dark adaptation and vitamin A and carotene content of their serum (measures of eyesight acuity).

Gary Sees Dramatic Changes

Over the past six years, I had become somewhat lax with my exercise regimen because of two badly damaged ankles. So this Christmas, I buckled down and started a fitness program, combining moderate exercise two to three times a week with two daily servings of Power Meal alone and with meals.

By the middle of March, while I was studying in Turkey, I started noticing physical changes: My skin looked brighter and my energy level was higher. I averaged a fifteen-hour day between my studies and lab practice.

When I returned home, I discovered that I had dropped 12 pounds, paired off three inches from my lower abdomen, and gained three inches in my chest.

Then, two weeks ago while I was in Phoenix, I went out for a one-mile run. I felt limber and energetic and performed the run with ease. Last week at my home in Utah, located at an altitude of over 5,000 feet above sea level, I went out for a 2.7 mile run and was not fatigued at all--even in the thinner high-altitude air.

Two days later, I ran 4.3 miles without feeling tired and without leg pain. I could have continued on another three or four miles but decided not to push it. These results take on even more significance when you consider that, prior to my try-out in Phoenix, I had not run in over six years.

News for Athletes, Dieters and Cancer,
AIDS and MS Patients

These types of physiological effects prompted me to probe deeper into the chemistry of the wolfberry.

What I discovered was startling:

The wolfberry not only contains super oxide dismutase, phenylpropanoids, anticancer factors and antisenility factors, but it also sports a high concentration of the branched-chain amino acid L-leucine.

Leucine is an essential amino acid that we do not make in our bodies, so we can only get it from our diet. It is present in small quantities in both, plant and animal food, and is a natural component of breast milk.

But leucine is regarded as more than just an essential amino acid: It also supports immune function, burns fat and builds muscle.

How?

Because leucine forms the building block of a very unique compound called HMB (Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate). Through its phenylpropanoid activity, the wolfberry helps convert leucine into HMB.

What makes HMB such a breakthrough in health-maintenance? According to noted researcher, Richard Passwater, Ph.D.,

HMB showed that it lowered total and LDL cholesterol levels in blood and helped strengthen the immune system while building muscles and burning body fat. This news is certainly of interest to body builders and other athletes, but it may also become of interest to cancer, AIDS and muscular dystrophy patients.

Tapping the Power of Wolfberries

Following my meeting with Professor Chao, I started importing wolfberries straight from Inner Mongolia and went to work formulating products. We developed several dietary supplements using wolfberries, which include: