A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Study of the General Effects of a Standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Study of the General Effects of a Standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi
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To cite this paper:
Harunobu Amagase, Dwight M. Nance. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. May 1, 2008, 14(4): 403-412. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0004.

Harunobu Amagase, Ph.D.
FreeLife International, LLC, Phoenix, AZ.
Dwight M. Nance, Ph.D.
Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Orange, CA.

ABSTRACT
Background: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is the first study reported from outside China that has examined the general effects of the orally consumed goji berry, Lycium barbarum, as a standardized juice (GoChi ; FreeLife International LLC, Phoenix, AZ) to healthy adults for 14 days.

Methods: Based upon the medicinal properties of Lycium barbarum in traditional Asian medicine, we examined by questionnaire subjective ratings (0–5) of general feelings of well-being, neurologic/psychologic traits, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular complaints as well as any adverse effects. Also, measures of body weight, body–mass index, blood pressure, pulse rate, and visual acuity were assessed before and after consuming 120 mL of GoChi/day or placebo control solution. Data were statistically analyzed for changes between day 1 and day 15.

Results: Significant differences between day 1 and day 15 were found in the GoChi group (N = 16) in increased ratings for energy level, athletic performance, quality of sleep, ease of awakening, ability to focus on activities, mental acuity, calmness, and feelings of health, contentment, and happiness. GoChi also significantly reduced fatigue and stress, and improved regularity of gastrointestinal function. In contrast, the placebo group (N = 18) showed only two significant changes (heartburn and happiness). No significant changes in musculoskeletal or cardiovascular complaints were observed in either group. All parametric data (body weight, etc.) were not significantly different between groups or between day 1 and day 15 for either group.

Conclusions: These results clearly indicate that daily consumption of GoChi for 14 days increases subjective feelings of general well-being, and improves neurologic/psychologic performance and gastrointestinal functions. The data strongly suggest that further research is indicated to confirm and extend knowledge of the potential effects of Lycium barbarum upon human health.

Looking for Sharper Focus and Concentration?

How many times has this happened to you? It’s a special occasion, and you’ve somehow managed to secure reservations at the hottest restaurant in town. You’re full of happy anticipation as you drive along the freeway and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, traffic slows to a crawl. After creeping along for what seems like hours, you finally reach the source of the slowdown: a minor “fender bender” in the opposite lanes of traffic. For some reason, hundreds of your fellow drivers had become so distracted by this that they lost focus and concentration, and as a result, you’ve lost your precious dinner reservations!

Life certainly provides plenty of distractions, and as the above scenario illustrates, it can be very easy to lose focus. But how do you explain not being able to concentrate when you’re sitting at home or in your office with no outside distractions, and yet you still can’t seem to finish a task that you’ve started? The inability to focus or concentrate affects even the most disciplined of people (with the possible exception of the superhuman Tiger Woods). Here are some reasons why you might be having trouble staying in sharp focus:

Inadequate sleep:
Many experts recommend 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep daily, and even more for growing kids. And yet, more than 60 million people in the United States experience sleep-related complaints. Many poor sleepers don’t know that they have a problem because their bodies have adjusted. Your body may be willing, but you can’t fool your brain. Brain fatigue will rob you of the focus and concentration you need to perform at your peak.

Boredom or lack of interest:
Your concentration may be fading simply because you just aren’t interested enough in what you’re supposed to be concentrating on. It can be pretty difficult to muster up enthusiasm for plugging endless numbers into a spreadsheet, or for attacking your daily chores.

Stress and frustration:
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by difficult or worrisome issues, it can be almost impossible to zone in on one task without being distracted by the weight of your other unfinished business.

Medical causes:
Talk to your doctor if you suspect you may be dealing with one of these issues:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) : This disorder involves abnormal brain chemistry, affecting your ability to focus and concentrate. Although usually encountered in children, ADHD can affect adults as well.
• Thyroid Problems : Although difficult to diagnose, feeling restless and anxious, being unable to concentrate, and having a poor memory could all indicate thyroid trouble.
• Diabetes : Your brain requires a constant flow of glucose for energy, which it receives from your blood. If your blood sugar levels are elevated or crashing, you’ll be left feeling tired and unable to focus.
• Depression : When you’re depressed, it can be nearly impossible to think clearly, or to find the energy and motivation to concentrate.

So what can you do to regain sharp focus and concentration? If you have a medical condition, you owe it to yourself to seek professional help. And for the rest of you, try these helpful tips!

