Golden berry is an orange coloured nutritious fruit belongs to Solanaceae family. It is also considered as a supper food due to its antioxidant components. It plays vital role in weight management and detoxification. It also exerts hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting activities.

Nutritional profile

• It contains lesser amount of carbohydrate as well as fibre
• It also contains some proteins
• It contains too some extent of fat as well
• It provides lesser amount of calories on its oxidation due to its poor carbohydrate and fat contents
• It also contains significant amount of moisture (about 85%) thus it is known as a perishable food
• It contains numerous vitamins, which include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, B2 and B3
• It is also packed with several important trace elements like calcium, phosphorus, iron and potassium
• It contains numerous biologically active substances like polyphenols, carotenoids etc that exert antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, detoxifying activity and immune boosting activity

Biological activity

Antioxidant activity

• Its carotenoid components, micronutrient components and polyphenolic compounds exert potent antioxidant activity that helps to neutralize free radicals
• It helps to protect the body from the harmful effects of reactive oxygen species as well
• It is associated with enhancing the life of cells by inhibiting the formations of those compounds in body, which are responsible for oxidative damages as a result decreases the prevalence of oxidative stress. Reduction in oxidative stress is directly linked with decreasing the risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers etc

• It also helps to improve cellular functions and promotes wellbeing

Anti-inflammatory activity

• Its polyphenolic compounds exhibit anti-inflammatory activity
• It helps to decreases the level of inflammatory markers in body, which ultimately delay the onset of inflammatory events and protects the body from inflammatory damages
• It also helps to improve joint health by preventing joint swelling
• Individual suffer from arthritis or gout or hemorrhoids or muscle ache can include golden berry in their diet as it plays significant role in soothing the condition and also helps to improve overall health

Detoxifying activity

• It is widely used as a powerful detoxifier
• It helps to promote the elimination of toxins from body by enhancing the activity of liver and renal system as a result plays vital role in cleansing the body

Health benefits

Role on immunity

• It plays vital role in regulating the activity of immune system
• Its antioxidant activity is also responsible for protecting immune cells from oxidative damages as a result improves their functionality, which ultimately improves body’s resistance power

• Vitamin C present in golden berry promotes the synthesis of WBC that makes the body able to fight against infections more effectively as a result it helps to lower the risk of developing infectious diseases
• On the other hand its Vitamin C component is also responsible for stimulating the production of collagen, which involves in repairing and synthesizing cells, tissues, organs as well as blood vessels

Role on skeletal system

• It contains significant amount of Vitamin K, which is closely related with bone metabolism thus its consumption is thought to be very much helpful for maintaining a healthy skeletal system
• Vitamin K is a vital component of bone as well as cartilage and it is associated with regulating bone turnover rate too
• It also contains calcium, an important mineral required for healthy bone formation
• It helps to improve bone mass, strength and density
• Consumption of golden berry along with Vitamin D is very much useful for optimal bone health and it also lowers the risk of developing bone disorders

Role on vision

• It contains various carotenoids and mainly rich in beta-carotene and lutein, which play imperative role in promoting eye health
• Its lycopene and zeaxanthin components are also accountable for promoting vision
• Its antioxidant activity is responsible for protecting the ocular system from free radical induced oxidative damages

• It has seen that its consumption is very much effective for reducing the prevalence of cataract and also delays the onset of age related macular degeneration thus individual should include golden berry in their diet in order to keep their vision in top working order as they age

Role on mental health

• It is extensively used as an imperative adaptogen that helps the body to adapt stress
• It also helps to promote the health of adrenal system and controls the release of stress hormone as a result improves mood
• It helps to decrease anxiety, stress and mental irritability
• Consumption of golden berry is extremely beneficial for promoting emotional wellbeing

Therapeutic advantages

It is widely used for various therapeutic purposes, like –

• Linoleic acid and oleic acid found in golden berry play imperative role in decreasing the concentration of LDL in body. Decrease in LDL concentration decreases the prevalence of fat deposition within blood vessels as a result lowers the risk of developing atherosclerosis
• It is associated with protecting blood vessels especially artery from inflammatory damages that ultimately helps to improve endothelial health and functionality
• It helps to prevent cardiac inflammatory events as well and significantly reduces the prevalence of coronary artery disease, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction. It helps to lowers the risk of heart attack as well

• Its potassium content is directly linked with decreasing elevated blood pressure
• It is considered as a low calorie fruit thus it can be easily incorporated in the diet of an obes individual. It is associated with providing large amount of various essential nutrients to the body with few calories thus its consumption is thought to be very effective for maintaining a healthy body weight
• It helps to lower the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. It contains various important components that ultimately decreases the rate of carbohydrate breakdown as well as glucose absorption as a result decreases blood sugar concentration. Its consumption is associated with regulating the function of insulin receptor, which also helps to reduce the risk of developing hyperglycemia
• Its consumption is extremely useful for improving the symptoms of inflammatory bowel syndrome as well as irritable bowel disease
• It helps to improve renal system too. It is related with stimulating urination, which ultimately helps to flush out too much salt, toxin and fat from the body
• It also helps to promote hepatic health. It has seen that its consumption is extremely helpful for reducing liver degradation as well as liver scarring

General consideration of using golden berry

• Fresh or dried golden berries can be consumed by themselves
• It can be also used for preparing various cakes and baked goods
• It can be added to fruit salad

• It can be used for preparing jam as well
• It can also be blended with smoothie for natural sweetness
• Dried or fresh golden berry can be used as topping agent. Individual can top their yogurt with golden berries
• It can be dipped into chocolate sauce for preparing desserts

Risk factors

• Consumption of unripe golden berry is extremely poisonous for health as it contains a toxin named solanine, which is responsible for developing various digestive disorders like diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort, stomach cramping etc
• Whereas too much consumption of golden berry is also hazardous thus it is better to consume it in moderation

Nocetti, D., Núñez, H., Puente, L., Espinosa, A. and Romero, F., 2020. Composition and biological effects of goldenberry byproducts: an overview. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 100(12), pp.4335-4346.

Osorio, C., Schreckinger, E., Bhargava, P., Bang, W.Y., Jacobo-Velázquez, D.A. and Cisneros-Zevallos, L., 2016. Golden berry and selected tropical (açai, acerola and maqui) juices. Handbook of functional beverages and human health, pp.251-269.

Ramadan, M.F. and Moersel, J.T., 2007. Impact of enzymatic treatment on chemical composition, physicochemical properties and radical scavenging activity of goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.) juice. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87(3), pp.452-460.

Shenstone, E., Lippman, Z. and Van Eck, J., 2020. A review of nutritional properties and health benefits of Physalis species. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 75(3), pp.316-325.

Yıldız, G., İzli, N., Ünal, H. and Uylaşer, V., 2015. Physical and chemical characteristics of goldenberry fruit (Physalis peruviana L.). Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(4), pp.2320-2327.