Local Polynesian Magazine Writes about TNI Scientist

Channeling the Wisdom of our Ancestors Tongan Molecular Biologist plays pivotal role in the Tahitian Noni success story

American Fork, Utah - ‘Afa Palu clearly remembers an event from his childhood that played out like this: he would gather around with the village children and they would engage in a rousing game of mapu tuitui.
Just as the fun got heated, his grandmother and mother would call on ‘Afa to accompany them to ‘uta to gather medicinal leaves, a task he hated at the time because it always interfered with his fun.
In hindsight, ‘Afa is forever grateful for that experience because it has led him to the most unexpected place - the biology lab at Tahitian Noni International, located in American Fork, Utah. Now, he speaks with utmost reverence for the knowledge posed by his mother and grandmother and all Polynesian traditional healers.
‘Afa came to BYU-Hawaii in the late 80’s from Tonga, with resilience and lofty ambitions - to graduate with three Bachelor’s Degrees. He enrolled in Computer Science, Pre-Med and Chemistry. “I was actually on track to get all three!” he said.
But things didn’t work out the way he had hoped. ‘Afa had forgotten an important element - his wife Kalisi and their newborn son. ‘Afa was so into his schooling that he would leave in the morning at 7:00 in the morning and come home at 12:00 midnight. One night he came home and found all his belongings sitting outside the door. He knocked on the door and Kalisi opened the door and said “What do you want?” ‘Afa replied he wanted to come in and she said, “Go to a hotel. You come and go like your home is a hotel. You check out in the morning, you check in at night!”
“I then realized that the goals I set when I was single does not fit in marriage.” he laughs.
At the advice of a professor, ‘Afa decided to invest in a time management plan and to simplify his schedule. He changed Chemistry to a minor and changed his Computer Science to an Associate’s Degree and changed Pre-Med to Biology Science.
While taking a genetics class, he became fascinated with the world of microbes. An experiment in isolating DNA in bacteria fueled a passion to delve deeper into the world of molecular science.
‘Afa approached his professor about this idea of genetically engineering termites to break down the landfills in Hawaii. After the weighing all the options, the possibilities and the consequences, they decided it would be too big of a task, probably requiring a full scale operation in a closed facility like the US military.
“My professor told me “You are getting to be a nut!” ‘Afa recalls.
His next dream was solving the coconut dilemma in Hawaii. Coconuts are a liability, meaning any property owner with a coconut tree can be sued if someone was suddenly struck by a fallen coconut. ‘Afa proposed to eliminate the gene that produces the coconut, so that the tree only produces leaves, or genetically alter the coconut to prolong the maturing process. His professor said that’s impossible.
‘Afa didn’t let that stop him. He asked his professor, “What about tomatoes?” Tomatoes at the time were shipped from California, usually small and unripe because it is picked so early and expected to ripen during shipment. ‘Afa proposed picking local tomatoes before they fully mature and while they still hold their shape. Then the tomatoes would be exposed to ethylene gas, which is a natural gas emitted by fruits and vegetables when ripening. This would expedite the process.
His professor thought it was a great idea, but ‘Afa received a phone call from his wife a day later to find out that someone had beaten him to it. He went home and she showed him a tape of a CNN story on Flavor Savor tomatoes, which used the same concept that ‘Afa had discussed with his professor.
“My wife said to me, “I used to think you were a nutcase but now I see you are closer to reality!”
At that pivotal moment, ‘Afa knew he belonged in the field of molecular biology. He became interested in studying the human body on a cellular level and after BYU-Hawaii, he moved with his family to Utah to begin his graduate work at BYU in Provo.
While at BYU, he met a professor who was researching the properties of Nonu and it peaked ‘Afa’s interest. ‘Afa’s background in molecular biology, coupled with his knowledge of traditional healing passed down from his family, was the right marriage that Tahitian Noni International was looking for. Soon, ‘Afa became one of their top researchers.
His job now is to research how Nonu affects the human body on a cellular level. He has discovered that the Nonu fruit can heal so many ailments, including gout, a condition that affects many Polynesians.
Because of FDA regulations, Tahitian Noni is limited in what they can claim, but many Polynesians have known the benefits of Nonu long before the founders of Tahitian Noni and the western world stumbled upon it.
‘Afa still remembers from his childhood how they would go to ‘uta with his uncle, and his uncle would cut up ripe Nonu fruit and they would all gather around and eat it.
“Our ancestors were smart people, but they were not educated in the Western ways. I believe they were educated from on High. Our ancestors described remedies perfectly. Science is finally coming around to verify what our ancestors have said and done. I revere my ancestors a lot.”
‘Afa Palu and his wife Kalisi and their three children live in Orem, Utah. The Ano Masima News is happy to report that ‘Afa has agreed to be the Health Columnist.
You can also see this article online: http://www.anomasimanews.com/ Charlie