Spiritual life begins when we can control our minds. Ordinarily the mind of a conditioned soul in the material world is completely out of control. For most people, rather than their mind being controlled their minds become servants of their senses. For example if one is walking down a street and sees or smells some very nice food then the tongue is sending messages to the mind telling it that it wants that food to satisfy the sense of taste. So the person, controlled by the urges of the senses, purchases that food and eats it to try and satisfy the whims of the tongue. In the same way all the senses of the body are demanding the mind to supply their particular objects of gratification so the person is actually out of control. He simply becomes a servant of his senses, trying to satisfy their every whim, but the cruel nature of the material world is that no matter what he supplies in an attempt to satisfy his senses they will never be satisfied. They will always demand more, more, more...
| Morinda citrifolia | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Leaves and fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Genus: | Morinda |
| Species: | M. citrifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Morinda citrifolia L. | |
Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as great morinda, Indian mulberry, nunaakai (Tamil Nadu, India) , dog dumpling (Barbados), mengkudu (Indonesia and Malaysia), apatot (Philippines), Kumudu (Bali), pace (Java), beach mulberry, cheese fruit[1] or noni (from Hawaiian) is a tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. Morinda citrifolia's native range extends through Southeast Asiaand Australasia, and the species is now cultivated throughout the tropics and widely naturalised.[2]
Contents[hide] |
[edit]Growing habitats
M. citrifolia grows in shady forests as well as on open rocky or sandy shores. It reaches maturity in about 18 months and then yields between 4–8 kilograms (8.8–18 lb) of fruit every month throughout the year. It is tolerant of saline soils, drought conditions, and secondary soils. It is therefore found in a wide variety of habitats: volcanic terrains, lava-strewn coasts, and clearings or limestone outcrops. It can grow up to 9 metres (30 ft) tall, and has large, simple, dark green, shiny and deeply veined leaves.
The plant bears flowers and fruits all year round. The fruit is a multiple fruit that has a pungent odour when ripening, and is hence also known as cheese fruit or even vomit fruit. It is oval in shape and reaches 4–7 centimetres (1.6–2.8 in) size. At first green, the fruit turns yellow then almost white as it ripens. It contains many seeds. It is sometimes called starvation fruit. Despite its strong smell and bitter taste, the fruit is nevertheless eaten as a famine food[3] and, in somePacific islands, even a staple food, either raw or cooked.[4] Southeast Asians and Australian Aborigines consume the fruit raw with salt[5] or cook it with curry. The seeds are edible when roasted.
M. citrifolia is especially attractive to weaver ants, which make nests out of the leaves of the tree. These ants protect the plant from some plant-parasitic insects. The smell of the fruit also attracts fruit bats, which aid in dispersing the seeds.
[edit]Nutrients and phytochemicals
M. citrifolia fruit powder contains carbohydrates and dietary fibre in moderate amounts.[6] These macronutrients evidently reside in the fruit pulp, as M. citrifolia juice has sparse nutrient content.[7] The main micronutrients of M. citrifolia pulp powder include vitamin C, niacin (vitamin B3), iron and potassium.[6] Vitamin A, calcium and sodium are present in moderate amounts. When M. citrifolia juice alone is analyzed and compared to pulp powder, only vitamin C is retained[7] in an amount that is about half the content of a raw navel orange.[8] Sodium levels inM. citrifolia juice (about 3% of Dietary Reference Intake, DRI)[6] are high compared to an orange, and potassium content is moderate. M. citrifolia juice is otherwise similar in micronutrient content to a raw orange.[8]
M. citrifolia fruit contains a number of phytochemicals, including lignans, oligo- andpolysaccharides, flavonoids, iridoids, fatty acids, scopoletin, catechin, beta-sitosterol,damnacanthal, and alkaloids. Although these substances have been studied for bioactivity, current research is insufficient to conclude anything about their effects on human health.[9][10][11][12][13] These phytochemicals are not unique to M. citrifolia, as they exist in various plants.
