Home Ingredients Noni (Morinda citrifolia)
Antioxidant

Noni (Morinda citrifolia)

Morinda citrifolia
Evidence Level
Preliminary
1 Clinical Trial
4 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Noni is a tropical fruit tree native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands whose juice, fruit, leaves, and root have been used in traditional Polynesian medicine for over 2,000 years. Modern marketing positioned noni as a 'miracle cure' in the late 1990s with broad health claims, many of which lack clinical evidence. The fruit juice contains anthraquinones, polysaccharides, scopoletin, and damnacanthal — compounds with antioxidant, immune-modulating, and anti-inflammatory properties in laboratory studies. Human clinical evidence is very limited. The review cited here was written by employees of Morinda, Inc., a company that makes noni juice, and both human trials were co-authored by staff from that company, so no independent group has confirmed the results.

Studied Dose The human trials cited here used 29.5 mL or 118 mL of noni juice a day for about a month. Larger juice volumes and freeze-dried powders are sold, but no study cited here tested them.
Active Compound Damnacanthal, scopoletin, anthraquinones (morindone), polysaccharides; noni fruit juice or freeze-dried powder. A 2018 review notes that all published human trials to date used a single French Polynesian juice source, Tahitian Noni from Morinda, Inc., so the human evidence applies to that product only. Other noni products may have different pharmacological and toxicological profiles.

Benefits

Antioxidant activity

Noni fruit juice demonstrated significant antioxidant activity in a human clinical study — reducing plasma superoxide anion radicals and lipid hydroperoxides in 285 current heavy smokers over 30 days, not in healthy adults; total antioxidant capacity was not measured. This antioxidant activity is the most clinically supported benefit of noni, though it rests on blood markers of oxidative stress rather than on any health outcome.

Supported by Trial 1

Immune modulation

Noni polysaccharides have demonstrated immunostimulatory activity in laboratory studies — activating macrophages and NK cells via TLR receptor pathways. The review cited here describes one open-label study in 12 healthy adults who drank 330 mL daily for eight weeks, with no control group, in which natural killer cell activity rose by about 30 percent. That study is not itself cited here, and no controlled trial has confirmed it. Evidence for meaningful clinical immune benefits in humans is preliminary.

Supported by Trial 1

Anti-inflammatory effects

Scopoletin and damnacanthal from noni inhibit COX-2 and reduce inflammatory cytokine production in cell studies. In one trial, 132 adult heavy smokers who drank 29.5 mL or 118 mL of noni juice a day for a month had lower hs-CRP, cholesterol and triglycerides, though effect sizes are modest and study quality is limited.

Supported by Trial 1

Energy and wellbeing (traditional claim)

Traditional Pacific Island use for fatigue, general wellness, and 'life force' has led to widespread energy and vitality claims for noni. The review cited here describes small exercise studies, including 40 trained runners whose treadmill time to fatigue rose about 21 percent on 100 mL twice a day. Those studies are not cited on this page, and none measured everyday tiredness. Clinical evidence for this claim is anecdotal to very weak.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Anthraquinone and scopoletin antioxidant activity

Noni's anthraquinone compounds (morindone, rubiadin) and scopoletin (a coumarin) provide direct free radical scavenging and inhibit lipid peroxidation. Scopoletin also inhibits COX-2 and has mild serotonin-binding activity — which is laboratory work; no study cited here measured mood in people.

2

Polysaccharide immune receptor activation

Noni fruit polysaccharides bind TLR-4 and complement receptors on macrophages, activating innate immune responses and cytokine production. This pattern recognition activation is similar to other immunostimulatory polysaccharides (astragalus, medicinal mushrooms) though this is cell and animal work and noni polysaccharides are less characterized than those others.

3

Damnacanthal and ras protein activity in cell culture

Damnacanthal from noni inhibits activated ras protein function — an observation from laboratory experiments, not from people. This mechanism has been studied in cell culture only; no clinical cancer evidence exists for noni supplementation.

Clinical trials

1
Noni Juice for Antioxidant Status in Heavy Smokers — RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of noni juice in 285 current heavy smokers for 30 days, in three arms: 118 mL placebo, 29.5 mL noni juice, and 118 mL noni juice. Outcomes: plasma superoxide anion radicals and lipid hydroperoxides. Blood lipids were not measured in this trial. (Wang et al. 2009, Chem Cent J)

285 heavy smokers. 30-day intervention.

Superoxide anion radicals fell from 0.26 to 0.19 micromol/mL on 29.5 mL a day (p<0.01) and from 0.26 to 0.18 on 118 mL (p<0.001). Lipid hydroperoxides fell from 0.53 to 0.40 and from 0.55 to 0.40 (both p<0.001). The placebo group showed no significant change. Compared with placebo, only the lipid hydroperoxide difference was significant, at 32 percent lower (p<0.001); the superoxide difference from placebo was not. These are blood markers, not health outcomes. Critical caveat: industry-funded (Tahitian Noni International); independent peer-reviewed validation limited. The 'noni juice for everything' marketing has historically vastly exceeded the modest evidence base.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Liver safety: Several case reports of liver injury with noni juice, occasionally severe, including acute liver failure and at least one emergency liver transplant — use with caution and monitor liver function with regular use
High potassium content — noni juice contains significant potassium; caution in kidney disease or hyperkalemia
Unpleasant taste and smell — barrier to compliance
GI effects (loose stools, bloating) with large doses

Important Drug interactions

Warfarin — a case report describes warfarin losing its effect in a woman who drank noni juice; the cause was not established, and vitamin K in some noni products can oppose warfarin, so monitor INR if you use both
ACE inhibitors and potassium-sparing diuretics — noni's high potassium content creates hyperkalemia risk with these medications
Lithium — noni may affect lithium excretion; monitor lithium levels
Hepatotoxic medications — avoid combining given case reports of liver toxicity

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Frequently asked questions about Noni (Morinda citrifolia)

What is noni used for?

