Noni juice is made from the fruit of the Morinda citrifolia, or noni tree. This tree is found in tropical areas throughout the world, but is perhaps most closely associated with Tahiti, as some believe Tahitian noni possesses the greatest healing properties.
Noni juice is thought to be generally beneficial for one's overall health, in part because natives used the noni tree as a medicinal plant throughout history in the treatment of many ailments. Though noni juice is made from the fruit of the noni tree, traditionally it was not the fruit as much as other parts of the plant that were used by natives to affect different kinds of healing. In Polynesia, noni leaves were mixed with oil to treat everything from rheumatic pain and inflammation, to boils, gout and ringworm. In Hawaii, noni fruit and leaves were crushed and mixed with other plants then applied to bruises, sprains and severe wounds.
By the 1930s the fruit of the noni tree was being used for treating internal problems like intestinal worms, and as the years progressed noni juice gained a reputation for being a kind of folk remedy.
Today the FDA forbids the manufacturers of food supplement products like noni juice, from making specific health claims. But many people believe noni juice can do everything from make them feel energized, to help in the prevention of cancer. The vast majority of these claims have not been scientifically proven, and some research that has been done has yet to be corroborated. However, there is general agreement in the medical community that, hype and misleading claims aside, the fruit of the noni has some interesting properties that appear helpful in maintaining a healthy system. In fact, some practitioners recommend noni juice to their patients as a general health aid.
Noni juice is a supplement and not medicinal, therefore no dosage is associated with it. It is suggested that drinking noni juice on an empty stomach might be the best way to gain maximum benefits.
Because of the rich history of the noni tree and promising health indicators, it is likely the noni fruit will continue to receive attention from researchers and the public alike.