Noni Plant
Other common name(s): noni fruit, noni juice, Indian mulberry, morinda, hog apple, meng koedoe, mora de la India, ruibarbo caribe, wild pine
Scientific/medical name(s): Morinda citrifolia
Description
The noni or morinda plant is a tropical
evergreen tree that grows to about 10 feet tall in Tahiti and other
Pacific Islands, as well as in parts of Asia, Australia, South America
and the Caribbean. The tree can grow to as tall as 10 feet and bears a
fruit about the size of a potato which starts out green and ripens into
yellow or white. The juice, fruit, bark, and leaves are used in herbal
remedies and Polynesian folk medicine.
Overview
There is no reliable clinical evidence that
noni juice is effective in preventing or treating cancer or any other
disease in humans. Although animal and laboratory studies have shown
some positive effects, human studies are just beginning. Research is
under way to isolate various compounds in the noni plant so that further
testing can be done to learn whether they may be useful in humans.
How is it promoted for use?
Proponents claim the noni fruit and its
juice can be used to treat cancer, diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol
problems, high blood pressure, HIV, rheumatism, psoriasis, allergies,
infection, and inflammation. Some believe that the fruit can relieve
sinus infections, menstrual cramps, arthritis, ulcers, sprains,
injuries, depression, senility, poor digestion, atherosclerosis,
addiction, colds, flu, and headaches. It is further claimed that the
juice can heal scratches on the cornea of the eye.
In India, proponents use noni as a remedy
for asthma and dysentery, and folk healers in the Pacific islands use it
for many types of illness. In the United States, some noni juice
distributors promote it as a general tonic, stress reliever, facial and
body cleanser, and dietary and nutritional supplement.
What does it involve?
Parts of the noni plant are used as a juice,
a tonic, a poultice, and in tea. The juice, which has an unpleasant
taste and odor, is used on the scalp as a treatment for head lice. Some
proponents also advise drinking the juice, mixed with other juices and
flavorings to mask its unpleasant taste. The leaves and bark are
sometimes made into a liquid tonic for urinary complaints and muscle or
joint pain. The unripe noni fruit is mashed together with salt and
applied on cuts and broken bones. Ripe fruit is used as a poultice for
facial blemishes or as a remedy for skin sores, boils, or infections.
Tea made from leaves of the plant is used as a remedy for tuberculosis,
arthritis, rheumatism, and as an anti-aging treatment.
In the United States, noni products are sold
in various forms including juice, extract, powder, capsules
(nutritional supplements and diet aids), facial cleansers, bath gels,
and soaps. Noni distributors and Internet sites selling the juice or
supplements often recommend that they be taken on an empty stomach.
Noni fruit juice and supplements contain various amounts of vitamin C and A, as well as trace minerals.
What is the history behind it?
The noni fruit has been popular for
centuries among Polynesians, who introduced the noni plant to Hawaii.
During World War II, soldiers stationed in the South Pacific ate the
fruit for added sustenance. Over the past few years, products from the
noni plant have become available in health food stores and online in the
United States.
In 1998, a company that manufactures noni
juice and other noni products for distribution was charged with making
unfounded claims by the Attorneys General of Arizona, California, New
Jersey, and Texas. The company claimed that the juice could treat, cure,
or prevent many diseases including cancer, HIV, diabetes, rheumatism,
high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, psoriasis, allergies, heart
rhythm abnormality, chronic inflammation, and joint pain. The company
was ordered to stop advertising these health claims until it could
provide scientific evidence of its claims and receive approval from the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That same year, juice marketed
under the name of "Noni" was banned in Finland until claims of the
juice's ability to prevent, treat, or cure illness were removed from
advertising brochures.
Between 2002 and late 2006, the FDA again
warned several companies to stop making claims that noni could cure,
treat, or prevent disease, since proof of such abilities had still not
been submitted to the FDA. However, these claims are still widely made
on Web sites and elsewhere.
What is the evidence?
Several animal and laboratory experiments
have been done on different compounds taken from the noni plant. A group
of Hawaiian researchers caused tumors to grow in mice and then injected
specially prepared noni juice into their abdomens. Mice who received
the treatment survived twice as long as the untreated mice. Other
scientists studying freeze-dried extract from the roots of the plant
found that the substance appeared to prevent pain and induce sleep in
mice.
Another team of investigators reported that
damnacanthal, a compound removed from the root of the noni plant, may
inhibit a chemical process that turns normal cells into cancer cells.
However, since extracted chemicals or substances are different from the
raw plant, a study of an extract might not produce the same result as a
study using the whole plant. In addition, while animal and laboratory
studies may show a certain substance holds promise as a helpful
treatment, further studies are necessary to learn whether the results
apply to humans.
An early (Phase I) clinical trial of
freeze-dried noni fruit extract was done on 29 patients at the
University of Hawaii to learn about its actions and toxicities in people
with cancer. This study found no toxic effects on patients even at
daily doses of 10 grams, but also found that there was no significant
effect on quality of life. It was noted, however, that those who got
higher doses reported feeling somewhat better. In addition, researchers
at Louisiana State University are working to isolate and purify any
compounds in the juice that may be active in humans so that further
testing can be done.
More research is needed before it can be
determined what role, if any, noni plant compounds may play in the
treatment of cancer or other health conditions.
Are there any possible problems or complications?
This
product is sold as a dietary supplement in the United States. Unlike
drugs (which must be tested before being allowed to be sold), the
companies that make supplements are not required to prove to the Food
and Drug Administration that their supplements are safe or effective, as
long as they don't claim the supplements can prevent, treat, or cure
any specific disease.
Some
such products may not contain the amount of the herb or substance that
is written on the label, and some may include other substances
(contaminants). Actual amounts per dose may vary between brands or even
between different batches of the same brand.
Most
such supplements have not been tested to find out if they interact with
medicines, foods, or other herbs and supplements. Even though some
reports of interactions and harmful effects may be published, full
studies of interactions and effects are not often available. Because of
these limitations, any information on ill effects and interactions below
should be considered incomplete.
The safety and long-term effects of noni
juice and other noni products are not well known. A few cases of liver
problems have been reported in people taking noni in European countries.
One of these patients had previous liver damage and required a liver
transplant, but the others recovered when noni was stopped.
The juice has a significant amount of
potassium, equivalent to a similar amount of tomato juice or orange
juice, and may pose problems for people with kidney disease and others
who must restrict their potassium intake. It is also high in sugar,
which must be considered for people with diabetes and others who are
restricting their calorie intake. It may also cause the urine to turn a
pink or reddish color. Noni juice and supplements have not been studied
in pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Relying on this type of treatment alone and
avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer, may have
serious health consequences.
Source: http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/dietandnutrition/noni-plant
Sources for Noni Juice:
http://w3bin.com/websites/noni-juice-provider
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