We're taking an interlude between essays on açaí and goji to get some

background on a nutrient of goji mentioned in the last discussion:

beta-carotene and other carotenoids

are richly concentrated in the two berry species below - seabuckthorn and goji ("wolfberry")

            

                                                      

                                               Seabuckthorn berries                                                Goji berries ("wolfberry")

                                                                          Hippophae rhamnoides L.                                                Lycium barbarum L.

                                                                      Courtesy, University of Guelph                           Courtesy, Rich Nature Nutraceutical Labs

Are carotenoids present in all berries?

Yes, although new research has shown they are present only in seeds of

blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, so the overall amounts are just a trace, whereas

seabuckthorn and goji berries have dense carotenoid pigments in their skin, pulp and seeds.

Here's a reminder of how easy it is to ingest carotenoids, one of the most universal of pigment classes available in common plant foods (yellow, orange, red, and even green foods).

Carotenoid-rich foods you know

Spinach, broccoli, carrot, corn, orange, squash, pumpkin, tomato, bell pepper, sweet potato, cantelope, watermelon

Wait! Green plants like spinach and broccoli have orange-yellow-red pigments?

They do, but the green pigment chlorophyll dominates in these plants, so they appear green!

Carotenoids you know

Among these names, how many are familiar to you?

Beta-carotene (famous in carrots), lycopene (tomatoes), lutein ("loo-teen", spinach) are the most famous ones.

Others are zeaxanthin ("zee-uh-zan-thin", egg yolks) and beta-cryptoxanthin (oranges)

• In all of Nature, there are some 600 individual carotenoid pigments...
• 50 of these are in plant and animal foods we eat...

  [yes, animal orange pigments, such as in salmon, shrimp and egg yolk, are from carotenoids]
• 13 can be detected in our blood after a meal of mixed colorful vegetables or fruits...
• The 5 carotenoids above are major ones with defined roles in humans...
• Only two -- lutein and zeaxanthin -- are specifically absorbed into the human eye!
• Lutein and zeaxanthin filter intense light and serve antioxidant functions in the retina.

Carotenoids are very effective antioxidants against singlet oxygen radicals. They accomplish this via their chemical makeup of carbon atoms adjoined by double-bonds which readily quench reactive oxygen radicals by donating their electrons.

 

One final fact important to our upcoming discussion of antioxidants in açaí and goji:

Goji berries

• have among the highest measured contents of zeaxanthin

and beta-carotene among plant foods

• have a centuries-old history of use in China as an eye health food

Could information like this be of interest to someone you know?

Suggest a visit to the Berry Doctor Sign-in Page!

Dr. Paul
The Berry Doctor