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Noni fruit comes from the noni tree. The tree grows up to 30 feet in a large variety of habitats including volcanic terrains, lava-strewn coasts, clearings, and limestone crops. The noni tree is a native of Southeast Asia, but can be found in a number of other nearby locations like India and the Pacific Islands and further off in New Zealand, Australia, and South America. It has large, dark green and shiny leaves which are deeply veined. Its small white flowers give rise to fruit that is bright green when young, and yellow or white when ripe. When ripe, noni is about the size and color of the inside of a pear. It contains many seeds and has a distinctive, pungent odor. It is soft and dripping with juice. The riper the noni fruit, the stronger the odor.
Polynesian Islanders first cultivated and domesticated the noni tree over 2,000 years ago. They used the leaves and fruit to treat boils, lesions, and other skin maladies. People in China, Japan, and Hawaii have used noni to treat fever, as well as problems with eyes, skin, gums, throat, stomach, digestion, and respiration. The leaves have been used to relieve cough, nausea, colic, and arthritis, asthma, lumbago, and dysentery. Several studies have shown that noni effectively reduces tumors, enhances the immune system, and relieves pain.
In 1972, a scientist named Maria Stewart reported that native Hawaiians use noni fruit to treat many diseases. A University of Hawaii professor named R.M. Heinicke made a research and declared in the 1990's that noni fruit contained an unknown molecule which gave it its health value. A multi-level marketing company called Morinda began marketing products made from noni fruit. Since then, demand for the fruit has increased.
Consuming fresh noni fruit is the healthiest way to benefit from its properties. All products made from noni fruit go through a process by which some of the nutrients are lost, decreasing their therapeutic value. Many of these nutrients are chemically volatile, and evaporate rapidly during dehydration, juicing, pureeing, and other preparation processes.
Almost as good is a preparation process called lyophilization or freeze-drying. In the process, the fresh fruit is frozen, and the water reduced just enough to kill the harmful microbes. This process avoids the exposure of the fruit to heat, light, air, moisture, and microbes which can destroy parts of the fruit.
Noni fruit juice can be used to regulate hormone production, strengthen bones, prevent premature aging, and improve overall cardiovascular health. It is a good antioxidant which decreases the production of bad cholesterol which prevents arteriosclerosis. In this way it reduces the risk of heart attacks.
The noni fruit juice contains a rich composition of vital nutrients and vitamins that help strengthen the immune system. Noni fruit contains natural sugars that do not alter blood levels. It can help stabilize glucose levels from spiking as it contains insoluble dietary fibers. In case of a diabetic shock episode, noni juice can also be used to bring up the natural sugars of the body.
