Strange Fruits: Noni the Vomit Fruit

I enjoy most fruits both for their taste and health benefits. But, I draw the line at one fruit in particular. I think you'll agree it's the ULTIMATE in strange fruits. What is it? The vomit fruit! I have to admit that this fruit scares me as I have a morbid fear of vomiting, so I hope to avoid an encounter with this less than appetizing member of the fruit family.

Where does the vomit fruit get its strange name? The scientific name of this unusual fruit is Morinda citrifolia or the Tahitian noni shrub, but is variously called the Indian mulberry fruit, cheesefruit, and, of course, the vomit fruit. This fruit is aptly named due odorous toxins it produces known as hexanoic acid and ictanoic acid which serve as defense mechanisms to keep predators from consuming it. For obvious reasons, this is a pretty effective deterrent!

One of its main predators, the fly, is smarter than we give it credit for. Most flies skillfully avoid the fruit of this malodorous plant since the toxins produced by the plant kill the flies rather quickly. There is one exception to this rule in the insect world. The Dresophila sechellia fly for some ungodly reason, can't resist feasting on the strange vomit plant.

Scientists were curious as to why the vomit plant appealed so strongly to Dresophila sechellia. They carried out a study which showed it's preference for the plant to be genetic, meaning its born with a love for this strange plant. I sure am glad I'm not a Dresophila!

Here's the really strange aspect of the story. The juice of the vomit plant is actually being marketed to humans as noni juice which is purported to have health benefits. Supposedly the juice from this plant has anti-inflammatory effects and may help to stop the growth of certain cancers. Purportedly, the juice from the vomit plant has a long history of being used for medicinal purposes dating back to early times.

Interestingly enough, the Australian aborigines and the people of southeast Asia eat the fruit of this plant raw, seasoned with salt and just a touch of curry. This leads me to wonder what would happen if a restaurant placed this delicacy on the buffet line? It would be a great way to
keep people from overeating.Could this be a quick and easy solution for obesity?

You can rest assured in this world of strange food preferences, there's going to be someone out there who has a penchant for the taste of the delightful vomit plant. It just goes to show you, it takes all kinds!