A recent report shows that a Tahitian fruit juice called as Noni Juice can reduce total cholesterol and triglycerides in smokers. This fruit juice is extracted from the fruit Morinda Citrifolia, which has ancient medicinal usage and is used for treating ailments of different diseases in different places. In India and China it is used for treating dysentery and asthma, in Hawaii it is used to heal cuts, boils and broken bones and in Malaysia it is used to cure urinary problems and menstrual disorders. The fruit leaves and bark is used to cure many diseases and this time it is infused in a juice to reduce the cholesterol levels in smokers.
A study by the researchers of American Heart Association’s 46th annual conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, held in Phoenix, Arizona, revealed that the study involving 132 current smokers with serum cholesterol levels higher than 190 mg/dL, between 20 and 60 years of age, were given 1 to 4 ounces of noni juice or 2 ounces of a placebo juice daily for one month. The level of Triglycerides in the latter group did not show much change but in the former group the level fell from 242.5 mg/dL to 193.5 mg/dL. Lead investigator Dr. Mian-Ying Wang told Reuters Health that:
It may decrease or eliminate the need for medication to lower cholesterol. The effects may be seen as early as one week after drinking it. Patients report feeling more energetic and we were surprised to find that 15% lost their desire to smoke. We don’t know what that means.
AHA spokesperson said:
The findings intriguing and said the study is a rare example of good research on a dietary supplement or food that makes health claims. Supplement stores are full of products that make health claims that aren’t backed up by science. This study was only a first step, but it is a step in the right direction.
However the AHA researchers say that further tests are required to understand the risks and benefits of the product and amazingly for this very purpose Dr. Mian-Ying Wang has received $800,000 in grants from Utah-based Morinda Corp. What can be said is that there is no harm in trying the beverage if it can cure multifarious diseases and you don’t have to be a smoker for that.
