Supplements containing the exotic South Pacific noni fruit are widely available in the United States in capsule, juice, powder and extract forms. Although preliminary laboratory evidence of animal reactions with noni fruit show promise, further evidence of the fruit's safety and effectiveness are required to determine the fruit's effect on humans, states the American Cancer Society. Therefore, before you use noni fruit supplements, consult with your doctor to ensure that the fruit will not interact with your prescription medications or other medical treatment regimens.
Identification
The noni tropical evergreen tree, indigenous to Polynesia, Asia and Australia, grows up to 10 feet tall and produces white tubular flowers and yellow-white, potato-sized fruit. These noni fruit, although stricken with an offensive, cheese-like odor, along with their juice, bark and leaves, are used in Polynesian folk medicine and numerous herbal remedies.
Uses
Noni fruit advocates use it medicinally to treat heart disease, HIV, psoriasis, diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, infections, inflammation, high blood pressure and allergies. U.S. distributors promote noni juice as a body and facial cleaner, nutritional or dietary supplement and stress reliever, according to the American Cancer Society. East Indian alternative medicine practitioners use noni fruit to treat asthma and dysentery, an intestinal infection marked by extreme diarrhea.
Active Constituents
Noni fruit juice contains tumor-inhibiting constituents, noni-ppt, polysaccharide-rich substances that have demonstrated anti-tumor activity, and okadaic, a constituent that stimulates the immune system and facilitates necrosis, a process that causes tumor cells to die. Noni fruit also contains constituents called scopoletin, asperuloside and eugenol, which possess anti-inflammatory properties, reports FOX News Health Blog.
Potential
Mice with cancerous tumors were injected with noni juice to examine the effects of the juice upon cancerous tumors, states the American Cancer Society, while other mice with cancerous tumors received no treatment. The mice that received the noni juice lived twice as long as the mice who did not receive the noni juice. However, the University of Hawaii gave freeze-dried noni fruit extract to 29 people afflicted with cancer over a period of time and found that while there were no toxic effects associated with the noni fruit, no notable quality of life increase transpired throughout the study.
Warning
Noni fruit and noni juice contain large amounts of potassium, which may prove detrimental to your health if you have kidney disease or are on a potassium-restricted diet, states the American Cancer Society. Noni juice is also high in sugar, which is a cause for alarm for diabetics and those on low-calorie diets.
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