Goji berries: the elixir of youth?
Goji berries invaded the Portuguese market in 2011, through incessant television reports that announced them as “anti-aging berries”.
Although there are no properly structured studies that prove the supposed strong antioxidant activity in humans, these berries have been sold on a large scale. Regarding the safety of consumption of these berries, only a warning was made that they should not be consumed in quantities exceeding 45 grams per day.
It remains to be seen that in 2001 and 2008 two “case reports” were published that directly relate the consumption of goji berry tea with an increase in the effect of an anticoagulant medication – warfarin. The interaction manifested itself, in both cases, in episodes of high bleeding risk (INR of 4.1 and 4.97 respectively).
Caution is advised when consuming these berries in medicated individuals and their consumption is not recommended for anyone taking medications such as warfarin, phenytoin, losartan, fluvastatin, among others.
Bibliography:
Lam, A. Y.; Elmer, G. W. et al. Possible interaction between warfarin and Lycium barbarum L. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2001; 35 (10): 1199-1201.
Leung, H.; Hung, A. et al. Warfarin overdose due to the possible effects of Lycium barbarum L. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2008; 46(5): 1860-1862.