Goji Berries May Protect against Flu
Lee Swanson Research Update
People looking for additional protection against the flu this winter may want to give goji berries a try. Every winter, the flu presents a major public health problem, even with the widespread availability of vaccines, underscoring the need for additional strategies to minimize the illness’s impact. In light of this fact and previous research showing enhanced immune response with goji berry (also known as wolfberry) supplementation, researchers at the Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University set out to evaluate the potential of goji berries to protect against the flu virus in an experiment conducted on older male mice.
Researchers fed mice a diet supplemented with goji berries or a control diet for four weeks before infecting them with the influenza virus. At six and nine days post-infection, mice were evaluated for weight loss, viral load and lung pathology. Compared to the control group, mice given goji berries had less flu-related weight loss and reduced lung pathology. They also displayed better T-cell function (as measured by their ability to produce beneficial cytokines that defend against viral infections) and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The study authors concluded that goji berries have “a beneficial effect in reducing the severity of influenza infection,” which they attributed to “enhancement of T cell function and/or reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines.”
Zhihong R, et al. Dietary Supplementation with Lacto-Wolfberry Enhances the Immune Response and Reduces Pathogenesis to Influenza Infection in Mice. J Nutr. 2012 Aug; 142 (8):1596-602. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.159467.
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