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Recently, I was seeking an organic pesticide for my home plants so that it is not harmful when used indoors. Guess what? A product made of Neem was highly recommended by the local nurseries. I was amazed how the products made out of the Neem tree were fast becoming a household name in USA. I still remember the most prolific use of Neem as a natural antiseptic toothbrush. Till today, millions of rural folds prefer breaking off a small twig from the Neem tree, chewing it until it becomes a soft brush and then rubbing it around the gums and the teeth. Then, they would split the twig into two and use the flat hard surface as a tongue cleaner. No plastic toothbrushes or artificially made tooth pastes are necessary. This is one of the most eco-friendly organic uses of a natural tree. I also remember the branches of Neem trees being tied together and hung from windows and doors to ward off mosquitoes and evil powers. Almost every village you visit would have a giant Neem tree in the village square which provided shade and natural air-conditioning to the gatherings under its huge spread. It has now been scientifically proven that the temperatures under the Neem tree are 10 degrees lower than its surrounding areas!
The Neem tree has so many valuable uses for the health and environment that is considered a Village Pharmacy on its own in India. Lately, the Bio-Tech industry has jumped on the Neem ‘revolution’ bandwagon, and countless patents and legal suits have followed. The medicinal properties of Neem have been known to Indians since the ancient days. The Ayurvedic system of medicine have found benefits in the fruits, seeds, oil, leaves, roots and bark of the Neem. It has been referred to as ‘SARVAROGHARI’. Sri Navin Patnaik has aptly said it in his book, ‘Possessed of many and great virtues, this native Indian tree has been identified on the five thousand years old seals excavated from the Indus valley. Today the Neem is valued more highly for its capacity to exorcise the demon of disease than the spirit of the dead, and an image of the folk goddess Sitala can often be suspended from a branch where she guards against small pox, once the great killer of the Indian countryside. Renowned for its antiseptic and disinfection properties, the tree is thought to be particularly protective of women and children. Dried leaves are burnt as mosquito repellent. Fresh leaves, notorious for its bitterness, are cooked and eaten to gain immunity from malaria.’
A large number of medicines, cosmetics and toiletries are now made from the Neem tree products. Every piece of the Neem tree is useful.
The Bark of the Neem tree is cool, bitter, astringent, acrid and refrigerant. It is useful in tiredness, cough, and fever, loss of appetite, worm infestation, vomiting and skin diseases.
The Neem leaves help in the treatment of neuro muscular pains. Neem leaves also remove toxins, purify blood, insect bites and eye disorders.
The fruits of the Neem tree are bitter, purgative, anti-hemorrhodial and anthelmintic. The flowers are used to cure pitta and kapha. They are astringent, anthelmintic and non-toxic.
The seeds are additionally anti-poisonous. The Neem oil has several medicinal qualities. All the five parts of the Neem tree as used in treating blood diseases. It is also used in extreme conditions of excess heat, itching, wounds, burning sensations in the body and skin diseases.
Some of the common home-remedies or treatments using Neem are:
1. Mix pure dried Neem oil with Vaseline to create a cream which can be used as an insect repellent and to treat minor cuts, burns etc.
2. Make tea using Neem leaves and add rose water to make bath water to protect your skin.
3. You can make Neem water by boiling 10 freshly cut and cleaned Neem leaves and a liter of water to be used as eyewash after the water cools down.
4. Mix Neem oil with coconut oil to be used to cure dandruff and head lice.
5. Mix Neem water and honey to treat sore throats.
6. Mix Neem powder with pure water to make a paste to apply to your face to cure acne and pimples.
7. Use pure Neem oil as nasal drops to cure sinusitis.
8. Chew a few Neem leaves regularly to purify your blood, and to cure hyperacidity and diabetes.
9. Essential oil from fresh leaves cures mild fungicide infections.
There is tremendous amount of research being down for the use of Neem in treating Aids, Arthritis, Birth Control, Cancer, Dental Care, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Malaria, Rheumatism, Stress, Ulcers, Vitiligo, Skin Diseases and Viral diseases such as small pox, chicken pox, herpes and Hepatitis B.
The Neem tree is also extremely environment friendly. Neem has powerful pest controlling properties. Pesticides made from Neem are much safer than the non-organic pesticides which cause several detrimental side-effects.
No wonder, Neem in our culture has been ranked higher than Kalpavriksha, the mythological wish-fulfilling tree!
Sources: several web-sites, Neem Foundation, several BBC and India Today press articles.
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