Morinda citrifolia, family Rubiaceae, is commonly known as Noni. It is an evergreen shrub or tree, native to the Pacific Islands, Asia, and Australia. In Hawai'i, Noni is often the first plant to grow on newborn land created by lava flows. It can grow up to 15 feet high bearing shiny, dark green leaves. The Noni fruit originates from many small white flowers. When unripe, Noni is bright green, upon maturity, the fruit turns light yellow.
Traditional Uses of Noni
Bringing Noni with them to Hawai'i in voyaging canoes, the ancient Polynesians used it as one of their primary medicinal plants. Noni has been and still is used for the containment of fever, blood purification, to treat eye and skin problems, stomach disorders, respiratory difficulties, and tumors. The leaves have been used as a topical treatment for wound healing. The fruit was also known to be an excellent source of nutrition and considered a staple food throughout the region. In Chinese medicine, the Noni root (known as bai ji tian or pa chi tien) is used to treat diseases of the digestive system, kidneys, heart, and liver. In Australia, Noni is known as cheerfruit due to its use as an indigenous anti-depressant.
Noni and Modern Science
Modern commercialization of Noni health supplements began in 1994, and the introduction into today's marketplace sparked scientific studies in the USA, Europe, and Asia.
The University of Hawai'i and the National Academy of Sciences have conducted several studies on the fruit's anti-tumor properties. Studies in Finland indicate that Noni increases the availability of oxygen in the blood, thereby enhancing athletic performance. In recent scientific studies, Noni exhibited anti-cancer, analgesic, and immune-enhancing properties.
Additionally, chemical analysis of Noni reveals that it contains many nutrients and phytochemicals such as large amounts of antioxidants and bioflavonoids. It is mainly seen as an adaptogen increasing the body's resistance to disease. Researchers have isolated 50 compounds including serotonin, damnacanthal, caratenoids, terpenes, sitosterol, glycosides and ursolic acid.
Arogya Noni
Arogya Noni undergoes the world's most vigorous quality control. Qualified professionals, both scientists and agriculturalists, oversee the production process from soil to bottle.
Arogya helps to preserve both the cultural and natural landscape of the Hawaiian Islands by purchasing Noni directly from small farm growers.
Arogya Noni is grown in the fertile volcanic soil of the Big Island of Hawai'i, The soil is only 20-100 years young, thus the earth still possesses untainted nutrients
Arogya Noni is grown without the use of any pesticides or herbicides and is not grown along side other crops, thus does not contain any chemical cross contamination.
Arogya uses only fully ripened, perfectly yellow fruits ensuring the maximum of the desired ingredients. In a recent article published in Alternative Health magazine, Dr. Harvey Kaltsas remarked, "Noni's nutritional value is best when picked ripe, which results in the highest level of polysaccharides, fatty acids, and proteins - compounds possibly responsible for the therapeutic biological activity of the fruit."
Upon harvest, Arogya Noni is pulped and frozen immediately in a process called "Fresh ProcessingTM". Within days, the Noni is freeze dried and milled, ensuring that customers receive the absolute freshest Noni product available in the world market today.
Freeze drying is the best method to assure Noni's bioactivity and freshness. In other processing methods, such as dehydration, there is a risk of "overcooking" the fruit and breaking down vital chemical bonds.
Unlike 90% of other Noni powders on the market, Arogya Noni contains 100% pure Hawaiian Noni - no fillers or chemicals added.
Arogya Noni is milled finer than most Noni products on the market, thus facilitating easy absorption
Arogya Noni is encapsulated in cellulose capsules suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.
Recent Scientific Studies
1. Hiramatsu T., Imoto M., Koyano T., et al. 1993. Induction of normal phenotypes in ras-transformed cells by damnacanthal from Morinda citrifolia. Cancer Lett. 73, 161-166.
2. Hirazumi A., Furusawa E., Chou S.C., et al. 1994. Anticancer activity of Morinda citrifolia (noni) on intraperitoneally implanted Lewis lung carcinoma in syngeneic mice. Proc. West. Pharmacol. Soc. 37, 145-146.
3. Hirazumi A., Furusawa E., Chou S.C., et al. 1996. Immunomodulation contributes to the anticancer activity of Morinda citrifolia (noni) fruit juice. Proc. West. Pharmacol. Soc. 39, 7-9.
4. Hirazumi A., Furusawa E. 1999. An immunomodulatory polysaccharide-rich substance from the fruit juice of Morinda citrifolia (noni) with antitumour activity. Phytothe. Res. 13, 380-387.
5. Younos C., Rolland A., Fleurentin J., et al. 1990. Analgesic and behavioural effects of Morinda citrifolia. Planta Med. 56, 430-434.
6. Su B.N., Pawlus A.D., Jung H.A., et al. 2005. Chemical constituents of the fruits of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) and their antioxidant activity. J. Nat. Prod. 68(4), 592-595.
7. Wong D.K. 2004 Are immune responses pivotal to cancer patient's long term survival? Two clinical case-study reports on the effects of Morinda citrifolia (Noni). Hawaii Med. J. 63(6), 182-184.
8. Block K.I. 2002. Editorial: On psycho-oncology, lycopene and the Noni fruit. Integr. Cancer Ther. 1(2), 107-109.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.