Named after Morinda citrifolia Linn, noni is the fruit of a tree from Southeast Asia. There and elsewhere in the world, it is used in folk medicine for the treatment of different types of diseases.
The tree arrived in Brazil and adapted to the climate and can thus produce fruit all year round. Leandra Giorgetti, nutritionist of the P4B personalized Health space, explains that she is found today especially in the regions of São Paulo, Goiás and Pará.
Keeping an eye on the possible advantages that noni could offer to health, Brazilians' interest in the fruit, as well as the consumption of it and its derivatives, greatly increased.
"The main forms of consumption are juice, mashed seeds, tea made with leaves and extract in capsules," says Leandra.
Noni consumption in Brazil, however, is surrounded by controversy. Thus, most people have doubts about the subject, not knowing what are the real advantages or even the dangers of consuming the fruit.
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Noni Medicinal Benefits and Uses
The big problem is that there are no conclusive studies on the properties and benefits that noni can offer to health.
Leandra explains that there are even in the literature scientific research on the consumption of noni, but in the vast majority, carried out in Asian countries, where the population studied has distinct physiological characteristics (compared to the Brazilian population).
The benefits studied, according to the nutritionist, boil down to actions:
- Anti-inflammatory;
- Antioxidant;
- Digestive;
- Preventive in cases of cancer.
However, it is worth remembering: the available studies on noni are still inconclusive, both regarding its beneficial and harmful effects.
Noni and Slimming
One of the major reasons that made noni fall in the interest of Brazilians was the possibility that the fruit help in the process of weight loss. But, is this true? Can he really be an ally in weight loss?
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"If we rely on knowledge and empirical applications for the consumption of noni, yes, we would think that it loses weight due to various mechanisms, such as anti-inflammatory factor, considering that obesity is a chronic inflammatory state," Leandra explains. .
"However, there are few references in the literature about the real effectiveness of fruit in weight loss," recalls the nutritionist.
Consume or not? The controversy about the fruit
In Brazil, Leandra explains, the marketing of noni-based products is prohibited by Anvisa, due to the few existing toxicological studies. Despite this, the fruit can be found easily in some free markets and public markets of some cities in the country.
In other words: products containing noni cannot be marketed in Brazil, as they have not yet been proven to be safe to use.
In Anvisa's report on the subject, it is highlighted, for example, a study of 96 volunteers, which were divided into 3 groups, which received doses of 30, 300 and 750 ml / day of noni juice. It was observed that 3 subjects did not complete the study probably due to adverse effects of the product, and one of the participants in the group receiving 750 ml / day of the product was excluded after elevating the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzymes. ) in the second week of the survey.
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Different studies have also pointed cases of hepatotoxicity associated with noni juice consumption, according to Anvisa report.
In Polynesia, the fruit has been used by the inhabitants for over 2,000 years. It is found even in various parts of the world: tropical regions of Africa, the Caribbean, Australia, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. Some of the main benefits attributed to the noni world are: antibacterial, analgesic, anti-congestive, antioxidant, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, astringent, emollient, laxative, analgesic, blood purifier, immunostimulant and tonic effect. It is also attributed to the fruit anticancer action.
But, as the available studies on noni are still inconclusive, and the marketing of the fruit and its derivatives in Brazil is prohibited by Anvisa, the consumption calls for caution. After all, is it worth risking your own health for a product that doesn't even have the proof of health and / or weight loss benefits?
Where to find noni
Despite being banned in Brazil, noni can be found in some free markets and public markets. On the internet it is also possible to find fruit juice for sale or even the product in capsules.
If you decide to bet on the product, remember to consult a doctor or nutritionist you trust beforehand. After all, with health one does not play; and noni is not considered a safe fruit for consumption here in Brazil.
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