The noni fruit or Morinda citrifolia also known as the Indian mulberry, great morinda, beach mulberry, noni and cheese fruit. It is a fruit that belongs to the coffee family and is extensively grown in the Southeast Asia and Australia. This fruit is not very well known in other parts of the world but has some amazing health benefits. Below are some facts that are not widely known about the miraculous noni fruit.
In ancient times, the noni leaves, barks, roots and fruits were used by the Polynesian healers to treat a lot of diseases such as menstrual cramps, arthritis, inflammation and other such problems. It has always been known to show amazing health benefits when consumed in any form, be it a fruit or juice. The wood was also extensively used by the Polynesian people to produce fire. Its bark was used to produce cloth dyes or red and yellow color. But the taste and the smell of the fruit was so bad that they considered it only as a famine fruit and did not consume it unless it was extremely necessary.
It can survive in almost any weather condition or soil. They are known to have been the first species to grow in lava fields. Although they have a very high survival rate, they are susceptible to being infected by many organisms such as caterpillars, cattle, ants, some nematodes and other pests and microorganisms. The plant needs a lot of care in order to give out a healthy yield.
The fruit yield of the noni fruit is huge. When they reach an age of five, they produce fruit up to 20 pounds per month per tree. After maturing completely, the yield can go up to five hundred pounds of fruit per tree every month.
The noni fruit has a very repulsive taste and smell. Due to its pungent smell, it can be smelled from a very far of distance in the forests. The fruit is not very commonly eaten due to this property. The name cheese fruit and vomit fruit comes from the pungent odor and bad taste of this fruit. Although the juices of this fruits have a lot of health benefits, they are very rarely used. To avoid the bad smell of this fruit, most people either cook it or mix it with the other fruit in juices. The fruit is also sometimes dried and consumed as a medicinal herb.
The juice of the noni fruit is considered to have restorative properties and is applied to the skin directly. It removes dead cells and clears the skin. It has also been used to provide a clearer texture to the skin and remove dark spots. The fruit is extensively used in many beauty products and ointments. It is the most recently used ingredient in producing cosmetic products and ointments like wrinkle creams, whitening creams and night creams.