Who is Dr. Ralph Heinicke?

Dr. Heinicke’s father lost his sight in his early twenties and suffered from a rare joint disease that left him bed-ridden and eventually led to his death at 34. Dr. Heinicke admits that his father’s early death was a great motivator in his future work as a scientist.

After graduating from Cornell University in 1936 with a special interest in plant physiology, Dr. Heinicke joined the army and continued his education in electrical engineering at the University of Kentucky, Lexington. It was here that he met his wife, Ann, whom he married after an eighteen-month courtship.

Shortly after getting married, Ralph was shipped out on assignment and stationed in China, Burma, and India. He took every opportunity he could to interact with people and their cultures. (It was in part this interest in culture that eventually led Ralph to explore the traditional uses of noni.)

Later Ralph went on to receive his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota. He lived in Hawaii from 1950 to 1986 doing research for the Dole Pineapple Company, the Pineapple Research Institute, and the University of Hawaii. During this time he was published in several scientific journals for his pioneering research on enzymes found in plants and fruits. This same research led Ralph to search out other food sources that could be used as supplements and that offered real, substantial benefits.

While in Hawaii, Ralph became fascinated with all the stories and traditions surrounding the noni plant. “I feel strongly that as scientists we dismiss the cultural aspect because we assume it is not relevant. Heritage actually contains a lot of very specific information that we must simply learn to interpret. For example, a simple story may hide a recipe for picking and handling fruit during the appropriate season.”

After several meaningful discoveries, Ralph became convinced of noni’s potential to improve health on many different levels. Shortly after, he dedicated his life to the exploration and development of noni.

He has since been dedicated to continuing noni research as a key member of TNI’s advisory board. Dr. Heinicke has spent most of his life studying noni and the nature of its healthful properties. He still makes speaking appearances at key scientific conventions and TNI events.

Dr. Ralph Heinicke, a leading biochemist in the United States, made a critical discovery while studying pineapple enzymes. An alkaloid he later named xeronine was found to be essential to proper cell function in the body and sustained health.

Dr. Heinicke discovered that xeronine is produced in the large intestine from key building blocks that must be present in the correct amounts.

Those building blocks are proxeronine --the precursor to xeronine --and proxeronase, the enzyme catalyst required for chemical reaction.

Once convinced of the importance of xeronine, Dr. Henicke began his search for a reliable, abundant source of its building blocks. This led him to Noni Juice. He found that the Noni fruit is the most abundant and reliable source of proxeronine and proxeronase .