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Noni is a small evergreen tree in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, Australia, and India that often grows among lava flows. Historically, noni was used to make a red or yellow dye for clothing. It was also used as medicine, usually applied to the skin. Today, noni fruit, leaves, flowers, stems, bark, and roots are still used to make medicine for a long list of ailments.
People take noni by mouth for colic, convulsions, cough, diabetes, painful urination, stimulating menstrual flow, fever, liver disease, constipation, vaginal discharge during pregnancy, malarial fever, and nausea. It is also used for smallpox, enlarged spleen, swelling, asthma, arthritis and other bone and joint problems, cancer, cataracts, colds, depression, digestive problems, and gastric ulcers. Other uses include high blood pressure, infections, kidney disorders, migraineheadache, premenstrual syndrome, stroke, pain, and sedation.
The fruit juice is used for arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, muscle aches and pains, menstrual difficulties, headaches, heart disease, AIDS, cancers, gastric ulcers, sprains, depression, senility, poor digestion, atherosclerosis, circulation problems, and drug addiction. The leaves have been used in medicines for rheumatic aches and swelling of the joints, stomachache, dysentery, and swelling caused by a parasitic infection called filariasis. The bark has been used in a preparation to aid childbirth.
Noni is sometimes applied to the skin. It is used as a moisturizer and to reduce signs of aging. The leaves are used for arthritis by wrapping around the affected joint; for headache by applying to the forehead; and for burns, sores, and wounds by direct application. A mixture of leaves and fruit is applied to pockets of infection (abscesses), and preparations of the root are used on stonefish and sting-ray wounds, and as a smallpox salve. Noni contains many substances, including potassium. Some of these substances might help repair damaged cells in the body, activate the immune system, and have other activities.
What is Noni?
Noni, known scientifically as Morinda citrifolia, is a tropical fruit found primarily in the South Pacific. About the size of a potato, noni can vary in color from white to yellow to green. Tahitians have used noni for centuries because of its healthful benefits. It is reported to have a broad range of therapeutic effects, including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing effects. Noni juice is also promoted to enhance energy and wellbeing.
Where it is found?
Noni fruit is widely found in areas of the South Pacific countries, and in the U.S. states of Florida and Hawaii It is native to Australia and countries in Southeast Asia, India and the tropics. The fruit may vary slightly from geographic area to geographic area, similarly to variations found in oranges from Florida, Mexico and California. The plant prefers a tropical environment and thrives in either shady forests or open areas, rocky lands or sandy shore areas. Once it is mature, after about a year and a half of growth, Noni plants will bear fruit monthly all year long, producing about 8.8 to 18 pounds of fruit monthly. It is a very hardy and tolerant plant, able to grow in many types of soils, including volcanic lava soil, limestone, salty soils, and other non-prime soil areas. Noni plants are very tall, reaching mature heights up to 30 feet, and its leaves are dark green and shiny, featuring deep veins. The flowers are a lovely white color and have six petals. The fruit at first is a green color that changes to yellow and finally white as it ripens. The fruit is an oval shape with many seeds.
How is it made?
Noni Juice is manufactured by many different companies. Some take the whole fruit, without bark or leaves, wash it and then age, or ferment the fruit product for a couple months. The fruit is then cold pressed, which extracts juice. The juice is pasteurized and packed while the by-product left over pulp can be returned to the growing areas to be used a fertilizer. It takes about twenty pounds of Noni fruit to end up with one pound of Noni juice. Some manufacturers convert juice or pulp into a powder form for use. Different manufacturers will claim that their processes are superior and that other processes can harm or reduce the helpful properties in the Noni fruit during handling and processing. It is important to ask or otherwise discover how a particular brand name Noni juice is manufactured in order to separate the better products from those that may have lost beneficial qualities during processing and/or manufacturing. If high heat is used in processing natural substances, the heat can destroy beneficial qualities.
Benefits / uses
Immune booster: Noni is considered one of the most nutritious fruits. Many of its nutrients are known to stimulate the immune system.
Digestive Stimulant: Noni juice has traditionally been used as a laxative.
Anti-oxidants: Research has shown that Noni juice exhibits better antioxidant activity than grape seed extract and pycnogenol.Analgesic: The Noni tree is also knows as the ‘Painkiller and Headache tree’. Noni has been found to be 75% as effective as morphine sulphate in relieving pain without the toxic side effects.
Antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic: With the presence of active compounds like anthraquinones, scopoletin and terpenes, Noni is effective against bacteria and fungus.
Anti-inflammatory: Noni juice has shown similar results to the newer over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Anti-tumor/ anti-cancerous: Noni juice contains noni-ppt, which has shown anti-tumor activity.
Doses:
The Noni juice dosage can vary from person to person and also depends upon one’s health condition.
It is best to take 1 oz. of Noni juice on an empty stomach half an hour before you eat in the morning. Some people break it up into two servings and take the second serving half an hour before dinner.
Possible Side effects / Precautions / Possible Interactions:
There are no known side effects to Noni juice. Over the years we’ve heard that a few people have experienced some minor discomfort, (such as bloating or mild digestive trouble), when they first started to drink Noni juice. Noni juice definitely has a laxative effect on some people and usually we’ve found that these individuals simply started with a dosage too high to begin with. Just follow the recommended dosage and if you are unsure or have any kind of health-related condition, consult with your physician first.
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