The noni or morinda plant is a tropical evergreen tree that grows to about 10 feet tall in Tahiti and other Pacific Islands, as well as in parts of Asia, Australia, South America and the Caribbean. It bears a fruit about the size of a potato that starts out green, then ripens into yellow or white. The juice, fruit, bark, and leaves are used in herbal remedies and Polynesian folk medicine.
There is no reliable clinical evidence that noni juice is effective in preventing or treating cancer or any other disease in humans. Although animal and laboratory studies have shown some positive effects, human studies are just getting started. Research is also going on to isolate various compounds found in the noni plant so that further testing can be done to find out if they may be useful in humans.
Ingredients: Morinda citrifolia fruit juice from pure noni pure from French Polynesia, natural grape juice concentrate, natural blueberry juice concentrate, and natural flavors. Not made from dried or powdered Morinda citrifolia.
Proponents claim that the noni fruit and its juice can be used to treat cancer, diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol, high blood pressure, HIV, rheumatism, psoriasis, allergies, infection, and inflammation. Some believe that the fruit can relieve sinus infections, menstrual cramps, arthritis, ulcers, sprains, injuries, depression, senility, poor digestion, atherosclerosis, addiction, colds, flu, and headaches. It is further claimed that the juice can heal scratches on the cornea of the eye. There is no reliable clinical evidence in the available medical literature to support these claims.
In India, proponents use noni as a remedy for asthma and dysentery, and folk healers in the Pacific islands use it for many types of illness. In the United States, some noni juice distributors promote it as a general tonic, stress reliever, facial and body cleanser, and a dietary and nutritional supplement.
Parts of the noni plant are used as a juice, a tonic, a poultice, and in tea. Tea made from leaves of the plant is used as a remedy for tuberculosis, arthritis, rheumatism, and anti-aging. The leaves and bark are sometimes made into a liquid tonic for urinary complaints and muscle or joint pain. The juice, which has an unpleasant taste and odor, is used on the scalp as a treatment for head lice. The unripe noni fruit is mashed together with salt and applied on cuts and broken bones. Ripe fruit is used as a poultice for facial blemishes or as a remedy for skin sores, boils, or infections.
In the United States, noni products are sold in various forms including juice, extract, powder, capsules (nutritional supplements and diet aids), facial cleansers, bath gels, and soaps. Noni juice is usually mixed with other juices and flavorings before drinking to hide its unpleasant taste. Noni distributors and Internet sites selling the juice or supplements often recommend that they be taken on an empty stomach.
