If you have decided to purchase goji for its health benefits, you may be wondering exactly how to buy goji berries.
This is a common question from people who've been hearing about the numerous health benefits of the fruit but who can't find these fruits in their local produce section.
Well, chances are very good that you won't be able to just walk into your local supermarket and purchase a pound of Goji berries.
Because they are native to Asia and Europe, you won't find them in North America growing wild or even being commercially raised.
The conditions just aren't perfect enough for large-scale growing and harvesting.
So if you can't buy them fresh, what are your options? The most common method is by purchasing juices made from the berries.
You can also find dried versions of the fruit online and in some whole foods stores.
The good thing about these methods is that you don't have to worry about spoilage.
You can stock up on the goji berries and enjoy them daily to get the maximum benefit from them.
Now that doesn't mean you don't need to be careful when you are selecting these products, too.
Just as you would be picky in the produce section when selecting fresh Goji berries, you need to use that same care when picking the juices.
For starters, you need to read the labels.
Most of the Goji berry juices on the market today are blends of these berries with other fruits so you want to look at the percentage of Goji juice contained in the product.
Choose the one with the highest possible percentage - that means you should do some comparison shopping.
You might also want to consider which juices are blended with the berries since some have higher antioxidant levels than others and because you may have taste preferences for some fruits over others.
Before you purchase any product, look at how the berries were processed.
Because heat can damage the nutrients in the fruits and cause them to lose some of their nutritional value, you should choose products that have been slowly dried at a lower temperature.
Generally, you should try to purchase dried berries that were grown in the Himalayan or Tibetan areas because these berries are less likely to contain pollutants and other chemicals that might offset the health benefits.
The bottom line is that if you want to know how to buy goji berries the secret is to compare the products available.
Look for juices containing the most goji possible or dried berries treated with low temperature.
Following these guidelines can help you find the best source of berries possible and can help you begin reaping the benefits of this super fruit.