It takes something truly extraordinary to last for 5,000 years. And, while Egyptians built the pyramids, and 2,200 years before Hippocrates became the father of Western medicine, Chinese physicians began recording their treasured medicinal legacy. Throughout these ancient writings, three health tonics consistently emerge: ginseng, ling tzi, and wolfberries. While ginseng was expensive and too potent for daily use and ling tzi was difficult to find, wolfberries were widely available and ideal for daily consumption.
NingXia Red® contains the amazing Ningxia or Chinese wolfberry, cherished for centuries, particularly in the Ningxia Province in China. Ancient medical texts mention the Chinese wolfberry's ability to regulate “vital energy,” “strengthen the physique,” and provide nourishment that can “lead to longevity.” The Chinese wolfberry was also said to “replenish vital essences” and “strengthen and restore major organs.”*
The most frequent references to wolfberries in early Chinese medical texts recommended wolfberries for strengthening the eyes, liver, and kidneys,* as well as for fortifying the “qi” (chi), or life force. The well-respected medical book, Shen Nung Ben Tsao, noted wolfberry benefits ranging from replenishing vital essences to strengthening and restoring major organs.* Li Shiz Hen, regarded by many as the greatest herbalist of all time, compiled the well-renowned physician's handbook Ben Cao Gang Mu. The book reports, “Taking in Chinese wolfberry regularly may regulate the flow of vital energy and strengthen the physique, which can lead to longevity.”
The book also shares this account:
“The Bao Shou herb store recorded a wolfberry elixir that promotes longevity.... A barefooted man named Zhang passed the formula of this elixir to an elderly person at Yi Shi County, who followed the recipe and lived for over a hundred years. The elderly man could walk extremely fast as if he was flying. His gray hair turned black again....”
The Homeland of Ningxia Wolfberries
Of the eighty different species of wolfberries worldwide, only one comes from China's Ningxia Province. Known as Ningxia wolfberries, this variety, Lycium barbarum, is the one used in NingXia Red. It has by far the highest levels of immune-stimulating polysaccharides.*
The Xinhaua News Agency reported that the Ningxia wolfberry “is far superior to ordinary Chinese wolfberry in both tonic effects and economic results.” And the Chinese national census once reported that the number of Ningxia residents living more than one hundred years exceeds the national average by 400 percent.
Locals call the Ningxia Province “China's herbal medicine valley,” and protect it by meeting all of the stringent rules necessary to be awarded the prestigious “Green Certificate.” They also hold an annual two-week festival to honor Ningxia wolfberries
Stay tuned for information on the Wolfberry of today on Friday!
