Noni, a shrub which originated from Southeast Asia but later spread in some parts of Pacific Islands, West Indies, and India, has been used by native people to help them cure their various ailments.
Nowadays, modern science had revealed that noni’s flowers and fruits are highly-rich in macro and micronutrients which can prevent certain types of cancer and other illnesses. The noni contains high amount of vitamin C, vitamin B3, potassium, and iron. Micronutrients such as calcium, sodium, and vitamin A are also present but in moderate amount.
Native people in Kuliouou Valley are known to grow noni plants which they use as herbal medicine that provides various health benefits. In some parts of Tahiti, Japan, Samoa, and China, various parts of the shrub such as fruits, bark, leaves, flowers, and roots are being applied to certain parts of the body to treat ailments like skin and eye infections, fever, throat and gum problems, respiratory problems (e.g., coughs, asthma) stomach pain, cramps, nausea, and constipation.
According to a recent report, this plant provides an excellent source of dietary fibers, protein, and carbohydrates while low in fats. These macronutrients are highly-concentrated in the fruit pulp, with great nutrients reduction when converted into juice. (Only vitamin C will retain its high level.)
Pasteurization process is the reason for the great reduction of essential nutrients from the noni plants as these were turned into juice. Due to extreme heat, nutrients are being destroyed since these have low tolerance in such great temperature. Noni fruits provides high-level of pytochemicals only when these are not being pasteurized. This contains polysaccharides, a sugar molecule which serves as a prebiotic that provides colonic bacteria for a healthy digestive track.
Another pytochemicals this plant provides are the glycosides which are sugar-phenolic compounds that include various types of flavonoids (e.g. asperulosidic acid and rutin); damnacanthal which is known as a potent inhibitor of HIV proteins; beta-sitosterol which has been studied due to its potency to lower cholesterol level; and scopoletin which may serve as an antibiotic.
Before considering this seemingly miraculous juice, people should realize that this may not always be the case. According to a recent study, noni juice, when taken with potassium sparing diuretics might increase the person’s risk of developing hyperkalemia, a condition where high levels of potassium build up in the bloodstream.
There has also been some controversy over this juice’s health benefits which prompted the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to give warning letters to the juice manufacturers stating that the content information provided by them are often misleading since it stated there that it is only a food supplement while according to the FDA’s definition, this juice falls under the category of drugs. So before considering the noni juice as a herbal supplement, consumers must always be aware of the pros and cons of these products and should not solely rely on the manufacturers’ claim that this is a miracle juice.
