You may have heard of a smelly green juice that goes by the name of noni. Used historically for a variety of health benefits, and more recently touted as a superfood juice, noni is a small fruit-bearing evergreen tree from the coffee family, found growing amongst the world’s lava flows. Aka the Indian mulberry, noni is a lumpy lil’ thing with a pungent odor when ripe.

So why would you want to drink the juice from it? What makes it so special?

Noni, or Morinda citrifolia, has been used for some time now – but what for? Accordering to WebMD, “The leaves have been used in medicines for rheumatic aches and swelling of the joints, stomachache, dysentery, and swelling caused by a parasitic infection called filariasis. The bark has been used in a preparation to aid childbirth.” <1>

But what about now? What puts it up there with the other great superfoods of today?

1. ITS ANTIOXIDANT CONTENT

We all know antioxidants are good – duh. They help keep our cells fresh n clean and protected from disease-causing damage.

One human-trial done in 2018 concluded that noni juice had a greater antioxidant content than any other fruit juice they used as placebo. The interaction with our bodies’ immune system and inflammation pathways may account for much of the health benefits observed from taking noni juice. <2>

These health benefits may include protection against the toxins in tobacco smoke – including protection of DNA, blood lipid normalization, systemic inflammation control, and homocysteine reduction. <2>

It doesn’t stop there – should we have stopped there? We’ll keep going.

2. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY + BOOSTS IMMUNITY

A study published in 2016 shoes fermented noni juice to have a considerable amount of anti-inflammatory compounds, making it a killer drink to help keep things flowing smoothly inside your body. <3>

If that wasn’t enough for you, noni’s got 17 amino acids, particularly arginine, methionine and serine, that assist in keeping the immune system bumpin’ and up to date.

3. PARASITE CLEANSE, ANYONE?

Noni juice has traditionally been used for many health benefits, one being the prevention of parasitic disease. It is rich in a chemical composition that has been shown to kill parasites. <4>

4. TRADITIONAL USES

Noni is one of the most frequently used plant medicines in Hawaii. While not proven by clinical trial standards, claims made about the traditional healing properties of noni include:

-the bark as an antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, treatment for cough, infantile diarrhea, fever, vomiting, as well as depression, seizures, and as a tonic herb. <5>

–the fresh fruit juice used to assist in fighting cancer <5>

–the leaves used externally for infections, burns, and inflammation and internally for fevers and hemorrhage. <5>

So do we have you convinced? This stinky little fruit packs a mean punch! Regardless of how you take it or what you take it for, you’ll feel great taking it (after you’ve got it down!)

Mix the powder into your next super sweet smoothie and it’ll mask the bitter taste. Our favorite is popping some into a fresh pineapple mango smoothie. A little banana, a little lemon, and you’re good to go! Don’t like tropical? Try it with raspberry, strawberry and banana. We promise you’ll dig it.

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