Traditional
uses of noni juice in Tahiti and Polynesia
Noni juice has been used for centuries by Polynesians as a natural
health tonic and food supplement. Traditional uses of noni juice
in Tahiti and Polynesia are many. Native "healers" used
it to treat many health problems. Hundreds of people testify to
the health-promoting and restorative qualities of noni juice and
have found dozens of ways to use it.
As
one of mysterious stories spreading over the Pacific Island region
for thousands of years, noni plays a vital role to people's health
in French Polynesia. Until the voyagers stepped in the called
land of noni plant paradise, the methods of native healers' using
noni plant brought on the world's attention.
Noni,
whose scientific name is Morinda citrifolia, was one of the most
commonly used medicinal plants for Polynesians. All parts of the
Noni plant have active compounds, including the fruit, leaves,
flowers, bark and roots. The traditional healers pick the fruit
before it is fully ripe and place it in a jar in the direct sunlight.
When fully ripe, the fruit is mashed into a puree and the juice
is extracted through a cloth. The juice is now ready for use.
Traditionally, as a tonic, the juice is taken during times of
rest when the body is under the least amount of stress.
The
major uses of Noni include food, medicine, wood, and dye. Traditional
Polynesian healers have used the fruit of the noni plant for just
about everything from a tonic drink to mending broken bones. It
is said that because of its strong, unpleasant odor and bitter
taste, a person won't take it until they are too sick and desperate.
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