Thousands of years ago, ancient sea-going people journeyed across the oceans in great outrigger canoes to settle what is now known as French Polynesia. Space in the canoes was limited; they brought only what they needed to survive. Noni was prized cargo in these canoes because of its healthful properties and was considered queen of the 'canoe plants' used to establish new villages.
The story of the Morinda citrifolia plant is also told among the people of the tropics worldwide. In Malaysia, it is called MENGKUDU. In Southeast Asia it is known as NHAU. The plant is recognized among all peoples of the South Pacific. It is called NONU in Samoa and Tonga, NONO in Raratonga and Tahiti, and NONI in the Marquesas Islands and Hawaii.
The fruit of the Morinda citrifolia plant was an important source of food for the early Polynesians, who consumed it in times of famine. Australian aborigines were fond of the fruit, and people in Burma cooked unripe fruits in curries and ate the ripened fruit raw with salt. The seeds, leaves, bark, and roots were also eaten by people versed in the healing properties of this odd plant. Amazingly, every part of the Morinda citrifolia plant is used.
Traditional Uses:
Polynesians picked the noni fruit before it was ripe, and place it in a jar in the direct sunlight. When fully ripe, the noni fruit was mashed into a puree and the juice was extracted through a cloth. The juice was then ready for use. People traditionally took the juice during times of rest, when the body was under the least amount of stress. Noni was also served as a food dish.
Traditional Medicinal Uses:
· Parts of the fruit are used as a tonic and to contain fever (China, Japan, Hawaii)
· The leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark can treat eye problems, skin wounds and abscesses, gum and throat problems, respiratory ailments, constipation, and fever (Pacific Islands, Hawaii)
· Used to treat stomach pains and after delivery (Marshall Islands)
· Heated leaves applied to the chest relieve coughs, nausea, and colic (Malaysia)
· Juice of the leaves is taken for arthritis (Philippines)
· The fruit is taken for lumbago, asthma, and dysentery (Indochina)
· Pounded, unripe fruit is mixed with salt and applied to cuts and broken bones
· Ripe fruit is used to draw out pus from an infected boil (Hawaii)
· Juices of over-ripe fruits are taken to regulate menstrual flow and ease urinary problems (Malaysia)
· The fruit can be used to make shampoo (Malaysia, Hawaii) and to treat head lice (Hawaii).
