Noni Supplement Facts

Noni is a bumpy, odd-looking fruit from a native Polynesian shrub. Inside, the fruit is whitish-yellow in color and has a strange odor that's similar to cheese. This fruit has been used medicinally to treat a variety of ailments for many years, says Drugs.com. Before you begin to take noni, seek the advice of your health care provider.

Noni Uses

Traditionally, the native Polynesians used the leaves and the fruit of the noni plant to treat high blood pressure, liver problems, diabetes, headache and arthritis, says Drugs.com. They would also eat the leaves either raw or cooked and the fruit, layered with sugar. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center or MSKCC website reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given warnings to the producers of noni juice for making misleading or false claims about the benefits of the product. However, the MSKCC site says that the fruit is still commonly used to treat menstrual problems, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, diabetes and to boost the immune system.

Research

The MSKCC site describes one of the more promising studies of noni's health benefits. In this study funded by the National Institutes of Health, noni showed the potential for reducing the risk for smokers to get cancer. The full results haven't yet been published as of 2010, but when they are, it will surely be big news. Two studies reported on the PubMed.gov site show promising results for noni, too. In the first, noni showed evidence of being able to boost the body's immune system. In the second, the antioxidant properties of noni showed potential for preventing the occurrence of some forms of cancer. The NCCAM site lists several other positive studies for noni's health benefits. They are currently also funding additional studies of noni's cancer-prevention abilities.

Possible Side Effects

The NCCAM warns people who must restrict their intake of potassium to avoid the use of noni because of its high potassium content. The site also warns people with liver disorders to avoid taking noni, due to the risk of making the condition worse. But the ingestion of moderate amounts of noni is considered to be safe.

Potential Interactions

The MSKCC website cautions that the use of noni may interfere with the actions of some chemotherapy medications. If you are on chemotherapy, discuss the use of noni with your health care provider before you try it.

Forms Used

Noni juice is available by itself or in combination with other fruit juices, such as grape juice. You can also find noni as an ingredient in smoothies, ice cream and other foods or as capsule, tablets or tea, according to the NCCAM site.