NONI FRUIT - POSSIBLY AMAZING: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF NONI FRUIT

NONI, INDIAN MULBERRY, MORINDA CITRIFOLIA

Noni fruit has been used for medicine, as has the rest of the tree, in the Polynesian islands for more than 2,000 years, and with such a long history of use, it has to be safe for human consumption, although on some islands it is used for animal feed. One can see why it got the name Indian Mulberry as at first sight, if you don’t think of the size of the fruit, it looks like a white mulberry. The trees grow to between 4 and 16 metres high.

M. citrifolia var. potteri

  There are different varieties of noni trees and one has white and green leaves; this one is Morinda citrifolia var potteri and grows on Hawaii. There are many myths about the efficacy of the Morinda citrifolia trees and the one which illustrates the potency noni is thought to have comes from Tonga. The myth says that the leaves from the tree were placed on the corpse of the god Maui and he was restored to life.

  Traditionally the fruit has been used for a variety of purposes, the unripe green fruit is crushed and applied to sores and herpes scabs around the mouth, and mashed it is used as a gargle for sore throats. Crushed unripe fruit is also used to heal peeling skin and chaps on the hands and feet, and to get rid of parasites around old wounds as well as for oral problems including toothache; it is also used as a stimulant for the appetite and brain. It may also be used in poultices which are applied to boils, rheumatic joints and chests of TB sufferers as well as to sprains and to bring out discolouration after deep bruising. The oil from the seeds is used for stomach ulcers. Juice from the fruit is used to cleanse badly infected cuts.

  The trunk of the tree is used for canoe parts and paddles, as well as handles for axes and other implements, as well as for firewood and for the red-purple dye which can be extracted from the bark. A decoction of the bark is used in cases of jaundice. At one time scientists feared that the anthraquinones in the fruit might cause liver damage, but this was subsequently proved not to be the case.

  The infusion of the flowers is used to get rid of sties around the eyes, while the thick roots are used for carvings and to produce a yellow dye. The dyes obtained from the tree are used in batik.

  The leaves have been used as food for silk worms, and in cooking to wrap and flavour meat. They are also good for animal fodder and are placed on the head to cure headaches, burns and fevers. They are also made into a tisane or tea, and scientists agree that they are safe for human consumption.

  The unripe fruit has also been used to stop menstrual cramps and is used as an emmenagogue and de-obstructant on some islands. Oil which can be extracted from the bark was once used to get rid of head lice and other insects in the hair.

  The fruit is used as a famine food mainly although it is a staple in some diets. In South-East Asia it is eaten raw with salt as it is by the Aborigines in Australia. In some places it is cooked and eaten in curry sauces. It is a bitter tasting fruit even when ripe.

  Captain James Cook recorded seeing the fruit being eaten raw in Tahiti during his voyages in the 18^th century. Since then the world of Complementary and Alternative medicine has attempted to show that the fruit and juice of this tree has amazing health benefits, claiming variously that it can help in the treatment of addictions, ADD/ADHD (attention deficit disorders), AIDS, various cancers, jet lag and so on. None of these claims have been proven however. It is also claimed that the fruit and parts of the tree have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, that it can help reduce high blood pressure and reduce stress, cure chronic fatigue, and enhance the functioning of the immune system. Many of these claims have been made by the manufacturers of noni juice.

  The facts are that some new substances have been found in the tree and these are under investigation. The USFDA does not approve the use of noni for any diseases and does not recognize its effectiveness.

  Noni juice contains about half the vitamin C of a navel orange, vitamin B3 (niacin), has a lot of the minerals potassium, iron and calcium; contains rutin, which is also found in rue and which is known to have medicinal benefits, linoleic acid, and other fatty acids, amino acids, flavonoids, beta-sitosterol, carotene, catechin and alkaloids among other things. It is a member of the Rubiaceae family of plants which makes it a relation of Kadamb, cleavers, coffee, cinchonca, and a distant relation of sweet woodruff, madder and yellow bedstraw.

  It is possible that noni and the Morinda trees have amazing medicinal benefits for us, but be wary of any claims made about products from it now, as they have not been substantiated.

  

IRISH MOSS (CARRAGEEN) - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES

IRISH MOSS, CARRAGEEN, CHONDRUS CRISPUS

In fact Irish moss isn’t a moss but a seaweed, like laverbread. It gets its name from a place Carrageen in south east Ireland, and in Irish Gaelic its name is carraigin which means “moss of the rock”- so it became Irish moss. Like other algae it is full of nutrients and has been eaten in Ireland since at least 400 AD. It helped the Irish in times of famine and was discovered by Irish immigrants on the coast of Canada, so it has a long history of use on both sides of the Atlantic. It grows on rocks as far south as Portugal in Europe and is used extensively in the food industry.

  However it is also a herbal remedy for coughs, colds and bronchial complaints as a tisane. The same tisane can be used for skin complaints as it is an anti-inflammatory. It has demulcent and emollient properties and soothes irritated skin, so is useful for complaints such as eczema. A preparation of the seaweed as a gel can help to prevent STDs and is a microbicide in vitro against the herpes simplex virus and others.

  Like other algae, Irish Moss is full of health-giving nutrients and is a good source of iodine, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and other minerals as well as containing some B-complex vitamins and vitamin A.

