From the great unknown to the market –– Noni juice

by JAMI MARQUARDT

A new tropical fruit, or rather an old one, has crossed the Pacific and entered the states. Move the OJ and V8 over and make room on your shelves for the latest –– Noni juice. Although it was put on the market for the first time (by Tahitian Noni International, Inc.) in 1996 in the U.S., noni has been taken for health and medicinal purposes by early Polynesians in the Pacific Islands (Hawaii included), India, Southeast Asia, and other regions for centuries.

The noni fruit, scientifically classified as Morinda citrifolia, is thought to have originated in India where it was used for its healing properties. The root was used as a catharic and fever-reducing agent; the juice and leaves were rubbed over affected areas to relieve pain and heal wounds.

In other regions, there were various other traditional medicinal uses as well. These included using leaves, blooms, fruit or bark to treat eye problems, gum and throat aches, respiratory ailments, constipation and stomach pains. Heated leaves applied to the chest relieved coughs, nausea, and colic. Juice from the leaves was taken for arthritis. The fruit itself was taken for asthma, malaria, diabetes, and dysentery, as well as used to make shampoo and to treat head lice. Juice of over-ripe fruit was taken to regulate menstrual flow and ease urinary problems.

Not only was noni used to stock the medicine cabinet, it filled the pantry shelves as well. The fruit was enjoyed with a pinch of salt, the seeds were roasted, and the leaves were eaten as a vegetable (high in protein). It was an integral part of the Polynesian culture and an important food source, especially in times of famine.

So why is noni still unknown? Many people have yet to hear of it. In the past, during WWII, U.S. soldiers based on the Polynesian Islands were taught by natives to eat noni to sustain their strength. Only recently has it been given the attention of ethnobotanists and other scientific researchers .

Beyond the traditional uses and down to the science, researchers have found that noni contains enzymes, anthraquinones, polysaccharides, and alkaloids. Alkaloids are essential to maintaining a healthy stasis in the body. A specific alkaloid in noni, proxeronine, is produced in the body to activate enzymes and regulate proteins. Proxeronine initiates the release of xeronine in the intestinal tract. Xeronine enables nutrients to enter cells more easily and improves the body’s ability to make use of nutrients we consume. This chemical combination also affects other cell functions and determines a large number of the body’s physiological reactions.

The plant itself can reach heights ranging from 15-35 feet, and it yields fruit year-round. The largest and most productive of these trees can bear nearly two tons of fruit a month. The mature fruit is about the size of a potato with a waxy skin and a “lumpy” appearance. When ripe, it turns yellow and white.

To extract the juice, it was traditionally picked before it was fully ripe, then placed in a jar in direct sunlight. When fully ripe, it was mashed and the juice was extracted by cloth.

Now the international suppliers use fully sun-ripened, handpicked noni fruit. It is processed, pasteurized and bottled at commercial bottling facilities.
Researchers say that, for people who aren’t raised around noni fruit, it may have a “slightly objectionable taste” and “does not have a nice smell.” Apparently it is a fruit recognized sight unseen (follow your sniffer). To overcome this unpleasantry, the noni can be mixed with other natural juices such as grape or blueberry. The smell decreases and the taste improves during processing.

Noni is not yet available at all of your typical convenience stores. It can be ordered online, and, of course, it can also be found on e-Bay with other noni products. It is a little more spendy than a bottle of OJ or V8, but it also lasts longer considering one ounce (two tablespoons) is the recommended serving size per day. At least if you don’t like the taste of it, you don’t have to drink it by the glassful.

Although it is relatively new to the U.S., it is being marketed with the usual flair. A Tahitian model in hula gear is posing with a bottle that pictures a muscular man. Classic. It will probably be on all the shelves in no time.

This article appeared in the 22nd of June, 2005 issue of the The Independent News Herald and is reproduced with permission.