Noni is a tropical fruit (Morinda citrifolia), usually consumed as juice, marketed for immune support, energy, and general wellness in traditional Polynesian and modern use. It contains antioxidant compounds, and the human studies that exist measured antioxidant markers in the blood of heavy smokers.

What is noni good for?

It is traditionally used as a general tonic for immunity, energy, and wellbeing, and is studied for antioxidant activity. Human evidence for specific benefits is limited, so claims should be viewed cautiously.

How much noni should I take?

Noni juice is commonly taken at a few ounces per day; follow product labeling. It has a strong, pungent taste and smell that many find unpleasant.

Is noni safe?

Most people tolerate noni juice, but there are published case reports of liver injury, occasionally severe, including acute liver failure and at least one emergency liver transplant. Stop taking it and see a doctor if you get abdominal pain, dark urine or yellowing of the skin or eyes, and avoid it if you have a liver condition. It is high in potassium, so avoid it if you have kidney disease or take medication that affects potassium. It has not been studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding, so avoid it then as well.

What is Noni?

Noni is a tropical fruit tree native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands whose juice, fruit, leaves, and root have been used in traditional Polynesian medicine for over 2,000 years.

What is the recommended dosage of Noni?

The clinically studied dose is The human trials cited here used 29.5 mL or 118 mL of noni juice a day for about a month. Larger juice volumes and freeze-dried powders are sold, but no study cited here tested them. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Noni safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, Noni is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Liver safety: Several case reports of liver injury with noni juice, occasionally severe, including acute liver failure and at least one emergency liver transplant — use with caution and monitor liver function with regular use High potassium content — noni juice contains significa… It may also interact with some medications. Noni is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Noni interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Warfarin — a case report describes warfarin losing its effect in a woman who drank noni juice; the cause was not established, and vitamin K in some noni products can oppose warfarin, so monitor INR if you use both ACE inhibitors and potassium-sparing diuretics — noni's high potas… If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Noni?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Noni as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 1 clinical trial and 3 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(3 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. West BJ, Deng S, Isami F, Uwaya A, Jensen CJ The Potential Health Benefits of Noni Juice: A Review of Human Intervention Studies Foods. 2018;7(4):58. doi:10.3390/foods7040058.PubMedUsed to support: Narrative review of human intervention studies with noni juice; the paper describes no systematic search method, so it is not a systematic review. It gives background for the antioxidant claim. Its remarks about immune activity refer to studies that are not cited on this page, so it does not support an immune claim.
  2. Wang MY, Peng L, Weidenbacher-Hoper V, Deng S, Anderson G, West BJ Noni juice improves serum lipid profiles and other risk markers in cigarette smokers TheScientificWorldJournal. 2012;2012:594657. doi:10.1100/2012/594657.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial completed by 132 adult heavy smokers, who drank 29.5 mL or 118 mL of noni juice, or 118 mL of a fruit juice placebo, daily for one month. Noni juice significantly reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides and hs-CRP; homocysteine fell about 24 percent and HDL rose, both reported at p<0.05, and LDL fell mainly in participants whose baseline values were abnormal. The placebo group showed no significant change. Homocysteine and LDL are cardiovascular risk markers, not oxidative stress markers, and no antioxidant marker was measured here, so this supports the inflammatory marker claim in heavy smokers only. Funded by Morinda, Inc., the maker of the juice.
  3. Wang MY, Lutfiyya MN, Weidenbacher-Hoper V, Anderson G, Su CX, West BJ Antioxidant activity of noni juice in heavy smokers Chem Cent J. 2009;3:13. doi:10.1186/1752-153X-3-13.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 285 current heavy smokers over 30 days, with three arms: 118 mL placebo, 29.5 mL and 118 mL Tahitian Noni Juice. Superoxide anion radicals fell from 0.26 to 0.19 micromol/mL at 29.5 mL (p<0.01) and from 0.26 to 0.18 at 118 mL (p<0.001), and lipid hydroperoxides fell from 0.53 to 0.40 and from 0.55 to 0.40 (both p<0.001), with no significant change in the placebo group. Between groups, post-test lipid hydroperoxides were 32 percent lower than placebo (p<0.001), but the superoxide difference from placebo was not significant. This is the study described in the clinical trial card and the source of the antioxidant claim. Two authors were employees of Tahitian Noni International, a division of Morinda Holdings, Inc., the maker of the juice tested, and the lead author's institution received a company grant.