Noni is a small tree usually 10 to 20 feet tall which is native to the Pacific Islands, Asia, and Australia. It prefers sandy, rocky shores, but noni also grows well in volcanic areas like Hawaii where its use has been a tradition among Hawaiian medicine men for thousands of years.
The bark of the noni is grayish brown; its twigs are light green. It is an unusual plant in that it blossoms and fruits all year round. Its small white flowers bloom on a fruit globe, then become part of the fruit as it grows larger. Initially green in color, the fruit ripens to a vivid white or yellow.
The noni fruit has one additional oddity it gives off an overpowering, unpleasant odor. Even so, traditional Polynesian healers tried to use the fruit as a treatment for nearly anything including bone support. However, stories abound about people refusing to take it because the smell was so bad!
The bark of the noni yields a red dye, while the root yields a yellow one. Both colors were popular for the ceremonial outfits of Hawaiian chiefs. Noni is now known by a wide variety of names, including Indian mulberry, morinda, cheezefruit, yellow root, hog apple, nono, bilimbi, and pomme de singe.
The noni root was used by medicine men for immune health and joint support. The plant's leaves were directly applied to the forehead for soothing effects, or brewed into tea for use as a tonic.
The juice of the noni fruit was used as a shampoo for cleansing, and many people drank the fruit in juice form for all types of health concerns.
- Noni contains naturally occurring trace vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, enzymes, and cofactors, and is rich in carbohydrates.
- The noni plant naturally contains health-promoting phytochemicals including antioxidants and bioflavonoids.
- Noni powder contains beneficial polysaccharides.
- Noni has long been celebrated as a tonic.
- Noni supports well-being.
Benefits
- The root and root bark contain resins and sterols as well as minerals such as phosphate, magnesium, ferric iron, and sodium. The major constituents in noni appear to be polysaccharides and a compound known as damnacanthal.
- Like many herbal plants, noni has a variety of constituents which support well-being. Among them are polysaccharides, galatose, rutin, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.
The structure function claims made on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These dietary supplement products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
