The Goji Berry is a natural product that has been used for hundreds and thousands of years in Chinese traditional medicine. It is also a product commonly sold at health food stores.

Grown in both China and in certain areas of the Himalayas, the goji plant produces berries that are relatively small, are a vibrant red in color, and are extremely delicate to the touch. As a matter of fact, they are so extremely delicate that the berries are not plucked from the plant, but rather must be shaken off of the plant very gently. After they are taken from the plant, they are allowed to dry in the plentiful sunshine.

In recent years, the goji berry has been associated positively with weight loss; it is believed that this is related to their low Glycemic index.

The Glycemic index describes that speed at which the foods that we eat are converted into blood sugar or glucose. The lower the Glycemic Index (GI) of a food, the slower the rate at which it converts into blood sugar. One of the big problems that most people encounter in relation to diet and weight control is the craving and urges to eat sugary, starchy foods that have a high GI index. What happens then, when we give in to the craving and indulge our desire, is that blood sugar levels soar or spike.

The body fights high blood sugar levels by creating insulin, which is actually performed by the pancreas. The good news is that the insulin brings the blood sugar levels back down to normal very quickly. The bad news is that this rapid decrease in blood sugar levels makes you crave more sugary and starchy foods, which starts the cycle all over again.

The other effect of this see sawing in blood sugar levels is that you dont feel as if you have sufficient energy in your body to perform regular exercise. Consequently, youve got the worst case scenario; high intake of sweet starchy foods; and lack of exercise; a classic recipe for obesity.

Examining now the goji berry, which has a glycemic index of 29, we can see that its glycemic index is very low, especially when compared to apples, 38, and oranges, 42. Moreover, goji berries are rich in fiber, which is known to help in moderating blood sugar levels, and chromium, which can enhance blood sugar control and is known to help retain muscle mass. Due to the fact that muscles use up more calories than fat, this can help to stimulate a better metabolic rate.

Goji Berries also contain a number of nutrients that aid in turning food into energy, and not allowing it to become stored body fat. These nutrients include: thiamin, calcium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and zinc.

When we are younger, our bodies are naturally producing growth hormones which help to keep us slim. As we age, our bodys become less efficient at generating growth hormone which leads to less muscle tissue being formed and the greater formation of body fat. Goji Berries contain amino acids and potassium, both of which help us to produce higher levels of growth hormone.

As great as the goji berry is, it is not the sole solution to diet and weight loss, and they do not claim to be. However they can be helpful when used in conjunction with a good diet and exercise plan including meal replacement plans like Medifast.

Medifast is a leading weight loss and meal replacement program, and if used along with the goji berry should enhance the program’s affects for your body and stimulate more weight loss.

Goji berries alone will not cause you to lose a lot of weight. However, when used in their supplemental capacity, the results can be astonishing.