The Noni berry has been used by the natives living in the Pacific islands of Hawaii and Polynesia for well over 2000 years and it is known as a very powerful antioxidant. The magic fruit, which was used to cure a number of illnesses by the people living on these islands, has now caught the awe of everyone in the world.
The noni berry resembles a small potato and isn’t necessarily the most attractive of the fruits out there – it has a bumpy flesh and typically an unpleasant odor when it’s ripe.
The noni fruit is also known as Grand Morinda, Brimstone Tree, Forbidden Fruit, Awl Tree, East Indian Mulberry and Hog Apple. The tree this fruit grows on is typically small, growing at around 3-10 m in height. This plant loves growing in a humid, warm and seasonal climate and prefers soils that are acidic and alkaline.
People from Australasia, Hawaii and Tahiti continue to use this wondrous fruit, as per their ancient traditions, thanks to the natural healing properties the noni berry has. Islanders used to incorporate this superfruit into their daily diets, especially when they fell ill, since it helped them recover quicker. It was used for people fighting with diabetes and was administered to women who had just given birth, in order to support their quick recovery.
What’s In a Noni Berry?
Although it’s most popular in its juiced form, the noni berry can also be eaten raw. It’s just that most people don’t like its pungent and strong taste, so they prefer to blend it into a smoothie or add it to their morning yogurt.
The noni berry in itself is extremely potent in terms of health benefits, a true nutrient powerhouse. Let’s take a closer look at this fruit’s nutritional value to better understand what makes it such a powerful antioxidant fruit. When consuming 100 g of noni fruit, you can expect to benefit from:
- 95.67 g of water – the noni berry is essentially mostly made of water, which means that consuming this fruit regularly will keep you hydrated and functioning at optimal levels in terms of both physical and mental health.
- 15.3 calories
- 0.43 g of protein – protein is the fuel the body needs to maintain tissue health. It’s also a key element in maintaining the proper functioning of the cartilage, muscle, bones and skin.
- 0.1 g of total fat
- 0.54 g of ash
- 3.4 g of carbohydrates
- 0.2 g of dietary fiber – dietary fiber is responsible for lowering blood sugar and bad cholesterol levels, as well as improving bowel functions. Fiber also helps with a feeling of satiety, meaning that you won’t be tempted to snack unnecessarily when following a high-fiber diet.
- 1.49 g of sugar
- 0.1 g of sucrose – this is a nutrient that we consume for energy, since it’s a quick and easy way to provide our bodies with much needed energy. Sucrose is then later metabolized into fructose and glucose.
- 0.32 g of fructose
- 0.1 g of lactose
- 0.1 g of maltose – another nutrient the body needs in order to get its essential energy.
- 1.17 g of dextrose – this nutrient is great against dehydration and it helps fight low blood sugar levels and its unpleasant effects in the body.
- 37.39% of the Daily Recommended Value of vitamin C – vitamin C is the single most important vitamin in building and repairing all of the body’s tissues. It also helps form collagen and it efficiently fights to help heal wounds. Your bones, including your teeth, will see healthy development as long as you’re opting for a vitamin C-rich diet.
- 1.01% of the DRV of calcium – this very important mineral is what keeps your bone system sturdy and healthy. Your nerves will also benefit from a regular intake of calcium, while in conjunction with vitamin D it may also help prevent diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.
- Vitamin E – this vitamin is essential in smoothing over troublesome skin complexions, while also moisturizing the skin.
- Beta carotene – this powerful antioxidant is ultimately converted into vitamin A in the body, which in turn will support your eye health. As any other antioxidant out there, beta carotene too is responsible for the fight against oxidative stress – the body’s natural cellular aging process.
- Retinol – retinoids are another form of vitamin A and it’s widely known in the cosmetic industry especially for its anti-aging compounds. Retinoids stimulate collagen, they reduce wrinkles and help fight acne.
What Are Noni Berry’s Health Benefits?
The noni berry has been known to boost immunity, helps regulate the digestive system and helps boost your mood and mental health. Regular drinking of the noni juice has also been found to improve cardiovascular and circulatory systems.
Noni cancer research has bought its cancer fighting properties to the fore. The preliminary research on humans has yielded very good results and it holds hope and promise for millions of people afflicted with cancer.
This really is one of nature’s antioxidant superfruits, so let’s take a closer look at each of its powerful health benefits on your body.
Antioxidants Fight Against Cellular Oxidative Stress
New research done on the fruit has shown it to have significant antioxidant properties that help control free radicals in the human body.
These free radicals are known to wreak havoc in your body by increasing cellular oxidative stress, which means there will be an accelerated aging process down at cellular level brought on by smoking, pollution, alcohol and stress in general.
The antioxidants found in the noni berry help slow down this process and thus protect your entire immune system. One study, Characterization, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of Costa Rican noni juice (Morinda citrifolia L.), shows the main noni berry antioxidants to be vitamins C and E, iridoids and beta carotene.
Antioxidants are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties in the body, making the noni berry an excellent fruit to integrate in your diet if you want to prevent or tone down the unpleasant effects of certain inflammations in the body.
