I started taking goji berries and i have diarrhea. Is this normal?

Question

I started taking goji berries and i have diarrhea. Is this normal?

Answer 1

I started eating goji berries about eight years ago. I have also been an importer for the last couple years and have studied the use in Traditional Chinese Medicine, so I am fairly familiar with them and their effects on the body.

As with any dried fruit (assuming that you are eating the berries dried), an excessive amount can trigger digestive upsets. Probably about a quarter cup per day is the most that should be taken by a person who is beginning to use them. Drinking water or tea is a good thing for all of us, especially when we are consuming dried foods, because the moisture that is normally there is missing.

As an herb, gojies are used for a kidney tonic, a liver tonic, and for a stimulus to monocyte to macrophage conversion, an up tick in immune response. The eye support they offer is related to their liver function in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). They also contain zeaxanthin in high quantities, which is found in great concentration in the macula of the eye.

Do they find use as an herb for encouraging the elimination of dampness? (This is the phrase in TCM which would refer to diarrhea or the elimination of water from the body via the bowels.) Well, no, not really. Usually senna or cannabis seeds are used. They make an herbal tea. Some of the kidney tonic herbs are used to relieve the dampness via the kidneys. So that would be things like eucommia, prepared rehmannia, and he shou wu. Alisma is also used to dry the excess dampness. When I use it, I have to drink a little extra water.

So gojies are not specific to the diarrhea (not necessarily a bad thing in TCM if used judiciously). A thick coating on the tongue is a sign of dampness, along with a generally overweight body. So you may need treatment for it to achieve optimal health.

Answer 2

Normal - not. Nonetheless it could be just a sign of your body detoxification. Do not take more than a full hand of dry berries per day. If your diarrhea prevails, disconnect the use for few days. Don't get put off by this unpleasant experience,"Goji" is one of the best super-food you can put in your body.

Answer 3

There could be a few reasons why. Usually the first is the main cause.

Eating too many can cause diarrhea.

Also they detoxify the system so depending on diet and how toxic one's body is, can lead this effect.

Not to worry your body should adjust and make sure you are drinking plenty of water.