General Description
The noni, also known as Indian Mulberry, is a small evergreen tree
native to southeast Asia, Australia, and islands of the south Pacific.
Usually growing to about 3 meters in height (although it may occasionally
grow as tall as 6 meters), noni has dark green, oval-shaped leaves,
which grow in pairs except for where the fruit is attached. The
leaves are thick and deeply veined, and may be over 20 centimeters
in length. The flowers form in spherical heads containing numerous
small white blossoms. The flower heads eventually grow into small
fruit (8 to 12 centimeters in diameter), which are yellow when ripe
and possess a strong, unpleasant odor. The fruit and its juices
are used for medicinal purposes.
Health Applications
- General tonic
- Immune system support
History and Traditional Use
Naturalized throughout much of its current range, noni is believed
to have been brought from island to island by Polynesian settlers
who valued the plant as a source of dyes used to color their tapa
cloths. The islanders' medicinal use of the plant was primarily
for external applications such as skin wounds, sprains, strains,
and muscle aches.1 In India, noni is used
to treat asthma and dysentery.2 In recent
years, noni juice has been promoted as a type of general tonic
or herbal panacea, but there is no scientific evidence to support
such use.
Chemical Composition
Noni contains an anthraquinone compound known as damnacanthal,3
along with a number of glycosides.4 It also
contains high concentrations of potassium.5
Studies indicate that compounds in noni may have analgesic, sedative,
and anthelmintic properties.6,7 Preliminary
research suggests that noni juice may exert antitumor activity
via stimulation of the immune system,8 but
these effects have not been demonstrated in human subjects.
Dosage/Toxicity
The recommended daily dose ranges from 1 to 4 ounces of noni juice
per day, on an empty stomach. Noni has no known toxicity and appears
to be well tolerated at this dosage range. Noni is not recommended
for people with renal disease due to the herb's high potassium
content.5 Because little is known about noni's
potential for interaction with other drugs, people taking prescription
medications should only take noni under a physician's close supervision.
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