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Herb library · Herb · Morinda citrifolia

Noni

A small tropical tree whose pungent fruit is sold worldwide as noni juice. Only a very small number of studies have been done in people, none has shown a benefit for any health condition, and a few people have developed serious liver injury after drinking it.

Serious warning

LiverTox rates noni a probable rare cause of liver injury: acute hepatitis has appeared 2 to 8 weeks after starting noni juice, some cases severe enough to cause liver failure, and at least one needed an emergency liver transplant.

Traditional use

Used for centuries as food and medicine in Polynesia and Southeast Asia, where roots, bark, leaves, flowers and fruit were all used for colds, infections, fevers and stomach problems. In Trinidad, where it is also called pain bush, the ripe-fruit juice is taken for diabetes and as a "cooling" drink and the leaves are used for pain. Marketed today for immunity, digestion, energy and aging skin.

What studies show

  • Insufficient

    NCCIH: only a very small number of studies have looked at noni in people, and it has not been shown to have beneficial effects on any health condition. Lab studies (antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-tumor) suggest it may be worth studying.

  • Insufficient

    Cancer: LiverTox notes that in clinical trials noni has yet to be shown to have anticancer activity.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • NoteNoni juice might be safe for up to 3 months, but cases of liver injury have been reported after several weeks of noni juice or tea. It is unclear whether noni caused them.
  • ConditionNoni contains a lot of potassium. People with kidney disease or on a potassium-restricted diet should talk with their clinician before using it.
  • InteractionIt may be unsafe with medicines that raise potassium, lower blood pressure or can harm the liver.
  • NoteThere isn't enough reliable information to know whether noni fruit extract, or noni used on the skin, is safe.
  • PregnancyLittle is known about whether it is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Talk with your clinician first.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

Sources

  1. Noni: Usefulness and Safety (opens in a new tab) · NCCIH · read September 25, 2026
  2. Noni — LiverTox (NCBI Bookshelf) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  3. An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in Trinidad (J Ethnobiol Ethnomed, 2015) — full text on PubMed Central (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  4. Comparison of plants used for skin and stomach problems in Trinidad and Tobago with Asian ethnomedicine (J Ethnobiol Ethnomed, 2007) — full text on PubMed Central (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.