Noni Weight Loss

Purchase a noni supplement for weight loss and you may boost your health but it's unlikely you'll see pounds fall from your frame -- unless it's combined with other ingredients or diet and exercise plans proven to promote weight loss. Noni is a yellow-green to green fruit that's grown throughout the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean, from Australia to Southeast Asia and especially in Polynesia. Other names for noni include Indian mulberry, morinda, hog apple and canary wood. Always consult a doctor before trying a new supplement.

History

Noni has been used medicinally by the Polynesians for more than 2,000 years. Polynesian tradition says the plant has immune enhancing, antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, pain-killing and blood-pressure-lowering effects. At least some of these effects may exist. Noni has immune-stimulating, antioxidant and tumor-fighting properties -- at least in the laboratory, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Properties that look promising in lab research, however, don't always translate to benefits to people. The claims that noni will help you lose weight are more recent, though promoters often point to the fact that the fruit has been used for 2,000 years.

Expert Insight

While it may provide health benefits, there's no real connection between noni and weight loss, according to the experts at Diets in Review. Also, noni hasn't been researched much in relation to any health condition, according to NCCAM. In fact, as of 2010 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had sent many noni juice manufacturers warnings about making unsubstantiated health claims. The experts at NCCAM do note that noni may warrant additional study for treating health conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Potential

The antioxidants in noni may help you feel better during your weight loss efforts. That's because antioxidants can help your body fight the free radicals that are released in your body as you shed unwanted fat, notes Lucy Beale, lead author for the "Complete Idiot's Guide to Weight Loss." The metabolic processes in your body that break down fat produce these cell-damaging free radicals, which are linked to cancer and other major health issues, Beale notes.

Types

Noni's fruit and leaves traditionally are used for health purposes. These days, it's more often found in juice form. You'll also find fruit and leaf preparations in teas, capsules and tablets. Any fat-burning potential in a noni diet pill, however, will be due to other ingredients such as green tea that have proven metabolism-boosting activity.

Considerations

If you use noni to lose weight or boost health, you may experience side effects. While not many side effects have been reported in connection with noni use, but the plant's safety hasn't been studied adequately, according to NCCAM. There are reports of liver damage due to noni use, and the plant does contain compounds that can make liver disease worse. Noni also is high in potassium, so if you have a kidney problem and must follow a potassium-restricted diet you need to avoid it, according to NCCAM.