Morinda citrifolia L (Noni) hasbeen used in folk remedies by Polynesiansfor over 2000 years, and is reported to have a broad range of therapeutic effects, including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, antihelmin,analgesic, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, and immune enhancing effects. In order to reveal the nutritional and medicinal value of the Noni plant, and to summarize scientific evidence that supports the Polynesians’ claim, a literature review and recent advances in Noni research is given below.
INTRODUCTION
Herbal and natural products of folk medicine have been used for centuries in every culture throughout the world. Scientists and medical professionals have shown increased interest in this field as they recognize the truehealth benefits of these remedies. “Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food” was advised by the father of medicine, Hippocrates, over two millennia ago. It’s still true today that “you are what you eat.” Folk medicine in different cultures has a long history of ancestors creating primitive medicines during their struggles against natural calamity and disease.Tea is one of the first Chinese herbs mentioned in anncient literature. Tea supposedly originated in China, and was discovered to be an antidote for poisonous herbs by a great herbalist, Shen Nong, about 4700 years ago, when tasting unknown herbs to find plants with medicinal value. He is generally known as the “God of Agriculture” in China for his great achievements as both a pioneer and a leader in farming. His findings were compiled in a book in the Dong-Han dynasty (25-220AD) called “Shen Nong’s Herbs,” which isstill a classic herbal book today. While searching for food, the ancient found that some foods had specific properties of relieving or eliminating certain diseases, and maintaining good health. It wasthe beginning of herbal medicine. The same story occurred in Polynesia. Among the medicinal plants discovered by the ancestors of Polynesians, Morinda citrifolia L (Noni) is one of the traditional folk medicinal plants that has been used for over 2000 years in Polynesia .It has been reported to have a broad range of therapeutic and nutritional value.
Traditional Uses of Noni
Plant Part Used
Traditional Medicinal Uses
Leaves
Relieves cough, nausea, colic (Malaysia), tuberculosis, sprains, deep bruising, rheumatism, bone fractures, dislocations, hypertension, stomach ache, diabetes, loss of appetite, urinary tract ailments, abdominal swelling, hernias, vitamin A deficiency
Fruit
Lumbago, asthma, dysentery (Indochina), head lice (Hawaii), wound poultice, broken bones, sores or scabs, sore throat, peeling and cracking of toes and feet, cuts, wounds, abscesses, mouth and gum infections, toothaches, appetite and brain stimulant food, boils, carbuncles, tuberculosis, sprains, deep bruises, rheumatism, stomach ulcers, hypertension
The building blocks our bodies use to manufacture Xeronine. With nutrient-depleted foods, where these building blocks are not available, our proteins can become reliant on inadequate substitutes such as sugar, caffeine, cocaine, or nicotine to do their work. In returning Xeronine to the body,Noni has been found to help break addictionsto these substances. By promoting optimal protein functioning,Nonipromotes massive cellular regeneration and hormonal balance.
Scopoletin
Has anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, lowers blood pressure, and binds to serotonin to help regulate sleep, hunger and temperature.
Anthraquinone
Controls infectious bacteria such as Staphylococcus Aureus, E. Coli & Salmonella.
Damnacanthal
Inhibits growth of pre-cancerous cells.
Terpene
Helps with cell rejuvenation, thus increasing nutrient-toxin exchange.
Phytonutrients & Selenium
Provide powerful anti-oxidant protection against free radicals.
Rich in soluble and insoluble fiber
Soluble fiber helps cleanse the blood, decrease choloesterol, binds to fats and balances blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber ("bulk") is important for colon health.
Rich in amino acids
Amino acids are the buildings blocks for proteins, important for most body functions. The "essential" amino acids are the ones our bodies cannot make and we therefore must get from our diet. Noni contains 17 of the 20 known amino acids, including all 9 essential amino acids.
Rich in essential fatty acids
Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats and oils. The "essential" fatty acids in Noni are the important poly-unsaturated fats that we must get from our diet.They maintain healthy skin, nerve cells, heart tissue and blood vessels and help balance mood. They keep cell membranes working properly and efficiently, improving the nutrient-toxin exchange.
Important Overall Characteristics
Adaptogen
An adaptogen is a substance that has a global balancing effect on all body systems. There are only 12 known adaptogens; of these 12, Noni is said to be the "premiere" adaptogen.
Alkaline
Tissues degrade and disease thrives in an acidic environment. Noni promotes an alkaline body chemistry, the optimal state for good health.
Anti-oxidant
Anti-oxidants, such as green tea, pycnogenol, and vitamin C, among others, are important in neutralizing "free radicals", or particles that cause DNA damage that can lead to cancer. Noni has recently been found to be the most effective of all known anti-oxidants.
Low Glycemic Index
A 3:1 ratio of carbohydates to fiber inNoni helps balance blood sugar levels.
Analgesic, Anti-inflammatoryandSelective Cox II Inhibitor
Unlike typical pain relievers and anti-inflammatories,Noni decreases pain and inflammation while protecting stomach, kidney, and liver cells.
Humectant
As a humectant,Noni helps tissues retain moisture.
Immuno-Modulator
Noni intelligently supports the immune system, not just by boosting it, but by regulating it to suppress the allergic and auto-allergic responses.
At the very least, the flying car looks to us a lot closer to reality
than our colony on Mars.
Designed to be a viable piece of transportation that's just as happy in
the air as it is on the ground, the Transition comes loaded with all of
the safety goodies of your standard economy car – airbags
and crumple zones come standard. While Terrafugia hasn't exactly said
what kind of top speed the Transition can carry on terra firma, it does
say the craft gets around 30 mpg when scooting around town.
Should the weather turn sunny and the skies grow clear, however, the
Transition can lower its wings, fire up a rear-mounted propeller and
take to the air where it can carry a top speed of around 115 mph with a
range of 460 miles. Not too shabby. The little carplane only requires an
air strip of around 1/3 of a mile, and with its wings folded, can
comfortably fit in any garage. Final MSRP is expected to be around
$194,000.
For a refundable $10,000 deposit you can, today, reserve your
Transition for an anticipated 2010 delivery. At that point you’ll need
$194,000 to buy one of these flying cars outright.
You’ll also need a sport pilot license to operate a Transition.
(Terrafugia will be offering Transition-specific courses that can
qualify you for a license after 20 hours of flight time).This licensing requirement—along with regulations requiring
Transition owners to take off from an airport and not from, say, an
empty section of the Wal-Mart parking lot—has lead some to see the
Transition less as a flying car and more as a glorified aircraft. Maybe
so, but we think it’s a major step in that direction. Imagine some one who lives in Palo Alto, for example, but works
across the Bay in Oakland.
This person could use the Transition to drive
from a private residence to a nearby airport, take off, fly over all
the car-clogging Bay Bridge, and land at an airport near the Oakland
office. That’s an hour or more commute by car versus maybe 15 minutes
with the Transition.
Further, future versions of the Transition may include under-vehicle
thrusters that would allow the car-plane to take off vertically. And
maybe that will lead to the creation of “air highways” and, perhaps,
take-off sections of Wal-Mart parking lots.