The Origin of the Noni Tree
The Noni Fruit Tree originates in humid tropical climates. It is most native to the Islands of Hawaii, growing in black lava soil and along lava covered beaches. It has also been found in Tahiti, French Polynesia, Southeast Asia, the Dominican Republic and the Pacific Islands. It grows best in the black lava soil, but will also flourish on sandy rocky beaches, salty or saline soils, limestone out crops and in shady forest areas. It is related to the coffee family, Rubiaceae.
Although it has been a staple food for some small countries, it is mostly called the starvation or famine fruit simply because it tastes quite bad in it’s raw, fruit form. The outside resembles that of a large mottled white potato with buds on it similar to the knobs on pineapples. It has a sour smell when ripening, much like that of cheese when it is curing and so has been given the nickname of the ‘cheese fruit.’ Its other names include the scientific name of Morinda Citrifolia, and general names like Great Morinda, Indian Mulberry, Mengkudi, Beach Mulberry, and Tahitian Noni usually according to where it has been found to grow.
The whole fruit and powder has large levels of dietary fiber and carbohydrates. It also contains many Vitamins, such as Iron, Potassium, Vitamin A, and Calcium. Additionally, the fruit contains fatty acids, polysaccharides, flavanoids, phytoestrogens, and indoids.
Noni also has trace amounts of beta-sitosterol which is an anti-cholesterol agent. The fruit, leaves, and bark are all used in many health food manufacturers and countries for herbal and natural healing remedies. In China, Samoa, Japan and Tahiti, they use the flowers, fruit, bark, leaves, and roots for herbal remedies that treat or cure fever, eye problems, skin ailments, throat gum maladies, bowel and intestine problems and respiratory malfunctions.
The leaves of the noni tree are used in Malaysia as a poultice on the chest to relieve coughs, nausea and colic. The fruit is used in Indochina for lumbago, asthma, and dysentery. It is also made into a poultice an applied to broken bones to help relieve pain.
This Queen Fruit or Canoe Fruit as it was named by early Polynesian tribes, traveled with them wherever they went. Because of its healing and health benefits it was one of the things the tribe would consider essential to travel or take with them. They would eat the fruit, drink the juice, use it for medical purposes and save the seeds to plant.
