Appearances are sometimes deceiving. This is certainly the case with the noni fruit. Despite their horrible taste and bad smell, no one can deny noni fruit’s powerful benefits to our health.

What Is Noni Fruit?

It is a small tree that you can find in South Asia, India, and Australia. Its scientific name is Morinda citrifolia. It is an evergreen tree that is common in lava-flowing areas. It was used to make different dyes for clothes in the past, but it is also used in traditional medicine.

How to Use Noni Fruit?

Polynesian healers have used this plant for thousands of years in different medicines. Some experts also use this to treat tumors, inflammation, burns and pains, arthritis, and even diabetes. Its use is even recorded in ancient healing manuscripts. In addition, it can be used for treating colds, flu, anxiety, and depression.  People even used it to cure bacterial and viral infections.

The market offers different forms of this fruit, but mostly in juice form. There are different types of juices available sweetened, unsweetened, mixed with other berry juices, and diluted forms. The most effective form is unsweetened with little pulp. It is even available in powder form.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Noni Fruit?

Analgesic

Noni fruit is an effective pain killer, also called the “Tree for Headaches” or “The Painkiller Tree.” Studies show that it can be a more effective pain killer than tramadol and hydrocortisone. Due to this property, it is used for arthritis and joint pains.

Immune system booster

It strengthens the immune system by activating macrophages which then produce more lymphocytes. Some also use this to treat bacterial infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Beauty

Some people also use noni fruit for skin and hair care by simply applying it to the scalp for shiny and soft hair. It is also often used to relieve eczema and ringworm. They typically rub the juice on the affected area and then rinse after some time.

High blood pressure

Noni fruit contains selenium and vitamin C, which helps protect against free radical damage to blood vessel walls. It contains the compound scopoletin. This component keeps the body fluids alkaline, thus fighting free radicals.

Xeronine is another compound in noni fruit that protects the cells from stressful situations and thus lowers blood pressure. It also contains tryptophan amino acid, which helps in the production of serotonin and thus has relaxing effects on the body.

What Makes Noni Fruit An Anti-cancer Food?

Noni fruit stimulates the production of nitric oxide. This element prevents cancerous body cells from uncontrolled replication. An immunomodulatory polysaccharide-rich peptide is also present in noni fruit, further fighting cancer. These phytochemicals are substances that are present in fruits and vegetables. They help protect the body against many diseases, including cancer.

One study found that anthraquinone, a chemical present in noni fruit, is an anti-tumor and may prevent liver cancer. Another study also indicated that noni fruit inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells and induced apoptosis of cancerous cells. Some other studies that use noni fruit for treating breast, oral and cervical cancer all showed that it has anti-proliferation and apoptotic properties against cancer cells.

References

1. https://addon.life/2021/01/10/noni-juice-cancer/
2. https://healthiersteps.com/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-noni/