Noni

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Fruit of the South Pacific evergreen shrub Morinda citrifolia, with an unpleasant odour; the juice is claimed to have healing properties and to be beneficial in treatment of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Description

Noni, the common name for Morinda citrifolia, is a medicinal herbal substance derived from the noni tree, which is found in various areas of the South Pacific. Other names for the herb include morinda, Indian mulberry, nona, nonu, Polynesian bush fruit, Tahitian noni juice, and cheesefruit.

The noni tree is an evergreen shrub, up to 20 ft (6 m) tall, that grows in tropical areas of the South Pacific, including Australia, Malaysia, the West Indies, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Hawaii. Its branches and trunk are coarse, tough wood, and the leaves are glossy, oval, and dark green. Year-round, the tree yields a small fruit, which is cream-colored and about the size of a small potato. The noni fruit is noted for its bitter taste, unpleasant smell, and reportedly strong healing properties. Other parts of the plant also are used medicinally, including the leaves, bark, flowers, and roots.

Noni was first found in India, and migrating peoples may have carried it around regions in the Pacific. In Polynesia, the plant is considered a sacred healing herb with many uses. American soldiers stationed there during World War II were reportedly given noni as a health tonic. Other peoples of the South Pacific, including in Hawaii and Tahiti, use noni as a medicinal herb. Traditional uses of all parts of the plant for various conditions are numerous. Noni has been commercially grown for hundreds of years in the South Pacific region. The fruit is also a food source used by South Pacific peoples. The principal regions for commercial cultivation of noni are Hawaii, French Polynesia, and Tahiti.

Noni juice became an increasingly popular health drink during the 1990s, when a group of Hawaiians began internationally marketing the juice as an herbal remedy. Since then, many claims have been made about its healing powers, a few of which have been somewhat validated by controlled studies. However, there is a lack of research to conclusively back up the optimistic claims regarding the herb's healing powers, and most evidence of the herb's success exists in testimonial accounts.

General Use

Traditionally, the fruit has been used for aging, diabetes, halitosis, hemorrhoids, tumors, tuberculosis, high blood pressure, and as a tonic for overall health and energy. The leaves have been ingested in remedies for arthritis, digestive problems, parasites, and dysentery (severe infection of the lower digestive tract characterized by acute diarrhea and dehydration). Topically, the leaves, fruit, and roots are used in poultices for arthritis and joint pain, headaches, for burns and lesions, poisonous bites, and to improve signs of aging.

Noni is used by some cancer patients for its anti-cancer and tumor-reducing possibilities. Some sufferers from immune-compromised diseases such as AIDS and chronic fatigue syndrome use noni to boost immune system function. People with diabetes and hypoglycemia have reported that noni helps stabilize blood sugar levels in the body. People with arthritis, joint pain, and inflammatory conditions have used noni. It is also used as a sedative, painkiller, and sleeping aid. Noni juice is recommended to remove parasites, to cleanse the digestive tract and improve digestion, and to control weight. It is used as a general health tonic to improve energy and resistance and to slow the effects of aging. It is also used for asthma; digestive disorders including ulcers; irritable bowel syndrome; constipation and diarrhea; and fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by fatigue and chronic pain.

Scientific Studies

A substance called ursolic acid found in the leaves of the noni plant has been shown to have anti-cancer properties in the body. A Japanese study found that noni fruit contains another substance (damnacanthal) that has some effectiveness against pre-cancerous cells. Some evidence points to noni's ability to increase immune system activity, due to substances found in the fruit (including a chemical called proxeronine). The leaves of the plant contain chemicals that may lower blood sugar levels, as well as reduce pain and inflammation. One study showed that laboratory mice with lung cancer had much longer survival times when given noni juice daily. A French study determined that the roots of the noni plant contain natural sedatives, while another study pointed to a compound that noni leaves may contain that is anti-malarial and anti-parasitic in its effects. Finally, surveys of noni users have indicated testimonial success with the use of noni for cancer, strokes, diabetes, and as a general health and energy improver. Noni has been shown to contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Preparations

Noni is available in several forms, including bottled juice from the fruit; essential oil; capsules containing dried fruit, leaves, roots, or combinations thereof; tablets; teas; and topical sprays. Organically grown sources of the supplement are recommended. Noni is best taken on an empty stomach, and can be taken daily. Between one quarter of an ounce and one ounce of the juice is a recommended daily dosage for adults. Up to ten ounces of the juice may be taken by those seeking therapeutic use of the herb and who are under the supervision of a health professional. Consumers should follow manufacturers' recommendations for capsules, tablets, and teas. In capsule form, it is estimated that 1,200 mg equals roughly one ounce of the juice.

Precautions

Although few allergic reactions to noni have been observed, consumers should ingest small amounts of the herb (one tablespoon of the juice) at first to test for adverse reactions. Noni should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, as there is insufficient evidence of its safety during pregnancy or for infants.

Side Effects

Reported side effects from the use of noni include indigestion; allergic reactions including rashes, swelling, and difficulty swallowing; diarrhea; and constipation.