• Get more sleep . Either get to bed earlier or take a mid-afternoon power nap, and you’ll dissipate that brain fog.
• Banish boredom . Research shows that concentration drops after 20 to 30 minutes, so take frequent breaks, making sure to get out of your chair to keep blood flowing to your brain. Bribe yourself with a reward once you finish your task. Treating yourself will feel extra good because you’ll also have the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a job well done.
• Get organized . Make sure that you have everything you need to complete the task at hand. If you’re poorly prepared, the extra time and effort needed to get the job done will make you lose focus more easily. Don’t distract yourself by trying to work with the television or radio on, or with your computer’s instant messaging program running.

• Write it down . If you can’t get unfinished tasks out of your head, write them down so you’re free to stop obsessing over them. Your to-do list should include an estimate of how much time it will take for each item. That will really help you to prioritize your day.
• Fight through frustration to help manage stress . In the same way that champion athletes can get their second wind, you can fight through mental frustration to find renewed focus. From now on, if you’re in the middle of a task and tempted to give up, noted author and lecturer Sam Horn recommends that you just do five more. Read five more pages. Finish five more math problems. Work five more minutes.
• Don’t procrastinate . As R.D. Clyde said, “It’s amazing how long it takes to complete something we’re not working on.” Delaying a task will only make it occupy more of your mind and time.
• Drink 4 ounces (120 ml) of GoChi every day!

GoChi® –Clinical study participants report experiencing improved focus and concentration.

For countless generations, the people of Asia have used the goji berry daily in their quest for sharp mental focus and intense concentration. No goji product is more potent than FreeLife’s GoChi, and now its wide-ranging benefits have been clinically demonstrated in three clinical studies. In a recent, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial, test subjects drinking a daily serving of just 4 ounces (120 ml) of GoChi reported experiencing significant improvement in focus and mental acuity, as well as reduced feelings of stress and better sleep quality, all in as little as 14 days!

This groundbreaking clinical study has been published in the highly regarded Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM), and it can also be viewed on the U.S. Government’s encyclopedic PubMed website at www.pubmed.gov. The acceptance of our study by the independent experts of a peer-reviewed publication such as JACM represents a first for a functional juice beverage in the Direct Selling industry, and it demonstrates FreeLife’s ongoing commitment to supporting its claims with solid scientific research.

Bring your world into focus, with GoChi!

REFERENCES:

“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder .” National Institute of Mental Health. National Institutes of Health. April 3, 2008.

Battaglia E. “Zoning In – Improving Your Concentration .” LifeScript.com website.

Horn, S. About.com: Alternative Medicine. “Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Concentration .” Available at http://altmedicine.about.com/od/optimumhealthessentials/a/Concentration.htm

Amagase H, Nance DM. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Study of the General Effects of a Standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi™ . J Altern Complement Med. 2008; 14(4), pp. 403-412. Abstract available on PubMed at http://www.pubmed.gov (PMID: 18447631)

Click here for alternative of natural nutritional food that will increase your energy, stamina and athletic performance

Click here for Goji berry opportunities

Looking for the Keys to Contentment?

“When we cannot find contentment in ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.” ~ Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Happiness and contentment may sound like the same thing, but there’s a difference. Happiness can be fleeting and elusive, but contentment is the deep and lasting feeling of comfort that comes with feeling that you’re OK with who you are, that you’re loved and supported, and that you’re satisfied with your situation in life. We all crave contentment, but far too few of us find it, perhaps because we just don’t know where to look.

Noted educator and author Dr. Linda Abbott Trapp offers some great advice for anyone looking to bask in the warm glow of contentment, which we paraphrase with our sincere thanks to Dr. Trapp:

Learn to want what you have, more often, more fully. If you’re too focused on what you don’t have, you may be blinding yourself to the many blessings around you. Give yourself more time to do the things that make you feel good about yourself. Stand back, look around you, give yourself a pat on the back, be grateful for what you have, and don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.

Savor the life stage you are in right now. If you’ll spend a little time capturing your thoughts and feelings, even writing them in a journal, you won’t overlook the valuable insights you have, right on the tip of your tongue. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be a bit more content with being who you are right now, at this age and in this place.

Avoid the cravings that lead to greed and discontent. Ambition’s a healthy impulse, but greed is not. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve your lot in life, but you must beware of the pitfalls that can come with overreaching. There’s truth to the saying “the more you get, the more you want,” and when that happens, you can say goodbye to contentment.

Balance ambition and repose. As previously stated, ambition is a healthy impulse, but the desire to aspire needs to be balanced by a good sense of knowing when to relax and appreciate what you’ve accomplished. Henry Ward Beecher’s comment is very helpful: “We are not to make the ideas of contentment and aspiration quarrel, for God made them fast friends. A man may aspire, and yet be quite content until it is time to raise; and both flying and resting are parts of one contentment.”

