Living Touch

Noni, also known as Morinda citrifolia, Great Morinda, or Indian Mulberry, is a small shrub native to Southeast Asia which has been spread by man throughout India and into the Pacific islands as far as the Polynesian Islands. It can grow up to 9 m, its leaves are oval shaped and dark green, and the ripened fruit is yellow and has a pungent odor.

Traditionally, in Asia various parts of the Noni shrub, such as the leaves, flowers, fruits, and the bark are being used for many health conditions. They serve to treat fever, eye and skin problems, gum and throat problems, stomach pain, constipation as well as diarrhea, and respiratory difficulties, and they are applied externally to heal wounds. In Malaysia, heated noni leaves are put on the chest or stomach to treat coughs, nausea, and colics and the fruit serves as a shampoo because it is said to be helpful against head lice. In the Philippines, juice is extracted from the leaves as a treatment for arthritis. In Indochina the fruit is taken for asthma, lumbago, and dysentery. Unripe fruits are being pounded, mixed with salt, and are then applied to injured bones.

Noni Products and Dosage

There are a number of different Noni products available on the market, such as Noni juice, Noni appetite suppressant, Noni dietary supplement, Noni lotions, Noni shampoos and conditioners, and even Noni animal food. Noni is sold as juice or liquid concentrate and also in tablet and capsule form.

The recommended dosage is four ounces of Noni juice 30 minutes before breakfast. For the liquid concentrate, the recommended dosage is 2 tablespoons per day, preferably taken on an empty stomach.

Why Take Noni?

Noni products are being heavily promoted for a great variety of conditions, starting from arthritis to gastric ulcers to wound-healing. However, there is no scientific evidence that Noni may really be beneficial to these conditions. Animal studies suggest that Noni may have anti-cancer, pain-relieving, and immune system-enhancing effects. As these studies used extremely high doses of Morinda citrifolia that would be very difficult to obtain from taking juice, these studies can not be taken as really relevant. Finally, some research was published describing incidents of acute hepatitis caused by ingesting Noni.

As there is no scientific evidence of Noni being beneficial to health, consumers should be aware of the fact, that the benefits described in marketing are all unproven.