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The cultural and food industry attracts many scammers. Humanity is trying to sell completely ineffective goji berries or infusions of common weeds under the guise of a valuable food product. Such stuffing is accompanied by beautiful and very convincing advertising, which hundreds of thousands of people peck at. The excitement gradually subsides, and it is replaced by disappointment in an “empty” purchase. A similar story happened with noni juice. What is the drink like: a real healing discovery or another failed marketing ploy?
General product characteristics
Noni is an alternative name for citrus morinda (Morinda citrifolia). This is a tree from the Rubiaceae family, which grows in South Asia. Mankind has spread the tree throughout the South Pacific region for extensive purposes – development through depletion, not the production of natural forces. Planting and caring for the plant did not require significant capital investments, so the scale of breeding turned out to be colossal.
Botanical description
Morinda citrus prefers shady forests and open sandy/rocky shores. It is unpretentious to external conditions, therefore it can develop and produce a quality crop in almost any area. The plant takes root even on volcanic, saline and calcareous soils. Morinda grows up to 7 meters in height, and the depth of the roots reaches an average of 20 meters. Flowering and fruit formation occurs all year round, regardless of the season. The leaves of the plant are painted in a deep emerald hue. The center of the leaf is dotted with large veins that can be easily felt. The flowers are miniature, painted white. From the flowers, oval fruits are gradually formed, the shape of which resembles a medium-sized potato. There are many small seeds hidden inside noni. Unripe fruits are light green in color. As it matures, the shade changes to white or dusty yellow. Initially dense and tight skin gradually becomes transparent.
Noni fruit is edible. Their taste palette is unattractive and not everyone will like it. The fruit exudes a sharp aroma, which is very similar to the smell of spoiled cheese. The taste of noni is bitter and completely unremarkable. Despite this, the fruits of morinda citrus are included in the menu of most inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The product is eaten and prepared in Fiji, Samoa and Rarotonga. Locals claim that, despite the nasty smell, noni gives strength and makes you forget about the feeling of hunger.
What’s wrong with noni juice
prehistory
The distribution of a newfangled product took place according to the classical scheme of promoting any product in the network business. The first was TNI, which hired dozens of sales consultants. Independent consultants called or wrote to potential clients, told them about the new product, described its benefits, and closed/did not close the deal.
The founders of TNI created a whole multi-level structure that attracted both new buyers and independent consultants. The markup set for the product exceeded the real cost of noni juice by several times. It is not known for certain whether TNI bought fruits or bought ready-made juice, but the market price was obviously too high.
What can noni juice do?
The manufacturing company claimed that the juice improves metabolism, speeds up metabolism and acts as a detox drink. It was argued that noni juice removes pathogenic microflora from the body better than any medication. Another advantage of a promoted network product is fat burning. The advertisement said that you can get rid of extra centimeters at the waist with the help of fruit liquid, and not with a stepper.
What are the pseudo beneficial properties of the product due to? The manufacturer assured that the composition contains the active substance proxeronine. After entering the body, the component reacts with enzymes and brain cells. As a result of this interaction, the body is rejuvenated, the mind becomes cleaner, brain activity is more active, and the person is healthier and happier.
If you already want to buy noni juice – do not rush to conclusions. Modern science is not familiar with such a component as proxeronine and its possible effects on the human brain. The miracle alkaloid proxeronine, according to the manufacturer, was discovered by a certain Ralph Heinicke. The scientist investigated bromelain, a component that is part of pineapple. A few years earlier, they tried to present bromelain as a quality weight loss tool, but nothing came of it – science turned out to be stronger and more authoritative than the network business. In the case of noni juice, an incident occurred. Since the “discovery” of Ralph Heinicke, not a single scientist has been able to get proxeronine or even come close to discovering it.
Neither the chemical formula nor the mechanism of action of proxeronine was presented either by the manufacturer or by Heinicke himself. The only officially recognized fact of the existence and benefits of noni juice is a patent that could well have been bought.
The fall of the network system
The unprecedented and inexplicable success of noni juice on the market caused not only bewilderment, but also envy. The number of independent consultants was in the thousands, and there were people on the horizon who wanted easy money. The company had hordes of competitors that were impossible to keep. Competitors reduced prices, offered crazy promotions and gifts.
TNI decided to create anti-advertising to competitors as soon as possible. TNI stated that only their juice prolongs life and gives people happiness, while the product of rivals, on the contrary, inhibits all physiological processes of the body. Intimidation did not lead to anything – the pressure from the outside only intensified.
During the most fierce battles, a very funny advertisement came out. NSP claimed that their noni juice was 6 times more immune stimulating than their competitors’ juice.
The advertising campaign turned out to be really merciless. Independent curators liked to show potential buyers special videos. They featured interviews with people who have beaten cancer, AIDS and other serious illnesses thanks to noni juice. Of course, the videos were staged, and their heroes were absolutely healthy actors.
Scientific explanation
Even during the hysteria around the juice, scientists began to investigate the newfangled product. The first was the University of Hawaii, whose representatives did not find traces of proxeronine in noni (scientists were very surprised at the existence of an unknown alkaloid) and did not notice anything special in the composition at all. A study “Nutritional Analysis of Hawaiian Noni (Pure Noni Fruit Juice)” appeared on the university website, which confirmed the absurdity of the network scheme. Also, information about the component composition of the fruit “Nutritional Analysis of Hawaiian Noni (Noni Fruit Powder)” has become publicly available.
Later, the US Department of Agriculture joined the discussion. They explained that noni juice turned out to be no more useful than tap water, and myths about its healing properties can be associated with the folk traditions of local natives.
Scientists were booed by people who consumed noni juice and noticed clear results. People referred to the fact that they began to look better, completely stopped getting sick and feel an incredible influx of strength. Scientists have found a simple explanation for this phenomenon – the placebo effect. Considering the amount that a person paid for noni juice, it was simply impossible not to believe and not feel its “healing” properties.
In 2000, representatives of the US Federal Consumer Protection Institute made an official presentation. They argued that the very useful alkaloid from noni juice is unknown to either biochemistry or medicine. Representatives pointed out that this is part of a criminal plan to sell noni juice and increase its popularity among consumers.
In 2008, the Committee for Products of the European Commission finally confirmed the uselessness of the fruit and its derivatives. The Committee recognized all the data provided by the manufacturer as a lie that has no scientific basis.
The network pyramid collapsed very quickly, and people finally took off their rose-colored glasses. Do not trust blind advertising! Make a choice only on the basis of confirmed scientific facts that are accepted by the world community. Be careful and healthy!