Noni

Noni is originally a native to the Pacific Islands of Tahiti also known as French Polynesia.  Noni or the herb known as morinda citrifolia is a tropical plant that grows wild in other parts such as Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. For more than 2,00 years, Polynesian have regarded noni as a food and healing agent.  It is also called Indian mulberry.  This evergreen shrub or small tree has shiny dark green leaves that bear a number of small white flowers.  Flower heads become small, bumpy fruits which turns from green to yellow and then to white as it ripens and falls from the branch.  Medicinal properties are believed to be found in leaves, roots and fruits.  The fruit which emits a distinctive smell is often consumed as food.  It is also manipulated and pressed to produce a sweet, sugary drink for medicinal use.  Noni products particularly noni juice have become increasingly popular in the United States the past years.  It is known in other names including Tahitian noni juice, mora de la India, hog apple and Caribe.

Noni products health benefits include:

§ Healers use the noni fruit to be eaten or consumed as juice to ward off arthritis, rheumatic disease, aging, tuberculosis and other illnesses.
§ Healers wrap noni leaves around arthritic joints or are applied to the forehead to ease headache or brewed to tea for tonic.  The stem bark and green leaves are crushed and strained to treat urinary tract problems and as a general tonic.
§ Noni ripe fruit is mashed into poultice and applied to blemishes and boils to bring out the pus.  A soft mush of unripened fruit is added with salt and applied to cuts and broken bones for quick healing. 
§ Noni fruit juice is applied to scalp to kill head lice.  It can also treat heart problem or high blood pressure either alone or with capsaicin.  It is also used to treat diabetes.
§ Noni may help prevent cancer by activating the immune system in certain ways during the first stages of cancer development.

Caution is to be exercised in using noni products though because little research has been conducted to substantiate the healing claims.

A number of exporters sell noni in various forms such as fresh juice, blended juice, powder or capsules.  All forms are as effective as the other.  Typical noni dosage is 3 to 6 grams or 8 to 10 ounces of juice twice daily on an empty stomach.  You can take noni capsules with 8-ounce glass of water 30 minutes before meal. You can add 4 cups of water to 5 to 9 grams of powdered noni and boil it until liquid is reduced by half.  Cool the juice and take in two doses taken on an empty stomach.

If you find the taste and smell of noni juices disagreeable add water or fruit juice such as apple or orange to dilute the flavor. The anthraquinones component of noni could alter the urine’s color to pink or reddish tint.  This is harmless.  It has no known drug or food interactions.  People with diabetes and those who limit their glucose and caloric intake should use it with caution since the juice is high in sugar.  Lessen the amount of noni intake when constipation occurs. Those with kidney problems must avoid high intake of noni juice since this contains potassium.