Indian mulberry is commonly called Noni. It is also called Dibri-Apra, Mengkudu and Patjé. Indian mulberry is a highly beneficial bush in Ayurveda. It helps in treatment of various ailments. Leaves, fruits and roots are used for medicinal purpose as they are found to be sedative.
The fruit contains various phytochemicals such as lignans, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, iridoids, flavonoids, fatty acids, catechin, scopoletin, damnacanthal, beta-sitosterol and alkaloids. The botanical name of Indian mulberry is Morinda citrifolia and it belongs to family Rubiaceae. Various health benefits of Indian mulberry are discussed in this article.
Indian Mulberry Health Benefits
Health benefits of Indian mulberry or Noni are as follows:
- Joint pains — The fruit is used to treat various pains in joints.
- Immune problems — Noni enhances the body’s immunity.
- Body pains – It is also an effective cure for pain relief.
- Cancer — Recent studies reveal that the fruit inhibits cancer cell formation. It also helps activate the immunity of the body. Researches also show that intake of Indian mulberry juice can revert the cancerous cells to non-cancerous state.
- Tuberculosis — Research studies in Philippines show that some phytosterols found in Indian mulberry can effectively kill tuberculosis bacteria.
- Cough — Leaves are heated and applied on chest to treat nausea, cough and colic.
- Lumbago — Fruit of Indian mulberry is used to cure lumbago, dysentery and asthma.
- Leaves and roots of the plant are used to treat fever as a health tonic.
- Leaves, bark, fruits and flowers of Indian mulberry are used to treat various eye problems, throat and gum problems, respiratory and skin problems. These are also used to cure stomach pains, constipation and post delivery pains.
The above are some of the health benefits of Indian mulberry. The fruit is rich in various health enzymes and alkaloids, thus it promotes good health.