[edit]Traditional medicine
The green fruit, leaves, and root/rhizome were traditionally used in Polynesian cultures to treat menstrual cramps, bowel irregularities, diabetes, liver diseases, and urinary tract infections.[14]
[edit]Consumer applications
The bark of the great morinda produces a brownish-purplish dye for batik making. In Hawaii, yellowish dye is extracted from its roots to dye cloth.[15]
There have been recent applications for the use of M. citrifolia seed oil[16] which contains linoleic acid possibly useful when applied topically to skin, e.g., anti-inflammation, acne reduction, moisture retention.[17][18][19]
[edit]See also
- Tahitian Noni International – A multi-level marketing company selling sweetened Noni juice, based in Provo, Utah.
- Noni juice
[edit]References
- ^ Plants by Common Name – James Cook University
- ^ Nelson, SC (2006-04-01). "Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry: Morinda citrifolia (noni)".
- ^ Krauss, BH (1993). Plants in Hawaiian Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.[page needed]
- ^ Morton, Julia F. (1992). "The ocean-going noni, or Indian Mulberry (Morinda citrifolia, Rubiaceae) and some of its "colorful" relatives". Economic Botany 46 (3): 241–56.doi:10.1007/BF02866623.
- ^ Cribb, A.B. & Cribb, J.W. (1975) Wild Food in Australia. Sydney: Collins.[page needed]
- ^ a b c Nelson, Scot C. (2006) "Nutritional Analysis of Hawaiian Noni (Noni Fruit Powder)" The Noni Website. Retrieved 15-06-2009.
- ^ a b Nelson, Scot C. (2006) "Nutritional Analysis of Hawaiian Noni (Pure Noni Fruit Juice)" The Noni Website. Retrieved 15-06-2009.
- ^ a b World's Healthiest Foods, in-depth nutrient analysis of a raw orange
- ^ Saleem, Muhammad; Kim, Hyoung Ja; Ali, Muhammad Shaiq; Lee, Yong Sup (2005). "An update on bioactive plant lignans".Natural Product Reports 22 (6): 696. doi:10.1039/b514045p.PMID 16311631.
- ^ Deng, Shixin; Palu, ‘Afa K.; West, Brett J.; Su, Chen X.; Zhou, Bing-Nan; Jensen, Jarakae C. (2007). "Lipoxygenase Inhibitory Constituents of the Fruits of Noni (Morindacitrifolia) Collected in Tahiti". Journal of Natural Products 70 (5): 859–62.doi:10.1021/np0605539. PMID 17378609.
- ^ Lin, Chwan Fwu; Ni, Ching Li; Huang, Yu Ling; Sheu, Shuenn Jyi; Chen, Chien Chih (2007). "Lignans and anthraquinones from the fruits ofMorinda citrifolia". Natural Product Research 21 (13): 1199–204. doi:10.1080/14786410601132451.PMID 17987501.
- ^ Levand, Oscar; Larson, Harold (2009). "Some Chemical Constituents of Morinda citrifolia". Planta Medica 36 (06): 186–7.doi:10.1055/s-0028-1097264.
- ^ Mohd Zin, Z.; Abdul Hamid, A.; Osman, A.; Saari, N.; Misran, A. (2007). "Isolation and Identification of Antioxidative Compound from Fruit of Mengkudu (Morinda citrifoliaL.)". International Journal of Food Properties 10 (2): 363–73.doi:10.1080/10942910601052723.
- ^ Wang MY, West BJ, Jensen CJ, Nowicki D, Su C, Palu AK, Anderson G (2002). "Morinda citrifolia (Noni): a literature review and recent advances in Noni research". Pharmacol Sin 23 (12): 1127–41. PMID 12466051.
- ^ Thompson, RH (1971). Naturally Occurring Anthraquinones. New York: Academic Press.[page needed]
- ^ West, Brett J.; Jarakae Jensen, Claude; Westendorf, Johannes (2008). "A new vegetable oil from noni (Morinda citrifolia) seeds".International Journal of Food Science & Technology 43 (11): 1988–92. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.2008.01802.x.
- ^ "Plant oils: Topical application and anti-inflammatory effects (croton oil test)". Dermatol. Monatsschr 179: 173. 1993.
