| The GoChi Effect
Executive Summary
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A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled,
Clinical Study of the General Effects of a
Standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice,
GoChi™
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| For thousands
of years, the goji berry (Lycium barbarum)
has been a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM), and its remarkable and diverse
health-promoting properties have earned it a
reputation as Asia’s most potent health food. But
outside of its native continent, the goji berry was
virtually unknown until FreeLife International®
introduced the Asian health secret to the world with
the 2003 launch of Himalayan Goji® Juice. Since that
time, goji has attracted increasing media attention
as an anti-aging superfruit, and it has
become a favorite of celebrities, world-class
athletes, and health-savvy consumers worldwide.
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| The global
goji phenomenon has aroused much scientific
interest as well, and there are now dozens of
published research papers that offer scientific
validation of the berry’s legendary attributes.
Science has also revealed that the goji berry’s
broad-based health benefits are due primarily to the
presence of unique molecules, not found in any other
fruit, called Lycium barbarum
polysaccharides (LBPs). Unlike dried berries or any
other goji product, Himalayan Goji Juice is
standardized to a consistently high level of the
all-important LBPs. |
| Since its
launch, users of Himalayan Goji Juice have reported
dramatic and rapid improvements in energy levels,
quality of sleep, feelings of calmness and
contentment, reduction of stress, and other key
health aspects. It was proposed that these rapid and
noticeable improvements might be attributable to the
juice’s high degree of LBP standardization and high
absorption potential, and to support this, a study
was designed to attempt to demonstrate these same
dramatic results under rigorous and tightly
controlled clinical conditions. For this study,
FreeLife® selected GoChi™, the next generation of
Himalayan Goji Juice. The result of several years of
scientific development, GoChi is an enhanced
Himalayan Goji Juice formula containing at least 30%
more bioactive LBPs than the original formula. GoChi
is also preservative-free, is certified both kosher
and halal, and has 20% fewer calories and an even
better taste than the original formula. |
| The duration,
sample population, and methods of this randomized,
double-blind, and placebo-controlled study conformed
to the norms of FDA Good Clinical Practice. In this
14-day clinical trial, 35 healthy adult subjects
were divided into two groups selected at random to
ensure fair and even distribution of health status
between the two groups. After a two-week washout
period for all subjects, the GoChi group
was administered a 120 ml (4 fl. oz.) daily dose of
a goji juice (GoChi) containing a standardized
content of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides
(LBP), the acknowledged bioactive principles of the
goji berry. The second, or placebo group,
received a 120 ml (4 fl. oz.) daily dose of a
placebo control solution that tasted, smelled, and
looked like GoChi, but did not contain any goji
juice or LBPs. The participants had no knowledge as
to whether they were drinking the GoChi or the
placebo, and the scientists also had no knowledge as
to which group was receiving the GoChi or the
placebo. The GoChi group consisted initially of 17
individuals, of which 16 completed the study. The
placebo group consisted of 18 individuals. |
| Based upon the
properties of Lycium barbarum in TCM and
the health benefits reported by FreeLife customers,
the participants were examined by questionnaire for
subjective ratings (0-5) of general feelings of
well-being, neurological/psychological traits,
gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular
complaints, as well as any adverse effects. Data
were statistically analyzed for changes between day
1 and day 15. Descriptive statistics were calculated
for placebo and GoChi for all dependent measures and
summarized as means and standard errors. For all
clinical symptom questions under all categories,
each question was graded and the scores analyzed for
changes between day 1 and day 15 with the
nonparametric Wilcoxon matched pairs tests. |
| The GoChi
group showed statistically significant improvements
(confidence level at 90-99%) between day 1 and day
15 in the following 13 key health aspects: increased
energy, less fatigue, increased focus and mental
acuity, improved athletic performance, reduced
stress, increased feelings of calmness and
contentment, feeling happier, healthier and more
regular, better quality of sleep, and easier ability
to awaken in the morning. In addition, over 90% of
those who consumed GoChi reported feeling an
improvement in their health. |
| In contrast to
the GoChi group, the placebo group only showed a
statistically significant improvement in 1 of the 13
categories (happiness). No statistically significant
changes were found in any of the other 12
categories. There were no adverse events reported by
any subjects in either the GoChi or the placebo
group during the study period. |
| The results
shown in this randomized, placebo-controlled,
double-blind, clinical study clearly indicate that
daily consumption of GoChi can cause immediate and
significant improvement in 13 aspects of general
well-being, neurological/psychological traits, and
gastrointestinal function. These reported benefits
are consistent with previously published
experimental studies, with the prescribed uses of
Lycium barbarum as practiced in Traditional
Chinese Medicine, and with the benefits reported by
FreeLife customers the world over.
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GoChi™
the next
generation
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