INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

Black Goji/Hēi Gǒu Qǐ 黑枸杞

Lycium ruthenicum — the "black pearl of the plateau,"
the wild, anthocyanin-rich cousin of red goji, gathered on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau to nourish kidney yin and support eyes and skin.

FORMULA ROLE

Why LunarSip uses it.

Black goji is the jewel of LunarSip's Five Black Beauty Tea. In Chinese tradition it is the rarest of the five black foods, gathered wild on the Qinghai plateau and prized for the kidneys, eyes, and skin. In this 6-herb formula it brings the anthocyanin-rich colour and the yin-nourishing character that black sesame and black soybean share, while mulberry, red date, and polygonatum supply the blood and qi that make the blend a daily beauty ritual rather than a tonic for the few.
Dried black goji berries (Lycium ruthenicum) – LunarSip Chinese herbal tea ingredient

HOW IT'S USED

The black pearl of the plateau.

In Chinese herbal practices, Hēi Gǒu Qǐ — 黑枸杞 — is the wild black-fruited goji of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and the Tarim basin, recorded in Tibetan and Uyghur medicine and in the Jing Zhu Ben Cao (Tibetan materia medica, 1835) for the heart, blood, and eyes. Like its red cousin it nourishes the kidneys and liver (滋補肝腎) and brightens the eyes (明目), and by the logic of "black enters the kidney" it is counted among the five black foods for hair, skin, and graceful aging. Steeped in warm water it turns the cup a striking blue-violet.

In Western nutrition science, Lycium ruthenicum is studied above all for its anthocyanins — chiefly petunidin glycosides — which are among the highest of any berry, alongside polysaccharides, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Modern pharmacology has examined antioxidant, anti-aging, ocular-supportive, and immunomodulatory activities, with black goji anthocyanins and polysaccharides studied in animal and laboratory models for skin, eye, and gut effects.

THE EVIDENCE

What the research says.

Modern research on black goji has focused on its petunidin anthocyanins and polysaccharides, and their antioxidant and anti-aging activity.
PHARMACOLOGY REVIEW

Black Goji Berry (Lycium ruthenicum Murray): A Review of Its Pharmacological Activity

Nutrients · 2023

A 2023 review from Dongguk University summarised studies on black goji fruit from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. It noted that the berry is rich in anthocyanins and polysaccharides and that laboratory and animal work has reported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-radiation, immune-enhancing and anti-tumour effects. The authors describe it as promising for chronic metabolic disease but still lacking human trials.

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PHYTOCHEMISTRY REVIEW

Advances in the Preparation, Structure and Bioactivity of Polysaccharides from Lycium ruthenicum Murr.: A Review

Foods · 2024

A 2024 review examined how black goji polysaccharides are extracted and how their molecular weight and sugar composition relate to activity. In cell and animal studies these polysaccharides showed antioxidant, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and anti-tumour effects. The authors emphasised that structure–activity relationships remain incompletely understood and that further research is needed before functional-food claims can be made.

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ANIMAL STUDY · 8 WEEKS

Long-Term Dietary Lycium ruthenicum Murr. Anthocyanins Intake Alleviated Oxidative Stress-Mediated Aging-Related Liver Injury and Abnormal Amino Acid Metabolism

Foods · 2022

In rats given D-galactose to mimic ageing, eight weeks of dietary black goji anthocyanins improved motor function, lowered serum ageing and inflammatory markers, strengthened endogenous antioxidant systems and reduced liver injury. Metabolomics showed partial restoration of amino-acid pathways. These results are from an animal model and have not been tested in people.

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FOUND HERE

In these LunarSip formulas.

Black goji is a key ingredient in our Five Black Beauty Tea:
Five Black Beauty Tea
Five Black Beauty Tea$34.00