Acai vs. Noni

The noni fruit and the acai berry are extremely popular in the United States and are called "superfruits" among dieticians and other health experts. The acai berry is grown in tall palms in the Brazil's Amazon rainforest. The noni fruit grows on an evergreen shrub commonly produced in the volcanic soils of Hawaii, but the shrub originated in French Polynesia. Although there are no known side effects of these "superfruits" that differ from any other fruit, scientific research is still being conducted to prove its effectiveness on human health. However, both the acai berry and the noni fruit are healthy foods to incorporate into your diet.

Taste

• The acai berry has a sweet taste and the fresh berry resembles the flavor of red wine combined with chocolate. The noni fruit is bitter in taste and even bears the nickname the "cheese fruit" due to its strong and unpleasant odor.

Healing

• The noni fruit is known for its antibacterial components that are especially beneficial for intestinal infections such as E. coli. Although there are claims that it holds other healing properties, there is no scientific proof of a high abundance of other nutrients. The acai berry is very potent in antioxidants as well as all of the omega fatty acids essential for heart and mental health.

Edibility

• All parts of the noni fruit are edible. Unfortunately, the fresh acai berry is only 10-percent pulp; the rest is a hard seed.

Folk Remedies

• Both the noni fruit and the acai berry have been used for centuries as healing agents. The acai berry was used as an anti-aging tool while the noni was also used topically to cure infections on the skin and even thought to heal broken bones.

Vitamins

• Acai berry has vitamins B1, B2, B3, E and C. The noni fruit contains small amounts of vitamins, but its most prevalent vitamin is vitamin C, though it doesn't contain as much as an orange.