Early claims in the 1990s that Noni was a powerful disease fighting agent quickly grabbed the attention of the US Food and Drug Administration.  Unfortunately, the miraculous health claims were based primarily on undocumented reports and little or no scientific evidence.  The FDA had not approved Noni for medical use, and the agency began taking a serious look at the companies making these “false” and potentially dangerous claims.

In 1998, charges of making false claims were brought against a multi-level marketing company that manufactured a very popular brand of Noni juice.  The company claimed that their product could treat, cure or prevent numerous diseases, including diabetes, depression, hemorrhoids and arthritis. They were ordered to stop advertising these health claims until they could provide scientific evidence and receive approval from the FDA.

In that same year, Finland’s National Food Administration banned the sale, marketing or importation of Noni juice until a network marking company, responsible for the distribution of Noni juice throughout Finland, removed claims that Noni prevented, treated, or cured illness from their advertising materials.  The brochure claimed that Noni juice cured, prevented or treated HIV, cancer, diabetes, rheumatism, blood pressure, cholesterol, psoriasis, allergies, heart rhythm abnormality, chronic inflammation, and aching joints.

The FDA warned several more companies in 2002 to stop making false claims that Noni could cure, treat, or prevent disease, since proof of such abilities had still not been submitted to the FDA.  However, these claims are still widely made by manufacturers and distributors. 

In 2003, Noni juice was approved by the European Commission as a novel food – but not licensed for medical or therapeutic use.

In August 2004, the FDA sent a warning to another company over their web site promotion of Noni juice as a medical product.

In September 2006, the FDA contacted another Internet distributor, and advised that he was in violation of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act for making claims that his Noni products were “intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease.”  The FDA advised the distributor that Noni had not been approved by their agency, and that the products advertised on his site were not “not generally recognized as safe and effective" for the various conditions listed.  

Hepatitis Investigations
In 2005, two scientific publications described incidents of acute hepatitis reportedly caused by ingesting Noni, and the European Union’s Food Safety Agency (EFSA) initiated an evaluation of current Noni products. In September 2006, the EFSA reported that they found no “convincing evidence for a causal relationship between the acute hepatitis observed in the case reports and the consumption of Noni juice.” 

However, the FDA does not appear to support these findings. The FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research web site features a presentation given by Dr. Leonard B. Seeff of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in May 2007.  In his report, Dr. Seeff notes that several drugs have been reported with some frequency to cause AIH (autoimmune hepatitis), making it likely that the relationship is real. One of these drugs listed under herbals is “morinda citrifolia” or Noni juice. If these findings prove true, Noni may never be approved by the FDA.

And so the Noni controversy continues. No Noni products have been licensed by the FDA for any medical or therapeutic use.

Despite the controversy over potential health benefits, Noni juice has become increasing popular, and is now available in most health food stores, along with Noni capsules and powders.  Today, Noni juice is one of the top selling wellness products in the world.

For more information on FDA investigations, click here.

From Noni and the FDA to Noni Home

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for treatment of any health problem. As with any herbal or dietary supplement, talk to your doctor before making Noni juice or Noni supplements a part of your regular diet.

Copyright 2007 - NoniBenefit.com