Monday, November 30, 2015

Noni Fruit, Potassium, and You

Morinda citrifolia, also known as Noni fruit, is a powerful food for healing. But recently, Noni has come under fire for the high levels of potassium it contains, which can be dangerous to some people. I want to address what small risk there is, clear up some misconceptions, and assure you that for most people, Noni fruit is beneficial in part because of its potassium levels.
Here are some facts about potassium, Noni fruit, and how they interact in your body.

Noni Fruit is a Good Source of Potassium

One of the many beneficial compounds in raw Noni fruit is potassium. Potassium is very important for the body, and the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get 4.7 grams of potassium a day. That’s quite a bit!
For comparison, apples contain .2 grams of potassium, bananas contain .5 grams, and one serving of Hawaiian Organic Noni fruit leather contains .06 grams. If your body processes potassium normally, you’d have to eat a LOT of Noni Fruit Leather to even reach the recommended daily value, much less exceed it!
Here are just a few of the benefits of potassium in the body:
  • Reduced risk of stroke
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Protects against loss of muscle mass
  • Preservation of bones
  • Reduced risk of kidney stones
Symptoms of potassium deficiency include weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps, bloating, constipation, cardiac arrhythmia, and more.
For most people, the challenge is getting enough potassium, not worrying about getting too much.

Click here to learn why too much potassium can be dangerous for some people

Not All Noni Products are Created Equal

All of the cases linking Noni with dangerous levels of blood potassium were cases of individuals taking Noni juice. None of these cases are related to raw Noni, or Noni Fruit Leather made from raw Noni pulp. There are a lot of reasons why this is the case.
Noni juice is usually mixed with other kinds of fruit juice, or artificially sweetened to mask the taste. The added sugars cause blood sugar spikes, which actually weaken the kidneys. Diabetes is a huge risk factor for kidney disease, and people who have diabetes or who are at risk shouldn’t drink fruit juices with added sugar.
But Noni fruit leather contains no added sugars at all, and actually improves body’s ability to process potassium.  Research has identified over 165 beneficial compounds in the raw pulp of Noni Fruit.  Noni Fruit Leather from Hawaiian Organic Noni is raw food to feed the cells of the body. It contains compounds that normalize blood pressure, strengthen the heart, and fight diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar levels.
These benefits can even help get you off some of those medications that artificially raise blood potassium levels!
Noni juice is also fermented in order to preserve it, a process which destroys many of these beneficial compounds. It’s easy to see how Noni juice could worsen the body’s ability to process potassium, by causing blood sugar spikes and not supporting the kidneys and heart.
But Noni Fruit Leather is a raw, whole food, containing beneficial levels of potassium. Potassium is necessary for a healthy body, and many people are deficient in it. For most people, Noni is a great supplement for many nutrients, including potassium.

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