For those of you who have read my posts over the past year, I hope I have impressed upon you the importance of feeding your birds a nutritious, healthful diet. Anyone who knows me, or has contacted me with questions about certain products has learned quickly that I hate everything. I could never bring myself to suggest a product that I know falls short of its claims, or worse, might actually harm a bird.  I don’t recommend commercial supplements, in large part because of their questionable ingredients, but mainly because I have never found anything that could stack up against a fresh food diet. I have said that all the love, foraging opportunities and enrichment you offer goes to waste if your bird is not feeling well and is without energy as a result of a poor diet.

I have complained a number of times about the iffy eating habits of my umbrella cockatoo, Linus.  For those of you struggling with this problem despite doing the right things, I do understand. Everyday I serve Linus his fresh fruits and vegetables, and more often than I can bear, the dish is removed later in the day untouched.  Every once in a while, I find his dish nearly empty. Before I throw a parade, I check the cage bottom, the floor, the walls and finally the stainless steel bucket attached to the side of his cage, where I often find the missing broccoli.  It is frustrating and worrisome.

The more I look into good nutrition for my birds, the more concerned I become about the foods available to us today.  Did you know that produce today has 25-50% FEWER nutrients than produce grown in the 1960’s? That number will only decline as our environment worsens and as business practices are left unchecked. The fresh foods we DO manage to get into our birds are sub-standard.  I recently have felt near the end of the road in my search to provide Linus with the balance he lacks and the rest of my birds with the ultimate diet.  A friend, who distributes the product, suggested I try Tahitian Noni Juice.

I figured: Why not? I’ve tried everything else.  I looked into the product, and couldn’t find any reason not to try it, but to be honest, I really ordered that first bottle to be supportive of my friend’s business and because she’s such an all-around great gal. I decided, however, to try it myself for a couple of weeks while I did further research and before offering it to Linus.

So that you understand the depth of my skepticism, I read up on the fruit and the plant, grown on pristine volcanic islands in the South Pacific, and how it has been used medicinally by ancient Polynesians for thousands of years. I learned that the leaf of the plant has been used to heal wounds, was applied to broken bones and used as skin care. I looked into the company’s manufacturing and the pasteurization process of the fruit, which they are very forthcoming about. I found they have put over $500 million into noni research since 1996.  I read every word of their unprecedented 14 human clinical trials.  Please trust me when I tell you I did my homework.  I was amazed by the countless stories of improved health.

As we are beaten down every day by stress, the environment, and the poor quality of foods we put into our systems, Tahitian Noni’s bioactive ingredients attach themselves to our cells to repair them, enhance them and maintain them to give support while they do the job they were meant to do. The noni’s claim to fame, however, are bioactive compounds called iridoids (I’d never heard of them either). An iridoid is an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antispasmodic, antitumor, antiviral, and immunomodulator. Further, iridoids have “smart” adaptogenic properties.  This means that they go to task with the areas of your body that need support. How they benefit you might be entirely different from how they serve me.  It all depends on the individual’s needs and deficiencies. The medicinal capabilities of iridoids are too many to list. This is the big point of difference between noni and other “superfruits” like acai and mangosteen.

The Tahitian Noni company doesn’t deny or try to hide the fact that vitamins and nutrients are lost during the pasteurization process, a process all juices must go through to eliminate harmful bacterias. It is a fact, however, that the iridoids, which are found in enormous quantity in the noni fruit, unlike flavenoids and carotenoids found in all fruits, are unharmed by heat, air and time. You get the full benefit, always, which other juices can’t claim. This is why they call it a bioactive beverage, and not a juice.

The proof of their claims came to me within two days. I felt energized and didn’t feel the need for my usual several cups of coffee to get me through the day.  I wasn’t surprised, in fact, I expected this.  My research had already told me this would be the very least I could expect.  What I didn’t anticipate was that in the the first two weeks, I was sleeping better, the leg cramps that were plaguing me were gone and my vision actually improved.  My thought process seemed somehow clearer and, along with a couple of other benefits that are just too TMI to mention here, I felt great and my performance at work improved. This was the point where I decided to start Linus on it.

Tahitian Noni Original doesn’t taste good.  If you’re expecting Welch’s grape juice, well, just don’t. The great thing is that only a couple of ounces a day gets the job done for most people. The taste, however, is perfect for parrots because they like bitter things.  I still expected to be showered with Linus’s first dose. He tentatively licked the end of the syringe, then I heard a loud “Mmmmm” and he opened wide.  By now he is requesting it.  He calls it: “Mmmm juice”, or actually “Mmmm Oot”, which is pretty darn close.  I have started all of the birds on it.

He’s been on it for over a month and I can already see a lustrous improvement in his, and all of the bird’s feathering.  Further, and most importantly, I can see that he feels good.  There is a twinkle in his eye now, that hasn’t always been there.  Granted, when I see that twinkle, he is usually about to get into some mischief that will ultimately land him behind bars, but as I’ve said before: a naughty bird is a happy bird, and a happy bird is a healthy bird.

I can finally, without hesitation, recommend a product that fulfills its claims and then some.  Tahitian Noni is worth its weight in gold for you and your parrots, especially those who are finicky and inconsistent with.their diet. I am so grateful to have found something to help ease my concerns, and very excited about how quickly I have seen such great results.  Please feel free to contact me  at maginux@hotmail.com if you are interested in learning more, or visit their website.

Author Patty Jourgensen specializes in avian health, behavior and nutrition and has been working with and caring for rescue birds since 1987.