Tahitian noni fiber blend is a mixture of 13 different sources of fiber added to the juices of the noni fruit, creating a balance of soluble and insoluble fibre.
"Each serving of this drink provides 10 grams of dietary fiber", said Brad Cordero, the senior product manager at Tahitian Noni. "Research has shown that if people who eat a low-fiber diet increase their fiber intake by only 10 grams per day, their risk of heart disease is reduced by up to 20 per cent," he added.
The company is also keen to differentiate the drink from other products on the market by stressing that it does not contain any sweeteners or flavorings.
Dr Jurgen Fisher from the German company Herbafood Ingredients, a supplier of dietary fibers and apple sweetener, explained how the US market is now ripe for expansion.
"Until now, Americans have known little about food fibers and have got most of their dietary fiber from oat bran or wheat bran," he said.
He emphasized the importance of using the right dietary fiber as a food ingredient and of combining properties such as gel formation, water binding, soaking, solubility and particle size to get the most out of the chosen fiber.
Research has frequently shown that regular and sufficient consumption of dietary fiber has several health benefits for digestion, blood cholesterol levels and the regulation of appetite. Soluble fiber was the first whole food for which the Food and Drug Administration allowed a health claim on product labels, stating: "Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include soluble fiber from oatmeal may reduce the risk of heart disease."