Noni Juice: Are the cure-all claims really true?

What are your thoughts concerning Noni juice?

Mary Lou Perry, registered dietitian for the UVA Heart and Vascular Center, sheds light on the real benefits of this much-hyped (and expensive) fruit juice.

Noni juice is a liquid supplement made from the fruit of the noni plant (Morinda Citrifolis). The tree itself produces a knobby foul-smelling fruit. Noni juice can be expensive, bad smelling and sour tasting. Noni is a relatively new supplement only available in the U.S. since 1996 and grown primarily in the Asia-Pacific region.

No scientific proof

Advertisements and marketing literature feature convincing endorsements by physicians and testimonials about Noni’s benefits. Aggressively promoted through multi-level marketing as a treatment for just about any health problem that ails you -- cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, arthritis, allergies, ulcers and depression -- there are currently no published human clinical trials available to support use of the Noni fruit for any of these conditions.

Safe, but not for everyone

So, Noni juice can’t really live up to its multiple claims, but is it safe? Simply put, yes and as with many fruits, the Noni fruit is a source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Noni juice is particularly high in potassium and, for this reason, Noni juice should be used with caution in individuals with chronic kidney disease, or those taking potassium-sparing fluid pills, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) because it could cause high blood levels of potassium.