Interactions

The use of noni with potassium-sparing drugs is not recommended, due to the high potassium content in the herb. It is recommended that noni not be taken with food, as stomach acid may render one of its active ingredients ineffective. Noni can cause discoloration of the urine and may interfere with diagnostic urine tests. Noni juice may increase the risk of hyperkalemia (higher than normal blood potassium levels) in people with kidney problems by elevating potassium levels in the body.

Resources

Books

Elkins, Rita. The Noni Revolution. Woodland Publishing, 2002.

Solomon, Neil, M.D. The Noni Phenomenon. Direct Source Publishing, 1999.

Other

International Noni Certification Council (INCC). .

Cancer Research Center of Hawaii: The Noni Study. .

[Article by: Douglas Dupler]

This article is written like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view. For blatant advertising that would require a fundamental rewrite to become encyclopedic, use {{db-spam}} to mark for speedy deletion. (April 2009)

For other uses, see Noni (disambiguation).

Great morinda, Noni
Leaves, and fruit of Morinda citrifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Gentianales Family: Rubiaceae Genus: Morinda Species: M. citrifolia
Binomial name
Morinda citrifolia L.

Noni, Morinda citrifolia

Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as great morinda, Indian mulberry, Mengkudu (Malaysia), beach mulberry, Tahitian noni, cheese fruit^[1] or noni (from Hawaiian) is a tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. Morinda citrifolia is native to Southeast Asia but has been extensively spread throughout the Indian subcontinent, Pacific islands, French Polynesia, Puerto Rico and recently the Dominican Republic. Tahiti remains the most prominent growing location.

Contents 1 Growing habitats 2 Nutrients 3 Uses 4 Gastronomy 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links

Growing habitats

Noni Flower

Noni grows in shady forests as well as on open rocky or sandy shores. It reaches maturity in about 18 months and then yields between 4–8 kilograms (8.8–18 lb) of fruit every month throughout the year. It is tolerant of saline soils, drought conditions, and secondary soils. It is therefore found in a wide variety of habitats: volcanic terrains, lava-strewn coasts, and clearings or limestone outcrops. It can grow up to 9 metres (30 ft) tall, and has large, simple, dark green, shiny and deeply veined leaves.

The plant flowers and fruits all year round and produces a small white flower. The fruit is a multiple fruit that has a pungent odor when ripening, and is hence also known as cheese fruit or even vomit fruit. It is oval and reaches 4–7 centimetres (1.6–2.8 in) in size. At first green, the fruit turns yellow then almost white as it ripens. It contains many seeds. It is sometimes called starvation fruit. Despite its strong smell and bitter taste, the fruit is nevertheless eaten as a famine food^[2] and, in some Pacific islands, even a staple food, either raw or cooked.^[3] Southeast Asians and Australian Aborigines consume the fruit raw with salt or cook it with curry. The seeds are edible when roasted.

The noni is especially attractive to weaver ants, which make nests out of the leaves of the tree. These ants protect the plant from some plant-parasitic insects. The smell of the fruit also attracts fruit bats, which aid in dispersing the seeds.

Nutrients

Noni fruit in Honolulu

Noni fruit powder is high in carbohydrates and dietary fiber. According to the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, a 100g sample of the powder contains 71% carbohydrate and 36% fiber. The sample also contained 5.2% protein and 1.2% fat.^[4]

These macronutrients evidently reside in the fruit pulp, as noni juice has sparse amounts of macronutrients.^[5]

The main micronutrients of noni pulp powder include 9.81mg of vitamin C per 1200mg sample, as well as 0.048mg niacin (vitamin B3), 0.02mg iron and 32.0mg potassium.^[4] Vitamin A, calcium and sodium are present in moderate amounts.

When noni juice alone is analyzed and compared to pulp powder, only vitamin C is retained at a high level, 33.65mg per 100g of juice.^[5]

Although the most significant nutrient feature of noni pulp powder or juice is its high vitamin C content, noni fruit juice provides only about half the vitamin C of a raw navel orange.^[6] Sodium levels in the noni juice blend (about 3% of DRI)^[4] are multiples of those in an orange. Although the potassium content appears relatively high for noni, this total is only about 3% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance and so would not be considered excessive. Noni juice is otherwise similar in micronutrient content to a raw orange.^[6]

Noni fruit contains a number of phytochemicals, including lignans, oligo- and polysaccharides, flavonoids, iridoids, fatty acids, scopoletin, catechin, beta-sitosterol, damnacanthal, and alkaloids. Although these substances have been studied for bioactivity, current research does not conclude anything about their effects on human health.^[7]

Laboratory experiments demonstrated that dietary noni juice increased physical endurance in mice.^[8]

Uses

Noni was explored unsuccessfully by medical researchers for possible use in treating cancer.^[9]

In Hawaii, ripe fruits are applied to draw out pus from an infected boil. The green fruit, leaves and the root/rhizome have traditionally been used to treat menstrual cramps and irregularities, among other symptoms, while the root has also been used to treat urinary difficulties.^[9]

The bark of the great morinda produces a brownish-purplish dye for batik making; on the Indonesian island of Java, the trees are cultivated for this purpose. In Hawaii, yellowish dye is extracted from its root in order to dye cloth.^[10]

There have been recent applications for the use of oil from noni seeds. ^[11] Noni seed oil is abundant in linoleic acid that may have useful properties when applied topically on skin, e.g., anti-inflammation, acne reduction, moisture retention.^[12][13][14]

In Surinam and some other countries, the tree serves as a wind-break, as support for vines and as shade for coffee trees.

