McClatcheyFrom Polynesian Healers to Health Food Stores From Polynesian Healers to Health Food Stores: Changing Perspectives

Morinda citrifolia L (noni) is one of the most important tradi-tional Polynesian medicinal plants. Remedies from isolated Polynesian cultures, such as that of Rotuma, illustrate tradi-tional indications that focus upon leaves, roots, bark, and green fruit, primarily for topical ailments. Anecdotally col-lected Hawaiian remedies that employ noni fruit illustrate changing usage patterns with shifts in recent times to prepa-ration of juice made of ripe or decaying fruit. Ralph M. Heinicke promoted a wide range of claims about noni, and these seem to have fueled much of the current commercial interest in the plant. Recent studies of the proliferation of commercial products have shown that noni product manu-facturers are promoting a range of therapeutic claims. These claims are based upon traditional Polynesian uses, Heinicke’s ideas, and fragments of recent scientific studie