What are the functions and effects of wolfberry?

Many people use wolfberries to make tea in daily life, and they all know that the trace elements contained in wolfberry juice are of great help to people's body. In fact, in addition to the functions of improving eyesight and nourishing the liver, wolfberry also has other functions. The following will introduce to you the functions and effects of wolfberries in detail.

1. The effects of wolfberry:

It nourishes the kidney and replenishes essence, nourishes the liver and improves eyesight, replenishes blood and calms the mind, promotes fluid production and quenches thirst, moistens the lungs and relieves cough. It is used to treat liver and kidney yin deficiency, soreness of waist and knees, dizziness, blurred vision, excessive tearing, consumptive cough, thirst, and spermatorrhea.

2. Anti-fatty liver effect

The water extract of Ningxia wolfberry (20%, 8 ml/day by oral gavage) slightly inhibits the deposition of fat in hepatocytes and promotes the regeneration of hepatocytes in mice poisoned by carbon tetrachloride. The anti-fatty liver effect of the water extract is also manifested in preventing liver dysfunction caused by carbon tetrachloride (with the activities of cholesterase and transaminase as indicators). If rats are given oral administration of wolfberry water extract or betaine for a long period of time (75 days), the phospholipid levels in the blood and liver can be increased; the phospholipid and total cholesterol levels in the liver of rats poisoned by carbon tetrachloride are reduced, but increased if betaine or wolfberry water extract is given beforehand or simultaneously; at the same time, there is an improvement effect on tests such as BSP, SGPT, alkaline phosphatase, and cholesterase. The effect of wolfberry on lipid metabolism or anti-fatty liver is mainly due to the betaine it contains, which acts as a methyl donor in the body.

3. Cholenaic effect

Intravenous injection of wolfberry water extract can cause lowering of blood pressure and respiratory excitement in rabbits; atropine or severing of the vagus nerve can inhibit this reaction. It can also inhibit isolated rabbit auricles, excite isolated intestinal tract (in isolated guinea pig small intestine, 8 mg ≌ 1 μg of histamine, and its effect can be blocked by diphenhydramine or atropine), and constrict rabbit ear blood vessels. Betaine does not have this effect, but has a dilating effect on the blood vessels in rabbit ears. Extracts such as methanol, acetone, and ethyl acetate also have a mild antihypertensive effect. Therefore, the above-mentioned effects of wolfberry are caused by ingredients other than betaine.