  There have been some concerns regarding the use of carrageen, but it is Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) by the FDA, at least the kind used in the food industry has this rating. It is used like agar agar (another algae) as a vegetarian thickening and gelling agent in ice cream yoghurt, jellies, chocolate products and dairy products as well as in processed meats as a fat substitute.

  Research is still ongoing into the properties of this alga which is eaten traditionally by the Irish with potatoes or cabbage.

HOW TO MAKE TASTY CRISPY CHIPS OR FRENCH FRIES

TASTY CRISPY CHIPS OR FRENCH FRIES

If you have wondered how chefs make their chips so crispy and tasty, here is their secret.

Ingredients

½ kilo potatoes, sliced into chips

3 tbsps white vinegar

1 tsp salt

oregano and freshly ground black pepper to taste

oil for deep-frying

Method

In a bowl mix the salt and white vinegar in cold water and leave to soak for half an hour.

Drain off the water and dry the chips on absorbent paper.

Heat the oil and drop the chips into it carefully.

Fry until the chips float and become crunchy.

Remove the chips and allow to drain and dry on absorbent paper.

Sprinkle black pepper and oregano over the chips and salt if desired.

Serve immediately.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

PEPPERMINT - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: PEPPERMINT- CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES RECIPE

PEPPERMINT, MENTHA X PIPERITA

Although Pliny writes about peppermint adorning heads and tables during feasts in Ancient Greece and Rome, this might not have been the herb we know as peppermint. The ancients used it for food and to flavour wine, and it is thought that the ancient Egyptians may have cultivated. It is a member of the mint family or Labiatae or Lamiaceae family and is in fact a cross between Mentha aquatica (water mint) and Mentha spicata (garden mint). It was first recognized as a separate species in Britain in 1676, but its medicinal qualities were soon made known and it got into the London Pharmacopoeia in 1721. There are in fact two types of this mint, Mentha vulgaris or black peppermint and Mentha officinalis, white mint. It is certainly native to Britain and also to other parts of the world as this hybrid is the result of natural cross breeding.

   It was used as a strewing herb because it is loathsome to rats and mice and repels insects, making it useful in times when hygiene was not as it is in most countries now. It is used to make medicine more palatable for children and in oral hygiene product such as mouth wash. It is also found in chest rubs, as the essential oil of peppermint contains menthol. It is used both in the pharmaceutical industry and the food industry and also in the perfume industry. The essential oil found in the leaves has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.

  An ointment made from peppermint cools and soothes irritated skin, and the herb is useful in cases of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Peppermint tea can be made from the chopped herb wither dry or fresh and this relieves flatulence and colic and aids digestion. It is a good tisane to use if you have eaten a lot, especially after over-indulging in a Thanksgiving meal or any other of our traditional winter festivals. Peppermint widens the blood vessels and so reduces blood pressure, and the tea was once used for heart palpitations and for hysteria and nervous problems.

  The leaves contain vitamins A and C as well as vitamin B 2, riboflavin, and also the minerals iron, copper, potassium, calcium and magnesium, along with folate and dietary fibre.

  The tisane can help promote sweating and warm the body, and is said to get rid of colds within two days. For the tisane you need an ounce of the dried herb to 1 pint of boiling water leaves it to steep for 15 minutes and to this you can add both milk and sugar or honey as you would in black tea. Equal amounts of peppermint, yarrow and elder flowers can also be made into a tea for digestive purposes, while for nervous disorders, peppermint and wood betony can be mixed in equal amounts. For insomnia a traditional remedy, to drink just before going to bed is 1 oz of finely chopped peppermint, ½ an ounce or rue and ½ an ounce of wood betony. Pour boiling water over a heaped tablespoon of these herbs in a cup and leaves for 20 mins, then strain and drink warm.

  However I love the taste of peppermint chocolate truffles and here is one of my favourite winter recipes. They are good to finish off a celebratory meal.

PEPPERMINT - CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Ingredients

1 cup roughly chopped peppermint leaves

1 cup double cream

14 oz dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

2 lbs white chocolate, broken into small pieces

Method

You don’t need the white chocolate until the day after you have made the dark chocolate and peppermint filling.

Start with the cream and mint leaves, and combine them in a saucepan and bring the cream to just below simmering point.

Turn off the heat and leaves for 30 minutes so that the mint is infused into the cream. Strain the cream and squeeze all of it off the mint leaves before discarding them.

Gently reheat the cream to just below a simmer and strain this onto the chopped dark chocolate which you have put into a heat-proof bowl. Allow to settle for 1 or 2 minutes then gently stir so that the cream melts the chocolate. If this doesn’t happen completely, put the bowl over a pan of just simmering water and stir until all the chocolate lumps have melted.

Pour the filling into a small bowl and when cool cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, the mixture will be firm, Melt the white chocolate gently and with a melon baller scoop out the mint and dark chocolate filling.

Make the filling round by rubbing it between your palms and using a thin skewer or fork dip the ball in the melted white chocolate and place on a tray covered with grease-proof paper or parchment paper for cooking. Do this until the filling is used up and refrigerate until the chocolate has set.

Put the truffles in an airtight container and store in the fridge until needed.

These have Taste and really are a Treat.