Noni: Antioxidant Fruit from Polynesia

Noni is one of many names for a fruit that grows on small trees in the Pacific Islands. The scientific name for it is Morinda Citrifolia. It is also called Indian mulberry, Tahitian Noni and cheese fruit. Noni is an oval-shaped fruit with a strong smell and bitter taste. The fruit starts off green then turns from yellow to white as it ripens. It's grown in Hawaii, Polynesia, Australia and the Caribbean, and is a staple food in some Pacific islands.

Noni has been used in folk remedies by Polynesians for over 2000 years, and is reported to have a broad range of therapeutic effects, including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, analgesic, anti-inflammatory properties, and immune enhancing effects. Nearly every part of the noni plant has some value. Over the centuries, it has served as a food, a skin moisturizer, a topical healer, shampoo, and even a cleaner.

Nutritional Content of Noni

Noni is believed to contain more than 150 nutrients, including vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, C and E), minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and selenium), protein, amino acids (including all the essential amino acids), phytonutrients, polysaccharides and digestive enzymes.

Noni Scores High on the ORAC Scale. A laboratory test known as ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is one standard for measuring antioxidant capacity. In general, the ORAC table is an acceptable measure for comparing water-soluble antioxidants like anthocyanins.

This test shows that, ounce for ounce, noni juice provides several times more capacity to absorb free radicals than an ounce of most other antioxidant fruits and vegetables. It scores about equally well with mangosteen, acai berries and goji berries, three other antioxidant fruits highlighted elsewhere in this website. For more information about the ORAC table, go to ORAC Values.

Health Benefits of Noni Juice

The health claims of noni juice are similar to the ones made for the other antioxidant fruits: acai, goji and mangosteen. Noni has traditionally been used to cleanse and purify the body and act as a defense against illness. It contains enzymes that fortify the digestion system and reduce swelling and inflammation, as well as alleviating pain.

Here are some of the specific health benefits attributed to noni juice:

• enhances your immune system
• fights cancer
• improves asthma
• increases your energy levels
• provides antioxidant protection from free radicals

• boosts physical stamina and endurance
• relieves inflammation
• supports the cardiovascular system
• improves digestive and colon health
• promotes joint comfort and mobility

• helps achieve favorable blood pressure and cholesterol level
• enhances brain health and mental clarity
• helps regulate menstrual cycles and alleviates discomfort
• promotes bone health and helps strengthen ligaments

Tips for Choosing a Noni Product

Noni is commonly only available as a juice or juice blend. Here are some questions to help you get all the benefits of noni, and to decide which noni product is best for you:

Does the company provide you complete information about their product? Reputable manufacturers usually disclose manufacturing details and ingredient information on the supplement's packaging or the company's website.

Is noni the primary ingredient? What percentage of the product is noni? You want to look closely at the label on the bottle to see what other ingredients are mixed in. To obtain the greatest benefit, noni should be the primary ingredient. Other antioxidant juices are okay, in lesser amounts.

Sometimes, companies will create a blend to make a product taste better; in this case, it should also be lower in price. Noni should still be the primary ingredient, however — that's what you're paying for.

Earth's Bounty Noni Juice is a 100% Organic Noni, bottled at the source in Tahiti.

Genesis Today's Noni100 is also 100% pure noni juice. Genesis Today manages their very own wild-harvested noni farms located in remote, tropical volcanic regions of the world. The noni fruit is cultivated using no pesticides or fertilizers. All this ensures you the world's best noni juice at the very best price.

With either of these products, a suggested serving of only one ounce gives you the benefits of 3 or 4 servings of ordinary fruit and more. You can drink as much as you like, of course! I find that these juices are a great way to wash down my other supplements after a meal.

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More Information on Antioxidant Fruits

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