There is a cheap alternative to precious Chinese herbs ginseng and lingzhi mushroom, and it is widely available in supermarkets around the Sultanate.

Wolfberry, or known as "gou qi" in Chinese, is a bright orange-red berry that is rich in germanium, an element known for its ability to improve the immune system of the human body.

According to Dr Andy Sun, herbs that are richest in germanium are ginseng and lingzhi mushroom, but both of these herbs are too expensive for the general public.

Cheaper ginsengs go for about a few hundred dollars in the market, and the very good ones can easily cost more than $10,000. For lingzhi, which in Chinese means "herb of spiritual potency", a few hundred grammes can cost from slightly less than a hundred to a few hundred, depending on the species.

The good news for Bruneians, however, is that wolfberry is ranked a close third behind these two herbs when it comes to content in germanium, and is relatively cheap in supermarkets at a few dollars per packet, and it can even be eaten directly without being cooked.

According to Dr Sun, germanium is supposed to "clean" the blood and prevent blood clotting in the vessels, and will also help with metabolism to keep the body healthy. It also has an effect of bringing 10 times more oxygen to the blood cells to help with clearing body toxins, and slowing the ageing process.

"If our blood cells lack oxygen, it can cause abnormal metabolism, resulting in excessive fatty acid. The abnormal metabolism can also cause pathological changes, which is also closely related to the formation of cancerous cells in the body," said Dr Sun.

"The most important feature of germanium is its ability to induce the body cells to produce "interferon" which can regulate the immune system to fight against the virus and cancerous cells."

-The Brunei Times/Asia News Network