Aussie Researchers See Hope in Goji

The Goji berry trend might be more than a trend. Faculty of Pharmacy researchers in Australia conducted in vitro tests to evaluate the potential of Tibetan goji berry on diabetics with vision problems. According to AFN, University of Sydney Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Basil Roufogalis found that the taurine that’s innate in goji berry has antioxidant properties that may offer some protection for the retina.

The study looked at goji as a possible source of aid for diabetics with “retinopathy” that is resulting in blindness for those with diabetes. Roufogalis explained “blood vessels build up in the retina and grow over the vision spot, which can result in vision loss.”

The research allegedly found that the Tibetan goji berry somehow provided some layer of protection that could combat cell death resulting from too much glucose in the retina. The hope is that one day there will be enough data to warrant a human clinical trial.