- ^ Letawe, C; Boone, M; Pierard, GE (1998). "Digital image analysis of the effect of topically applied linoleic acid on acne microcomedones". Clinical and Experimental Dermatology 23(2): 56–8. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2230.1998.00315.x.PMID 9692305.
- ^ Darmstadt, GL; Mao-Qiang, M; Chi, E; Saha, SK; Ziboh, VA; Black, RE; Santosham, M; Elias, PM (2007). "Impact of topical oils on the skin barrier: possible implications for neonatal health in developing countries". Acta Paediatrica 91 (5): 546–54.doi:10.1080/080352502753711678. PMID 12113324.
[edit]Further reading
 | Wikisource has the text of the1911 Encyclopædia Britannicaarticle Aal. |
- Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers. Permanent Agriculture Resources. August 2006. pp. 112. ISBN 0-9702544-6-6.
- Kamiya, Kohei; Tanaka, Yohei; Endang, Hanani; Umar, Mansur; Satake, Toshiko (2004). "Chemical Constituents of Morinda citrifolia Fruits Inhibit Copper-Induced Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidation". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 52 (19): 5843–8. doi:10.1021/jf040114k. PMID 15366830.
[edit]External links
- "The Noni Website". 2006.
- Thomas, Chris (August 30, 2002). "Noni No Miracle Cure". Cancerpage.com.
- Anthony, Mark. "Noni or NIMBY?". Foodprocessing.com.
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Noni
noni, morinda, indian mulberry, hog apple, canary wood, antioxidant, cancer, breast cancer
noni, morinda, Indian mulberry, hog apple, canary wood
Morinda citrifolia
On this page:
- Introduction
- What Noni Is Used For
- How Noni Is Used
- What the Science Says
- Side Effects and Cautions
- Sources
- For More Information
Introduction
This fact sheet provides basic information about noni—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Noni is an evergreen shrub or small tree that grows throughout the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean, from Southeast Asia to Australia and especially in Polynesia. Noni has been traditionally used in Polynesia as a dye.
What Noni Is Used For
- Noni has a history of use as a topical preparation for joint pain and skin conditions.
- Today, people drink noni fruit juice as a general health tonic, as well as for cancer and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
How Noni Is Used
- Traditionally, the leaves and fruit of noni have been used for health purposes.
- Today, the fruit is most commonly combined with other fruits (such as grape) to make juice. Preparations of the fruit and leaves are also available in capsules, tablets, and teas.
What the Science Says
- In laboratory research, noni has shown antioxidant, immune-stimulating, and tumor-fighting properties. These results suggest that noni may warrant further study for conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, noni has not been well studied in people for any health condition.
- NCCAM-funded research includes a study on noni for cancer to determine its safety and potential effects on tumors and symptoms, as well as a laboratory study of noni’s effects on prostate cancer cells. The National Cancer Institute is funding preliminary research on noni for breast cancer prevention and treatment.
Side Effects and Cautions
- Noni is high in potassium. People who are on potassium-restricted diets because of kidney problems should avoid using noni.
- Several noni juice manufacturers have received warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about making unsubstantiated health claims.
- Although there have been few reported side effects from using noni, its safety has not been adequately studied.
- There have been reports of liver damage from using noni. It should be avoided if you have liver disease because it contains compounds that may make your disease worse.
- Tell all your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care. For tips about talking with your health care providers about CAM, see NCCAM’s Time to Talk campaign.
Sources
- Morinda. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed at www.naturaldatabase.comon August 5, 2009.
- Mueller BA, Scott MK, Sowinski KM, et al. Noni juice (Morinda citrifolia): hidden potential for hyperkalemia? American Journal of Kidney Disease. 2000;35(2):310–312.
- Noni (Morinda citrifolia). Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed at www.naturalstandard.comon August 4, 2009.
- Pawlus A, Bao-Ning S, Kinghorn A. Noni (Morinda citrifolia). In: Coates P, Blackman M, Cragg G, et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2005:1–8.
For More Information
NCCAM Clearinghouse
The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information on NCCAM and complementary health practices, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.
CAM on PubMed®
Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
ODS seeks to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, supporting research, sharing research results, and educating the public. Its resources include publications and the International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements database.
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