Witnessed by: TCM · Western · Unani

Goji berry (Lycium barbarum), of the Solanaceae family. Thorny deciduous shrub with arching branches; native range: Northern and north-western China and the Himalayan foothills; the prized 'Ningxia' berry is cultivated along the Yellow River, and boxthorn (awsaj) grows wild across the Mediterranean and the Near East. Globally recognized as gou qi zi (枸杞子) in Chinese, awsaj (عوسج) in Arabic, and wolfberry, matrimony vine, Chinese boxthorn in English. The part used is ripe fruit (berry); the Near Eastern boxthorn plant in Unani. Small oblong berries drying a bright orange-red, soft and chewy, sweet with a faint tomato-like tang; the fresh boxthorn leaf and bark are astringent and cooling on the tongue.

In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.

GOJI BERRY

IDENTITY

Name

Common: Goji berry
Scientific name: Lycium barbarum L.
Family: Solanaceae

Form

Part used: ripe fruit (berry); the Near Eastern boxthorn plant in Unani

PROPERTIES

Nature

Taste

how the plant declares itself on the tongue

TCM: sweet
Western: sweet
Unani: astringent · bitter

Temperature

TCM: neutral
Western: neutral
Unani: cold & dry (2nd degree)

Affinity

where in the body it travels

Organs / channels

TCM: Liver · Kidney · Lung
Western: liver · blood · immune
Unani: liver · stomach · intestines

PRACTICE

Virtue

Actions

TCM: nourishes and enriches Liver and Kidney yin and blood, benefits the essence (jing), brightens the eyes (ming mu), and moistens the Lung
Western: nutritive tonic, antioxidant, adaptogen; supports vision and eye health and the immune response
Unani: qabid (astringent), musakkin (soothes inflammation and heat), habis (checks flux); a cooling drug for hot, inflamed conditions

Cautions

Contraindications: Spleen deficiency with dampness and loose stools, and acute febrile or exterior conditions with heat, where its sweet moistening nature is unsuitable

Toxicity: very low; a food-grade fruit well tolerated in culinary and medicinal amounts

Interactions

Western: anticoagulants: inhibits CYP2C9 and slows warfarin clearance; case reports of raised INR and bleeding · CYP450-metabolised drugs: flavonoids inhibit CYP2C9/CYP3A4, which may raise levels of co-administered drugs

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