Gastronomy

In Malay cuisine the leaves of this plant are used for ulam, a type of Malay salad.^[15]

See also

• Noni juice
• Noni pill

References

1. ^ Plants by Common Name - James Cook University
2. ^ Krauss, BH (1993). Plants in Hawaiian Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 
3. ^ Morton, JF (1992). "The Ocean-Going Noni, or Indian Mulberry (Morinda citrifolia, Rubiaceae) and Some of its "Colorful" Relatives". Economic Botony (New York) 46 (3): 241–256. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} Nelson, Scot C. (2006) "Nutritional Analysis of Hawaiian Noni (Noni Fruit Powder)" The Noni Website. Retrieved 15-06-2009.
5. ^ ^{a b} Nelson, Scot C. (2006) "Nutritional Analysis of Hawaiian Noni (Pure Noni Fruit Juice)" The Noni Website. Retrieved 15-06-2009.
6. ^ ^{a b} World's Healthiest Foods, in-depth nutrient analysis of a raw orange
7. ^ *Saleem et al. (2005). An update on bioactive plant lignans. Nat Prod Rep 22:696-716.
   • Deng S, Palu AK, West BJ, et al. (2007). Lipoxygenase Inhibitory Constituents of the Fruits of Noni (Morinda citrifolia) Collected in Tahiti. J Nat Prod 70(5):859-862.
   • Lin CF, Ni CL, Huang YL, et al. (2007). Lignans and anthraquinones from the fruits of Morinda citrifolia. Natural Product Research 21(13):1199-1204.
   • Levand O, Larson HO. Some chemical constituents of Morinda citrifolia. Planta Medica 36(2):186-187.
   • Mohd Zin Z, Abdul Hamid A, Osman A, et al. (2007). Isolation and identification of antioxidative compound from fruit of mengkudu (Morinda citrifolia L.). International Journal of Food Properties 10(2):363-373. Furthermore, these phytochemicals are not unique to noni, as nearly all exist in various plant foods.
8. ^ Ma DL, West BJ, Su CX, Gao JH, Liu TZ, Liu YW. Evaluation of the ergogenic potential of noni juice. Phytotherapy Research. 2007 Nov; 21(11):1100-1101
9. ^ ^{a b} McClatchey, Will (2002). "From Polynesian Healers to Health Food Stores: Changing Perspectives of Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae)" (PDF). Integrative Cancer Therapies 1 (2): 110–120. doi:10.1177/1534735402001002002. PMID 14664736. http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/noni/Downloads/MorindaCitrifolia.pdf. 
10. ^ Thompson, RH (1971). Naturally Occurring Anthraquinones. New York: Academic Press. 
11. ^ West BJ, Jensen CJ, Westendorf J. A new vegetable oil from noni (Morinda citrifolia) seeds. International Journal of Food Science and Technology 43(11):1988-1992.
12. ^ "Plant oils: Topical application and anti-inflammatory effects (croton oil test)". Dermatol. Monatsschr 179: 173. 1993. 
13. ^ Letawe,; Letawe C, Boone M, Pierard GE (March 1998). "Digital image analysis of the effect of topically applied linoleic acid on acne microcomedones". Clinical & Experimental Dermatology 23 (2): 56–58. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2230.1998.00315.x. PMID : 9692305. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=9692305&itool=iconabstr&query_hl=17&itool=pubmed_docsum. 
14. ^ Darmstadt, G L; Darmstadt GL, Mao-Qiang M, Chi E, Saha SK, Ziboh VA, Black RE, Santosham M, Elias PM (2002). "Impact of topical oils on the skin barrier: possible implications for neonatal health in developing countries". Acta Paediatrica 91 (5): 546–554. doi:10.1080/080352502753711678. 
15. ^ Nasi ulam recipe

Further reading

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Aal.

• Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers. Permanent Agriculture Resources. August 2006. pp. 112. ISBN 0-9702544-6-6. 
• Kamiya, K.; Kamiya K, Tanaka Y, Endang H, Umar M, Satake T (September 2004). "Chemical constituents of Morinda citrifolia fruits inhibit copper-induced low-density lipoprotein oxidation". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 52 (19): 5843–8. doi:10.1021/jf040114k. ISSN 0021-8561. 

External links

• "Noni culture on CultureSheet.org". 2008. http://culturesheet.org/rubiaceae:morinda:citrifolia. 
• "The Noni Website". 2006. http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/noni/. 
• Thomas, Chris (August 30, 2002). "Noni No Miracle Cure". Cancerpage.com. http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=4799. 
• Anthony, Mark. "Noni or NIMBY?". Foodprocessing.com. http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2007/018.html. 

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