Tahitian noni is a noni from Tahiti which is widely used as a herbal medicine. This fruit contains substances and nutrients that are believed to be good for maintaining health and preventing and treating various diseases.
The inhabitants of Tahiti in the Polynesian Islands, Pacific Ocean use the bark of Tahitian noni or Tahiti noni as a clothing dye. While the fruit, leaves, stems, and roots are widely used as traditional medicine.
Now Tahitian noni fruit is widely processed into various types of drinks, such as juice and tea. In addition, this fruit extract is also used as a supplement that is packaged in capsule form.
Some Tahitian noni juice products are made from 90% Tahitian noni fruit mixed with other fruits, such as grapes and blueberries, and sugar to disguise the bitter taste and unpleasant odor of the Tahitian noni fruit.
Nutritional Content and Benefits of Tahitian Noni
In half a cup of noni juice (equivalent to 100 ml) contains about 45 calories with a variety of nutrients, such as:
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin B
- Minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and manganese
In addition to these various nutrients, Tahiti noni also contains many antioxidants. The types of antioxidants contained in this plant are iridoids, beta carotene, and phenolic acids.
Some studies also mention that noni fruit contains chemicals that have anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, antibacterial, antiviral, and antitumor effects.
Various Benefits of Tahitian Noni for Health
Tahitian noni fruit that looks similar to local noni is believed to have many benefits that are good for health, including:
1. Lowering high blood pressure
Research shows that daily consumption of Tahitian noni tea for 1 month appears to reduce high blood pressure. These properties are obtained from substances scopoletin and xeronine contained in the Tahiti noni fruit.
2. Treating arthritis
There are several types of arthritis. One of them is osteoarthritis, namely arthritis that occurs due to aging or obesity. People with osteoarthritis usually experience joint pain in the hands, knees, hips, spine, and stiffness in the neck.
The results showed that taking Tahitian noni every day for 3 months was seen to relieve joint pain and prevent the recurrence of osteoarthritis. This property is obtained from the natural anti-inflammatory and pain reliever substances contained in the Tahitian noni fruit.
3. Maintain heart health
Regular consumption of Tahitian noni in the form of juice is believed to reduce the risk of heart disease. This benefit is due to the antioxidant content in Tahiti noni which is able to lower cholesterol levels and prevent atherosclerosis which causes heart disease.
4. Stabilize blood sugar levels
Diabetes is a chronic disease that causes blood sugar levels to become too high. A small-scale study showed that regularly consuming about 1 cup of Tahitian noni juice for 8 weeks was seen to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Tahitian noni fruit is also thought to improve insulin performance in regulating blood sugar and preventing insulin resistance.
In addition to the various benefits above, Tahitian noni is also believed to have other benefits, namely:
- Increase stamina while exercising
- Launch menstruation
- Smooth digestion
- Reduce cancer risk
- Overcoming infection
The various properties of Tahitian noni that have been mentioned above are only based on the results of small-scale studies, most of which have only been carried out on experimental animals. Therefore, the effectiveness and safety of using Tahitian noni as a treatment is still uncertain and needs to be investigated further.
Consumption of Tahitian noni as a supplement is generally safe to do, as long as the person taking it does not have certain medical conditions or diseases.
Tahitian noni should not be consumed by pregnant and lactating women and people who have certain health problems, such as kidney and liver disorders. Tahitian noni is also not recommended to be taken together with certain medications, such as blood pressure-lowering drugs and diabetes medications.
Therefore, before consuming Tahitian noni, you should first consult with your doctor, especially if you want to use it as an alternative treatment.