Noni Fruit Reference Guide

Noni Juice Information

Noni, as it is called in the Hawaiian language, is also called morinda citrifolia, the great morinda, Indian mulberry, Nono (in Tahiti) and Ach (in Hindi). The word refers to a shrub or small tree in the Rubiaceae family, native to Southeast Asia but spread, by man, throughout India and into the Pacific islands as far as the islands of French Polynesia and the West Indies.

Noni grows in shady forests as well as on open rocky and sandy shores. The plant usually reaches maturity at about 18 months and yields between 4-8 kg of fruit each month, throughout the year. The plant is tolerant of saline soils, drought conditions, and secondary soils. Therefore, it is found in a wide variety of habitats including volcanic terrains, lava-strewn coasts, and clearings or limestone outcrops. Noni plants can grow up to 9 m tall, and have large, simple, dark green, shiny, deeply veined leaves. The richest of the soils in which Noni grows are found in French Polynesia.

The flowers of a Noni plant are small and white. The fruit has a pungent odor when ripening and is often called “cheese fruit” or “vomit fruit.” The noni fruit is oval, reaching up to 4-7 cm in size. At first green, the noni fruit turns yellow then almost white as it begins to ripen and it contains many seeds.

Noni fruit is sometimes called “starvation fruit” because, despite its strong smell and bitter taste, the fruit is often eaten as a famine food and, in some Pacific Islands, even as a staple food, either raw or cooked. Southeast Asians and Australian Aborigines consume the Noni fruit raw with salt or cook it with curry. The seeds are edible when roasted.

The Noni plant is especially attractive to weaver ants, which make nests out of the leaves of the tree. These ants protect the plant from some insects. The smell of the noni fruit also attracts fruit bats, which aid in dispersing the seeds of the Noni plant.

In China, Samoa, Japan, and Tahiti, various parts of the Noni plant, including the leaves, flowers, fruits, bark, and roots are used as tonics and to contain fever, treat eye and skin problems, treat gum and throat problems and to treat constipation, stomach pain, and respiratory difficulties. In Malaysia, heated Noni leaves are applied to the chest to relieve coughs, nausea, and colic.

Throughout Indochina, the Noni fruit is taken for asthma, lumbago, and dysentery. As for external uses, unripe fruits are pounded then mixed with salt and applied to cuts and broken bones. In Hawaii, ripe fruits are applied to draw out pus from an infected boil. The green fruit, leaves and the root have traditionally been used to treat menstrual cramps and irregularities, among other symptoms, while the root has also been used to treat urinary problems.

Noni bark produces a brownish-purplish dye which is used for batik making and, on the Indonesian island of Java; the plant is cultivated for this purpose. In Hawaii, yellowish dye is extracted from the root in order to dye cloth. In Surinam and other countries, the tree serves as a wind-break, as support for vines and as shade trees for coffee bushes. The fruit is used as a shampoo in Malaysia, where it is said to be helpful against head lice.

Recent studies have also shown that oil from Noni seeds is abundant in Linoleic acid, which, when applied topically, acts as an anti-inflammatory, acne reducer, and moisture retention agent. Scientific studies have also investigated Noni's effect on the growth of cancerous tissues and have shown Noni inhibited and reduced growth of the capillary vessels sprouting from human breast tumors causing the existing vessels to rapidly degenerate.

Another study showed that at least one brand of Noni juice prevented the formation of cancer cells in rats.

Noni is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and was distributed throughout the Pacific Islands by natural, as well as man-made means.  It is believed that approximately 2000 years ago, the ancient peoples of French Polynesia brought the Noni plant with them as a source of food and medicine when they colonized the islands of the South Pacific. 

Written documentation about the use of Noni as food dates back to the late 1700s when Captain James Cook observed that the fruit was consumed by natives in Tahiti.  Subsequent publications indicate that Noni fruit was commonly eaten in Fiji, Roratonga, Samoa, Australia, and India. In addition, the roots and bark of the Noni plant were scraped and pounded to form yellow and red dyes used to color tapa cloths and clothing.

Traditional uses of the Noni plant are varied, but virtually every part of the plant is used for some sort of medicinal purpose.  Healers used Noni leaves as a bandage or poultice for wounds. Young, green fruits were crushed and the extracted juice was used as a remedy for lesions or sores in the mouth.  Root or stem bark was typically used to treat inflammation or infections. Other conditions treated with Noni include fevers, skin disease, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal upset, menstrual or urinary problems, diabetes, and venereal diseases. 

Research into the traditional uses of Noni Fruit indicate that it was the second most popular plant used in herbal remedies with approximately 40 known and recorded formulations.  Noni Juice is included in the traditional pharmacopoeias of Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and Asian populations.