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What Is It?
Originally native to the Pacific islands of Tahiti (French Polynesia),
the herb morinda citrifolia (better known as noni) is a distinctive-smelling
tropical plant that now grows wild in other parts of the region,
including Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia. For more than 2,000
years Polynesian folk healers and others who became familiar with
the fruit-bearing plant have valued it highly as both a food and
healing agent.
Also known as Indian mulberry, morinda citrifolia is an evergreen
shrub or small tree, with shiny, dark green leaves, that bears
a multitude of small white flowers. The flower heads grow into
small bumpy fruits, which turn from green to yellow and then to
white as they ripen and ultimately fall from the branch. Medicinal
properties are believed to reside in the leaves, roots, and the
distinctive fruits.
In fact, the fruit, which emits a fetid aroma akin to blue cheese,
is often consumed as a food at various stages of its ripeness.
The fruit is also manipulated and pressed to produce a sweet,
sugary drink used in traditional medicine. Noni juice and other
noni products have enjoyed a surge in popularity in the United
States over the past few years. Noni goes by several other names
as well, including Tahitian noni juice, mora de la India, hog
apple, and Caribe.
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