Noni

Native to Polynesia, the noni plant (also known as Indian mulberry) is a small tree that usually grows to a height of ten feet. The fruit, which starts out green and turns yellow, is used medicinally.

Traditional Polynesian healers have used the fruit of the noni plant for just about everything—from a tonic drink to mending broken bones—but it is said that because of its strong, unpleasant odor and bitter taste, a person won’t take it until they are too sick and desperate. The bark yields a red dye while the root yields a yellow one. Both colors were used in the ceremonial outfits of Hawaiian chiefs. In the early 1990s, noni juice became heavily marketed in the United States primarily through network marketing companies. However, despite tremendous claims and testimonials, there is little scientific documentation on noni.

The major constituents in noni appear to be polysaccharides and a compound known as damnacanthal.^{1, 2, 3} The developer of a commercial noni product claims the alkaloid xeronine is an important constituent, but there has been no confirmation by independent researchers. Animal and test tubes studies show noni to have immune-enhancing activity, and an earlier animal study seemed to indicate the fruit exerts a mild sedative effect.^{4, 5, 6} Specifically, the polysaccharide component has been shown to increase the release of immune-enhancing compounds that activate white blood cells. Also, damnacanthal is thought to be responsible for producing sedative effects in animal studies.

The usual recommendation is 4 ounces (120 ml) of noni juice 30 minutes before breakfast (effectiveness is thought to be best on an empty stomach). Commercial products are now available that have either eliminated the odor, altered the taste, or made it available as an extract in tablets or capsules to increase palatability. For liquid concentrates the typical recommendation is 2 tablespoons (30 ml) per day. For powdered extracts the typical recommendation is 500 to 1,000 mg daily.

There have been no commonly reported side effects following the ingestion of noni. Since the use of noni during pregnancy and breast-feeding has not been adequately studied, it is recommended that it not be used during these times.