The Goji What it is.... and isn't Part 4 of 4 Health Claims and Consumer Protection |
[follow the Wikipedia links]
As world economies merge, plant foods once considered exotic and mystical are becoming more commonly available in stores around the world .... and better understood by science. For those of us watching the global markets for berry commerce, wolfberries (Lycium barbarum L.) -- known more popularly today as goji berries -- first were noticeable on the internet beginning around 1999 -- mainly for their unusual antioxidant strength.
Why should we be interested in goji now ?
Goji juice concentrate Soluble goji juice powder
With the above as introduction, let's get some goji FAQs straight ! [follow the Wikipedia links] * Part 2 - origins of the goji * Part 3 - nutrients and antioxidant pigments
Health Claims About Goji: What Should We Believe ?
There are many health claims associated with current American-made goji berry or juice products. Some say the fruit or its juice has miraculous properties, such as curing cancer and increasing longevity. Others say we should just not question lessons taught by ancient Chinese practitioners over centuries. Why is it important that we question this information? Simply, as consumers, we want the truth about foods and juices we use. We want to know what ingredients are in food products we give to our families and recommend to friends or coworkers. Some consumers may be motivated to seek certain nutrients of plant foods that may give an advantage for overcoming certain illnesses. 13 FAQs were covered previously in Parts 1, 2 and 3 -- click individually for a review! 14. How many of these claims about goji are factual, based on credible science and sanctioned by guardians of public food safety like the US FDA, Health Canada and European Union Food Safety Authority, each of whom bases its decisions on scientific facts established by experts? Examples of claims made about the benefits of drinking goji juice -- are any of these real?
Answer: None. These are marketing statements with no scientific basis, blatantly falsified to induce purchases by unsuspecting consumers desperate for remedies. The claim for a benefit against cancer by one manufacturer of a goji juice product was investigated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television program, MarketPlace, revealing numerous false and misleading statements by the company and its promoter. Turn on your speakers and watch the video investigative report here (click) This same company and spokesperson have published a booklet, entitled Goji: The Himalayan Health Secret, stating that goji berries contain several phytochemicals providing specific health benefits.
All these quoted claims in bold are marketing fabrications with no foundations in science applying to mammalian biology or human health. Each of the above phytochemicals is only at an early stage of laboratory research with no confirmation of functional activity in mammals. Furthermore, there are no reports in available medical literature about cyperones, solavetivone. physalins or germanium being isolated from goji or related species. Germanium is actually undesirable, as it may cause kidney toxicity -- read this abstract Why are such statements made? It's easy to see through fraud. The messages are intended to impress about scientific terms not familiar to most consumers and so lead them to buy the product. These statements are made by a person not familiar with the rigors of science that demand cross-confirmation by experts careful about a statement that may influence human health decisions.
15. What guidelines exist to protect consumers from false advertising about goji and other similar products? Health regulatory bodies such as the FDA monitor such claims closely and issued a guide in July 2007 for the scientific information needed to support a health claim for any natural food product: As part of its evidence-based review, FDA noted certain critical elements of a study — design, data collection and data analysis — can be flawed, making it impossible to draw a scientific conclusion. It warns: “FDA does not intend to use studies from which it cannot draw any scientific conclusions about the substance-disease relationship and plans to eliminate such studies from further review.” The guidance explains the criteria behind each rating and provides examples of how it will judge those study factors. FDA’s evaluation will consider
Studies of goji are nowhere close to meeting any of these requirements.
Other baseless claims for health benefits of goji juice can easily be found on the internet or in marketing materials provided by goji juice distributors
Not one of these claims is fact. As part of its watchdog service against fraudulent health claims, the FDA has identified violations made by two goji juice distributors. Click and read below... False advertising about Lycium Barbarum Goji Juice Violation of FDA Act concerning Goji Juice by FreeLife
16. Why is it important to reveal this fraud and just tell the plain truth about goji ? Regulatory agencies protecting the food and beverage supply -- and consumers who rely on label information for their choices -- have constructed criteria for approving health claim applications, requiring manufacturers to show that
For currently marketed goji berries or juice, there is no health claim validated by acceptable human research criteria, as there is insufficient basic research and no well-controlled clinical trials on goji, any of its nutrients or individual goji phytochemicals. Bottom line: There's just not enough evidence to recommend that we consume goji products to gain specific health benefits or prevent diseases.
Does that mean goji berry products are not worth consuming? Of course not. It simply means that regulatory agencies are not willing to let food or juice manufacturers make health claims that could confuse or mislead consumers -- some of whom are indeed sick, and need the best, most precise therapeutics available that they might avoid if misled to believe goji or another exotic product might treat or cure their health problems.
Conclusions
2. Insufficient research criteria are satisfied to prove goji's health effects, and there are no well-designed, published human studies showing successful intervention by goji consumption against a disease. 3. Health claims for goji berries or any products made from them are not scientifically valid at present. Health claims about goji are not allowable as statements on food or juice labels or marketing literature for such products.
References
Archives (click!)
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