The noni berry, otherwise known as great Morinda or Indian mulberry, is a fruit native to Southeast Asia and Australasia. It grows on a tree in the coffee family, and due to its popularity is now cultivated throughout the tropics.  The tree bears fruits and flowers all year round. When ripened, the fruit is white, and has a bitter taste and a strong smell.  It has been used by the natives on Hawaii and Polynesia for over two thousand years for its medicinal properties and nutritional content.

Noni juice has become a popular method of consuming this fruit. the juice is developed by a process which removes most of the acidity of the fruit, making it more palatable.

Did you know about these health benefits of noni berries?

• The University of Illinois-Chicago’s College of medicine have done studies to show the effect of noni on cancerous cells. A trial was done on animals which showed reduction in cancer by the animals fed with noni supplements. A second experiement was done on smokers which showed that cancerous DNA was reduced by half in the two hundred smokers in the trial taking the supplement.

• Japanese scientists have done a study showing that noni reduces the oxidation of LDL, which is bad cholesterol. If LDL is oxidised, plaque builds up on the walls of arteries which leads to restricted blood flow. However, the high concentration of amino acids found in the noni berry prevents this.

• Clark Atlanta University found that the noni berry is a strong anti-fungal. A study done in 2006 showed that the berry inhibited the growth of harmful candida albicans infections. Noni also has an inhibiting effect on candida albicans in the mouth, which leads to the oral fungus infection commonly known as thrush.

• Noni berry is an excellent source of energy, and has been shown to aid against fatigue. It was traditionally known as the ‘starvation fruit’, as despite its bitter taste, it was eaten as a staple food in the Pacific islands to prevent famine when other sources of food were unavailable.