Noni Juice Benefits and Information
While its popularity soared during the 1990s, Noni fruit and juice have been around for centuries and utilized in cultures across Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. Officially known as Morinda citrifola, Noni is a type of mulberry. It flowers year round producing a pungent and somewhat bitter fruit and juice. The juice is the most widely used by-product but in some cultures the leaves and roots also find use. The fruit is an excellent source of nutrients including Vitamin C, niacin, potassium, Vitamin A, calcium and sodium. Research has identified the presence of 10 essential vitamins, 7 dietary minerals, and 18 amino acids. Noni also contains a mixture of anthroquinones, organic acids, and xeronine.
It is xeronine that some researchers believe holds the key to Noni’s potential. Noni contains significant amounts of proxeronine a precursor to the alkaloid xeronine. An enzyme in the body helps convert proxeronine into xeronine. This effect happens most frequently when noni is taken on an empty stomach. A University of Hawaii researcher who has studied xeronine for years believes Noni with its proxeronine content has potential to aid some types (although not all types) of high blood pressure, menstrual cramps, arthritis, gastric ulcers, atherosclerosis, pain relief, and mental depression among many other things. Much more study is needed to verify this and the mechanism by which it works.
Uses:
Noni has been used by people with a variety of conditions. It has been used by people with immune compromising diseases like chronic fatigue syndrome to boost the immune system function. It has been reported to help stabilize blood sugar levels by diabetics and hypoglycemic. Noni has been used by individuals suffering with inflammation, joint pain, and arthritis. Some people recommend Noni to improve digestive function, remove parasites, and cleanse the digestive tract. Similarly others use it for ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and diarrhea. One study of smokers observed that total cholesterol and triglycerides improved after one month of drinking Noni juice.
Considerable research is on-going to verify the many uses and claims for Noni. Because of its high potassium content individuals with kidney related diseases should not use Noni since it can result in elevated levels of potassium in the blood. Pregnant or nursing women also should not use Noni.