Noni Berry May Help Relieve Painful Symptoms of Arthritis
For the past 2,000 years islanders also used the noni berry for its pain-relieving effect and not surprisingly so. Modern studies, such as Comparative study of the effect of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) with selected physiotherapy modalities in the management of patients with cervical spondylosis, indicate that noni berry juice will often play a key factor in relieving painful symptoms of the disease in arthritis patients. For this study, degenerative arthritis patients were administered 15 ml of noni berry juice twice daily. 60% of the participants in this group felt complete neck pain relief after drinking the juice.
Noni berry juice works similarly with osteoarthritis, since these diseases are typically associated with chronic inflammation in the body. This is where the powerful antioxidants mentioned above actually kick in and reduce inflammation.
How Can You Use Noni Berry?
Across the years, people have found many ways to include the noni berry into their lives, either as drinks, raw form or integrated in several delicious recipes.
Noni Berry Juice
The most common form you’ll find noni berries to be consumed in is often noni berry juice.
The truth about noni juice is that it is developed by a scientific process and one cannot just extract the juice of the noni berry and drink it. The juice of this berry is highly acidic in nature and cannot be consumed in its raw form. The juice has to undergo a process of purification where the acidity is removed making it ideal for consumption by humans.
If you want to get the maximum benefits of the noantioxidant-fruits.com juice, then there are certain specifications to be followed while having it. You must follow directions specified on the package.
To this end, a small study conducted on healthy adults, A double-blind clinical safety study of noni fruit juice, showed that drinking up to 25 ounces or 750 ml of noni berry juice each day still qualifies as safe intake levels.
An EFSA-issued statement from 2009 confirmed that it’s safe for the general population to drink noni berry juice. It seems though that there may be individuals who register particular sensitivity for liver toxicity effects associated with this juice.
Due to its high-potassium content, noni berry juice may not be indicated to those suffering from chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.
This is precisely why you need to first talk to your physician before integrating noni berry juice into your diet. It’s also important to note that drinking berry juice may cause your urine to turn pink or reddish in color – this is a normal effect, so don’t get alarmed by any means.
Raw Noni Berry
Before eating the noni berry raw, you will need to wash it and remove its peel. After all, this fruit’s most potent qualities are in its pulp. As mentioned before, the taste of the noni berry is quite pungent, so it may not be to your liking as is. Instead, you can add it to your oatmeal or yogurt or blend it into a delicious smoothie. Either way you choose to consume it, you’ll find that it’s maintained all its nutritional value, so you’re not missing out on one single nutrient.
Cooking the Noni Berry
You’ll find that in some cultures, it’s quite common to actually cook the noni berry. For example, you can cook the unripe noni berry in tasty dishes, such as curry. Follow these steps and you’ll be surprised with the innovative and delicious dish in front of you:
- Wash and dry the noni berry.
- Cut it into chunks.
- Begin to stir fry the noni berry with coconut milk and curry spices until it becomes tender.
- Include any other of your favorite vegetables in the composition and serve over rice.
Extracts and Supplements
Thanks to its impressive nutritious qualities, you will often find noni berry supplements and powder extracts in pharmacies. They are designed as an add-on to an already fulfilling diet and can be better used after consulting your physician.
How Do You Store Your Noni Berries and Juice?
After harvesting, noni berries can still be used within 15-20 days – they’re still tasty and nutritious. If unripe the fruit can still be kept on your counter for a couple of days more to add to the process. If they are ripe, you can prolong their lives for a few days by storing them in the fridge.
Noni berry juice, on the other hand, is extremely resilient and will last for even up to a year when unopened. However it does have a special requirement that you will need to respect in order to maintain your health intact. Due to its high acidity, it’s recommended that you don’t store your noni juice in a plastic container. This may cause a chemical reaction that will further lead to microplastic seeping into the drink. If the noni juice already came in a commercial plastic or glass container, then it’s fine to continue with the same one.
It’s best to keep your noni juice in a rather cool environment and finally open the container whenever you’re ready to do it. If you’ve opened the container, you will need to store your noni juice in the refrigerator, where it will still last for a couple of more months. If you need to change a broken or leaking commercial container with a fresh one, be sure to mark the expiration date on the new container.
Conclusion
Noni berry is one of nature’s finest antioxidant fruits, with a myriad of health benefits you can enjoy while regularly consuming it. Its amazing properties will often help prevent and treat some afflictions of the body, while also providing plenty of hydration and an intriguing, innovative taste. With such versatility and tremendous benefits, the noni berry easily becomes a favorite among superfruits!
Sunderjeet
Thursday 31st of March 2011
Wants details for NONI
Anthony Thornton
Thursday 31st of March 2011
Excelleient work,your site has great pictures,i was doing some research looking for info on noni extract/berry and found your site again thanks
R Ehlich
Monday 3rd of January 2011
Noni berry is also manufactured in soaps. It is a wonderful emoilant and has anti ageing properties. Google noni berry soap!