7 Health Benefits of Noni
This fruit has been around for centuries and is used as a natural pain reliever, immune system enhancer, blood pressure regulator, and more
It always amazes me, the number of natural foods that the common North American has no clue about.
However, just like noni, kale was a nobody before exploding onto the scene with its raving health benefits. But kale is not even the healthiest cruciferous vegetable, the media just painted it as the miracle vegetable you need in your life and soon it was flying off the shelves.
Hopefully one day noni gets the kale treatment and has a similar media push.
Used for centuries all around the world, especially in the tropics, the noni fruit has been used by traditional healers to:
- protect against tobacco smoke
- protect the DNA
- fight inflammation
- improve joint health
- and more
Tahiti, now referred to as French Polynesia, has used it to treat osteoarthritis, rheumatism, and back pain.
In the Caribbean they call noni their pain-killer and it is often referred to as the “tree for headaches.”
The Chinese government approved noni juice as a safe new resource and approved it as a functional food that can enhance immunity.
I first heard about noni on a podcast with former Victoria Secret model, Miranda Kerr. She has a skincare line that is centered around the ingredient of noni which is something her grandmother had been giving her to drink since she was little.
I had never heard of this amazing fruit, so when I surprisingly saw it at the farmer’s market a few days ago I had to buy a few and read the studies on this fruit myself.
It’s easy to see why this fruit is not commonly heard of unless you’re involved in the health and wellness space, we live in a Tylenol/ Advil world and there’s little room for natural remedies to take the stage.
With a funny taste, (that is easy to look past when juiced with a bunch of other vegetables or the especially pungent ginger root), the benefits of noni are all over the internet, and I summarized my findings into 6 amazing health benefits.
(the only people I suggest to avoid consumption are those suffering from chronic kidney disease or kidney failure because of it’s high potassium content which could lead to unwanted substances in the blood).
1. Protects Our DNA:
Smokers or formers smokers have typically inhaled so many chemicals that the damage sustained on their DNA is sometimes considered irreversible without a change of diet.
Because of noni’s notable antioxidant activity, it was tested on smokers to see if it protected the DNA against the damage smoking causes.
Studies proved that noni aided in the oxidative stress caused by smoking. The participants continued smoking throughout the length of the study, and were compared to those who drank a cocktail of fruits also said to have high antioxidant activity (blueberries and raspberries). These drinkers did not yield the same positive results as the noni-drinkers.
2. Immune System Support:
Noni increases immune activity in our body by activating macrophages which is a type of white blood cell that kills microorganisms and also tells the other WBC’s to wake up and get to work as well.
This encourages the immune system to produce more lymphocytes and antibacterial agents; overall, just strengthening the bodies defense and leaving it less susceptible to disease and infection.
3. Joint and Bone Health:
A lot of joint ailments like osteoarthritis, rheumatism, and chronic back pain are inflammation related. Noni is proven to help fight inflammation, reduce joint pain, improve mobility, and thus improve the psychological state of those who participated in the study.
The patients drank 3 fluid ounces every day for 2 weeks and their average pain went from a 5-7 at the beginning of the study, to an average of 0-4. ALL 90 patients felt like their pain improved.
4. Skin Health:
Noni inhibits the glycation of proteins which essentially means it reduces AGE’s or advanced glycation end products which promote aging.
This age fighting effect helps keep our skin looking plump and youthful. This is why noni has been used topically in skincare products like Miranda Kerr’s line.
5. Blood Pressure Control:
Noni can help maintain normal blood pressure and aid in weight management which supports overall health.
It’s proven to have positive effects on hypertension and gingivitis by reducing systolic blood pressure and preventing the absorption of bad cholesterol.
6. Tumor Fighting:
Noni boasts high amount of nitric oxide which is a proven molecule at reducing tumorigenesis. It’s high amount of phytochemicals and immunomodulatory polysaccharides also make it a potent cancer-fighting food.
7. Blood Sugar Regulator:
Noni’s complex vitamin and mineral profile make it a powerful fruit at controlling blood sugar levels.
In a study involving type 2 diabetes patients, they found an improvement in blood glucose profiles and a significant reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) when consuming 2ml of noni juice twice daily.
Make sure to always check with your health care provider before beginning to consume anything new.
Noni Juice Recipe:
I have found that this cocktail is the best way to consume noni. Because it has a STRONG taste and an even crazier smell. Once you by pass the smell while juicing, the taste isn’t so bad. Mixed with these ingredients over power the taste well enough but feel free to add more fruit like pineapple and another green apple to make it a little sweeter.
Make sure the noni is ripe before juicing as well. You will know it is ripe by the texture, it should be very soft and easy enought to cut through. If it is difficult at all to cut through, it is not ripe. Don’t mind the seeds, my juicer filtered them out but if they get in your juice than just use a filter after you juice to strain them out.
Ingredients:
1 Noni fruit
thumb of ginger
1 green apple
1 lemon
1/2 a cucumber
Juice all the ingredients in a juicer and enjoy.
