Have you ever thought about how kind nature is to us for giving us so many benefits from a single fruit? Yes, and I have the perfect example to prove it. Noni fruit, also known as beach mulberry or Indian mulberry, is the fruit of the morindacitrifolia tree, which belongs to the coffee family. This potato-sized fruit has a lot of health benefits. Apart from being used as a food, it is also used as a medicine worldwide. Moreover, it was used to make dyes for clothing in the past.
This small, evergreen tree is cultivated in various parts of the world, including tropical regions and subtropical regions. Its natural habitat is Southeast Asia and Australasia. Morinda trees can survive harsh climatic conditions and can be grown in almost every type of soil. Noni fruit is rich in vitamin C thus has anti-inflammatory properties and boosts your immune system.
Noni fruit is oval in shape and almost 10 to 18cm in size. Due to its foul smell, it is called cheese fruit or even vomit fruit sometimes. That’s why it is difficult to consume noni fruit in the raw state and is taken in the form of noni juice.
Brief History
History shows that man was familiar with noni fruit from around 2000 to 3000 years. Noni fruit originated from Southeast Asia or Australia. It is believed that noni was first discovered by medicine men of India in the subcontinent, who were in search of some plants and herbs to improve overall human health and treat various diseases. Noni fruit still has great importance in that ancient medicine system, called Ayurveda.
Noni fruit is rich in nutrients and contains potassium, calcium, dietary fiber, etc. All these nutrients make this fruit a healthy choice to eat it raw, drink its juice, or use it as a supplement.
Nutritional Value of Noni Fruit
Noni fruit is rich in nutrients that are beneficial for our health. Here is an overview of the nutritional values of 100 grams of noni fruit.
Water: 95.67%
Calories: 15.3
Protein: 4.3 g
Carbohydrate: 3.4 g
Fat: 0.1 g
Sugar: 1.49 g
Besides that, noni fruit has a considerable amount of Vitamin C, potassium, fibers, Vitamin A, and calcium. These all make it really good for our general health and prevent us from several health issues.
Health Benefits of Noni Fruit
From treating high blood pressure to helping prevent cancer, noni fruit has several health benefits. Some of the major benefits are discussed below.
Acts as antioxidant
Noni fruits are enriched in antioxidants such as iridoids and catechins, which prevents the body’s cells from the damage caused by free radicals. These antioxidants have a lot of health benefits like treating heart diseases, diabetes and reducing obesity.
Helps to treat high blood pressure
High blood pressure is so common today, and every other person is suffering from it. Apart from taking medicines, you can try this fruit to control your blood pressure. Research shows that many people have successfully lowered their blood pressure with the intake of noni fruit and its juice.
Boosts immunity
According to research, noni fruit has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that boost our immune system and give us the strength to fight against diseases.
Good for mental health
Mental health is as important as physical health. Noni fruit is equally good for our mental health and helps treat depression, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep. It also has a good impact on mood.
Prevents cancer
For the past two decades, noni fruit is being used as a treatment of cancer. This fruit reduces the risk of cancer in smokers and reduces tumor pain by stimulating the production of nitric oxide that decreases tumor growth.
Treats arthritis
Arthritis is a painful condition in which joints of the body swell and become tender. Noni helps reduce the pain caused by arthritis by increasing the body’s flexibility due to its analgesic properties.
Beneficial for cardiac health
Noni fruit regulates the blood pressure and dilates the arteries, making blood flow easy and improving your overall heart health.
Reduces cholesterol level
Noni fruit helps maintain the good cholesterol level in your body and reduces the bad cholesterol levels if they are elevated. This also improves your cardiac health.
Beauty Benefits of Noni Fruit
Besides the health benefits of noni fruit, this wonder fruit has a lot of beauty benefits and is really good for your skin and hair.
Let’s have a look at some of these benefits.
Reverses the aging effect
Who doesn’t want to stay young and fit all the time? If you wish the same, the good news for you is that noni fruit has a great anti-aging effect and helps reduce wrinkles and pigmented spots from your skin. So don’t waste your money on expensive cosmetic products when you can have all these benefits from this amazing fruit.
Good for skin
Due to its antifungal properties, noni fruit is good for your skin and helps treat various skin issues such as eczema and skin irritation. Moreover, the fruit is also beneficial for hair and nails and makes them shiny and healthy.
An amazing moisturizer
Noni fruit is good for moisturizing your skin and relieving dry and patchy skin. Applying noni juice as a moisturizer naturally heals your skin and keeps it hydrated.
Reduces acne
Noni fruit contains essential oils and other substances that keep your skin healthy and prevent it from breakouts.
Some Possible Side Effects of Noni Fruit
Noni fruit generally has no side effects in adults, but there might be some in few cases. Possible side effects of noni fruit are listed below.
Liver damage
High consumption of noni fruit might cause liver toxicity. So if you are already taking liver medicines, try to avoid eating noni fruit.
Hyperkalemia (high potassium levels)
Noni fruit is rich in potassium, and people with high potassium levels, such as kidney patients, should avoid it.
Should be avoided in pregnancy
Although the evidence is not enough and not much research is done, pregnant women should not use noni fruit as a safety precaution.
Role in Disease Prevention
Many health benefits of the noni fruit have been discussed above. Noni fruit also plays a role in disease prevention. It is rich in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, and also has a valuable amount of Vitamin C. thus, this fruit boosts your immune system and prevents you from several diseases.
Some Interesting Facts About Noni Fruit
- Noni fruit has so many names across the world.
- It has a pungent smell and sour taste.
- Its taste resembles sometimes resembles the taste of pineapples.
- Noni fruit has become an enormous business industry in recent years due to its beneficial properties.
Conclusion
The foul smelled noni fruit has many health benefits and is used as medicine to treat various diseases. Furthermore, it prevents us from several health issues and has incredible nutritional value that boosts our immunity.