And of course, we’d like to add another great tip for anyone seeking contentment:

Drink 4 oz. (120 ml) of GoChi™ every day!

GoChi™ – Participants in groundbreaking clinical study report experiencing significantly increased feelings of contentment and happiness in just 14 days!

In a recent human clinical trial featured in the peer-reviewed Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM), participants drinking a daily serving of just 4 ounces (120 ml) of GoChi reported experiencing significantly increased feelings of contentment and happiness in as little as 14 days! Researchers also noted that the GoChi drinkers reported feelings of reduced stress and increased calm.

The publication of our study by the independent experts of a peer-reviewed publication such as JACM represents a first for a functional juice beverage in the Direct Selling industry, and it demonstrates FreeLife’s ongoing commitment to supporting its claims with solid scientific research.

Here’s to finding the keys to contentment, and to better health with GoChi!

REFERENCES:

Amagase H, Nance DM. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Study of the General Effects of a Standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi™ . J Altern Complement Med. 2008; 14(4), pp. 403-412. Abstract available on PubMed at http://www.pubmed.gov (PMID: 18447631)

Trapp, Linda A. “The Secret of Contentment .” SelfhelpMagazine April 8, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.

Click here for alternative of natural nutritional food that will increase your energy, stamina and athletic performance

Click here for Goji berry opportunities

Why Athletes and Celebrities Choose Himalayan GoChi Juice

• Goji berries are the Biggest Discovery in Nutrition in the Last 40 Years.  Now you can get it in convenient Juice form.
• More doctors and health practitioners are using and recommending Himalayan GoChi Juice than any other goji product in the world.
• GoChi Juice is becoming a pro athlete favorite in every sport!  Goji Juice helps improve performance and can help athletes maintain a Competitive Edge.
• Himalayan GoChi Juice is a Natural Juice Product.  No need to worry about unusual test results.  It tastes like heaven.
• Freelife International has invested years of scientific research on the goji berry before bringing it to market.
• Freelife is the first and ONLY company that has developed a “Spectral Signature” or fingerprint to identify goji’s unique polysaccharide molecules.  It’s your guarantee that Himalayan Goji Juice and GoChi Juice is a standardized juice that delivers high potency nutrition and high quality polysaccharide content bottle after bottle.
• Freelife International is the ONLY company that offers a 90-day, 100% money back, unconditional guarantee on every bottle.  Try it now and if it doesn’t perform to your expectation, you get your money back.

Click here for Freelife Endorsements on Athletes and celebrities from around the world experience the amazing health benefits of drinking GoChi™ and Himalayan Goji® Juice to help them train and perform at maximum levels.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi.

1: J Altern Complement Med. 2008 May;14(4):403-12.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi.
Amagase H, Nance DM.

FreeLife International, LLC, Phoenix, AZ 85040, USA. hamagase@freelife.com

BACKGROUND: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is the first study reported from outside China that has examined the general effects of the orally consumed goji berry, Lycium barbarum, as a standardized juice (GoChi; FreeLife International LLC, Phoenix, AZ) to healthy adults for 14 days. METHODS: Based upon the medicinal properties of Lycium barbarum in traditional Asian medicine, we examined by questionnaire subjective ratings (0-5) of general feelings of well-being, neurologic/psychologic traits, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular complaints as well as any adverse effects. Also, measures of body weight, body-mass index, blood pressure, pulse rate, and visual acuity were assessed before and after consuming 120 mL of GoChi/day or placebo control solution. Data were statistically analyzed for changes between day 1 and day 15. RESULTS: Significant differences between day 1 and day 15 were found in the GoChi group (N = 16) in increased ratings for energy level, athletic performance, quality of sleep, ease of awakening, ability to focus on activities, mental acuity, calmness, and feelings of health, contentment, and happiness. GoChi also significantly reduced fatigue and stress, and improved regularity of gastrointestinal function. In contrast, the placebo group (N = 18) showed only two significant changes (heartburn and happiness). No significant changes in musculoskeletal or cardiovascular complaints were observed in either group. All parametric data (body weight, etc.) were not significantly different between groups or between day 1 and day 15 for either group. CONCLUSIONS: These results clearly indicate that daily consumption of GoChi for 14 days increases subjective feelings of general well-being, and improves neurologic/psychologic performance and gastrointestinal functions. The data strongly suggest that further research is indicated to confirm and extend knowledge of the potential effects of Lycium barbarum upon human health.

PMID: 18447631 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18447631?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum