Neem
Parts Usually Used
Seeds, bark and leaves
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Neem is a botanical cousin of mahogany. It’s a tree that will live for about 150-200 years. It requires full sunlight and dry to moist soil to thrive. It doesn’t do well in soil that is waterlogged or poorly drained.
Where Found
The Neem has adapted to a wide range of climates. It thrives well in hot weather, where the maximum shade temperature is as high as 49° C and tolerates cold upto 0° C on altitudes upto 1500 m. Today, the Neem is well established in at least 30 countries world-wide, in Asia, Africa and Central and South America. Some small scale plantations are also reportedly successful in the United .
Medicinal Properties
antiseptic, antiviral, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer and antifungal
Biochemical Information
Active compounds found in the neem tree are: Azadirachtin: Provides repellant, anti-hormonal and anti-feedant properties Nimbin: Provides anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, antihistamine and antifungal properties Nimbidin: Provides antibacterial, anti-ulcer, analgesic, anti-arrhythmic and antifungal properties Nimbidol: Provides anti-tubercular, anti-protozoan and antipyretic properties Sodium nimbinate: Provides diuretic, spermicidal and anti-arthritic properties Gedunin: Provides vasodilator, anti-malaria and antifungal properties Quercetin: Provides anti-protozoal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties Neem seed oil contains the major concentrations of theses active compounds along with many fatty acids like oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid.
Legends, Myths and Stories
In India, neem is known as “the village pharmacy” because of its healing versatility, and it has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for more than 4,000 years due to its medicinal properties. This tree is considered to be of divine origin. According to Indian mythology, amrita (ambrosia or the elixir of immortality) was being carried to heaven and a few drops of it fell on the Neem tree.
Another story tells of the time the Sun took refuge in the Neem Tree to escape from the awesome powers of the demons. Some common practices involving the Neem tree integrated in the Indian lifestyle have been: Sleeping and resting under the Neem tree Burning Neem leaves and twigs to ward off mosquitoes Growing the tree in the vicinity to purify the atmosphere Hanging Neem twigs and leaves at doors for protection against communicable diseases.
Spreading Neem leaves near persons suffering from infectious diseases. Bathing with water in which a few Neem leaves have been boiled Greeting the Groom with fresh Neem twigs at weddings, to ward off evil Putting dried Neem leaves in folds of clothes and in stored grain Chewing a Neem stick for oral hygiene first thing in the morning Increasing the shelf –life of vegetables and fruits by packing the produce with neem leaves in baskets.
Adding neem leaves to the feed of milch cattle Puddling neem leaves and twigs in rice fields Planting three or more Neem trees during one’s lifetime was considered a surefire ticket to heaven. The earliest documentation of neem mentioned the fruit, seeds, oil, leaves, roots and bark for their advantageous medicinal properties. These benefits are listed in the ancient documents ‘Carak- Samhita’ and ‘Susruta-Samhita’, the books at the foundation of the Indian system of natural treatment, Ayurveda.
Uses
In traditional herbal practices, neem was utilized in numerous external and internal preparations. A decoction of the leaves was historically employed as a head wash intended to manage dandruff, lice, hair loss, and premature graying, while oils infused with neem were massaged into the scalp for similar complaints. Herbalists also prepared ear drops by combining leaf juice with honey for ear discharge and localized discomfort.
For digestive complaints, dried neem flowers were incorporated into culinary mixtures alongside spices to address nausea, poor appetite, and sour belching. Traditional practitioners also administered neem leaf juice with honey and other botanicals for intestinal parasites. Decoctive preparations of the bark combined with sandalwood and guduchi were prescribed for urticaria, while seed preparations, taken with water or compounded into topical ointments with oils, were applied in folk medicine for hemorrhoids.
Leaf juice combined with ginger was traditionally taken for painful menstruation. Neem featured prominently in historical dermatological applications. Leaf ash mixed with ghee, or leaf powders blended with honey and other herbs, were applied topically for chronic skin complaints such as psoriasis, itching, and generalized skin irritation. Practitioners also utilized leaf decoctions in foot soaks for cutaneous foot conditions, as eye washes for irritation, as gargles with honey for sore throats, and as facial astringents.
Neem oil was occasionally administered in warm milk for excessive sweating, dropped into the nasal passages for sinus congestion, or blended into carrier oils and lamp fuels as a traditional insect repellent. In folk tradition, leaves were frequently chewed with the belief that they aided hyperacidity.
How Sold
Capsules, tea bags, loose herb
Bibliography
The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988. Neem: A Tree for Solving Global Problems , by National Research Council (U. ), Books for Business, 2002. Neem: India’s Miraculous Healing Plant , by Ellen Norten, Healing Arts Press; English language ed edition, 1999. Neem: The Ultimate Herb , by John Conrick, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, 2001.
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