Health

BY: DR KRISHNA R. RAJPUT

SOME SWEET FACTS ABOUT

THE BITTER NEEM
With growing awareness about the harmful side effects of chemical pesticides and fertilisers,
neem products offer farmers an organic and safe way to get food to the table. The plant also
plays a central role in Ayurvedic medicine.

eem is native to India,

found in every part of
the country, especially
in semi-arid conditions.
The neem tree is an incredible plant that has been declared
the Tree of the 21st century by the
United Nations. In India, it is variously known as the divine tree, the
life giving tree, natures drugstore,
village pharmacy and the panacea
for all diseases. It is one of the major
components in Ayurvedic medicine,
which has been practised in India
since many centuries. The neem has
been an ancient Indian cureall due

24

FACTS FOR YOU

JUNE 2013

to its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, anti-histamine and antiseptic

properties. The neems leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, bark and fruit are
used to treat inflammation, infections,
skin diseases and for dental care.
As the long list of its names suggests, neem is well known and used
across India.

Chemical compounds
in neem
Other than sodium, potassium,
calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine,
riboflasium, nicocin, vitamin C, car-

otene, and oxalic acid, neem also has

many chemical compounds that are
still being studied. Given below is a
list of some that have been well researched:
Nimbin. Anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-histamine and antifungal
Nimbidin. Anti-bacterial, antiulcer, analgesic, anti-arrhythmic and
anti-fungal
Ninbidol. Anti-tubercular, antiprotozoan and anti-pyretic
Gedunin. Vasodilator, anti-malarial and anti-fungal
Sodium nimbinate. Diuretic,
spermicide and anti-arthritic
Quercetin. Anti-protozoal
Salannin. Insect repellent
Azadirachtin. Insect repellent,
anti-feedant and anti-hormonal
Other chemicals that add to
neems therapeutic value are limonoids; terpenoids and steroids;
tetranortarpenoids; fatty acid derivatives like margosinone and margosinolone; coumarins like scopoletin,
dihydrosocoumarins; hydrocarbons
like docosane, pentacosane, hetacosane, octacosane, etc; sulphur
compounds; phenolics; flavonoglycosides; and tannins.

The many uses of neem

Skin disorders. The leaves are

Health
dried in sunlight, crushed to form a
powder that is applied externally in
the treatment of acne, pimples, boils,
chronic ulcers, small pox, swelling and
wounds. An ointment prepared from
neem leaves is very effective in treating diabetes, bed sores and wounds.
Eczema. The bark of the neem
tree is used in the treatment of eczema.
About 25 grams each of this bark and
the mango trees bark should be boiled
in about 1 litre of water, and the vapour allowed to pass over the affected
part. After the fomentation, the affected part should be anointed with ghee.
Leprosy. The sap of the neem
tree has been found effective in treating leprosy when taken in daily doses
of 60 grams. Simultaneously, the patients body should be massaged with
the sap. This regimen should be continued for 40 days. If the sap is not
available, 12 grams of neem leaves
and 3 decigrams of pepper can be
ground in water and taken.
Malaria. An infusion or a decoction of the fresh leaves is a bitter
tonic to treat chronic malarial fevers
because of its action on the liver. It
should be taken in doses of 15 to 60
grams.
Piles. Three grams of the inner
bark of the tree with 6 grams of jaggery every morning is a very effective
treatment for piles. To check bleeding piles, three or four neem fruits
can be administered with water.
Hair disorders. If there is any
hair loss or if it has ceased to grow,
washing with the decoction of neem
leaves may help. Frequent application of neem oil also destroys lice in
the hair.
Dental uses. Cleaning the teeth
regularly with a neem twig prevents gum diseases. It firms up loose
teeth, relieves toothache, removes
bad odour and protects the mouth
from various infections. Neem twig
is considered a very effective toothbrushwhile its fibres clean, its juice
works both as a mouth freshener and
a germ-killing dentifrice and it also

helps to increase saliva secretion.

Other uses. Neem is very useful
at the time of childbirth. Administering the juice of neem leaves to a
woman in labour produces normal
contractions in the uterus and prevents possible inflammation. It corrects bowel movements and checks
the onset of fevers, thereby facilitating a normal delivery. The use of a
tepid decoction of neem leaves as a
vaginal douche heals any wounds
caused during delivery and disinfects the vaginal passage.
Neem is also a powerful insecticide that kills soil nematodes and
other plant parasites, and is useful
as a mosquito repellant. Neem juice
is used in toothpastes and contraceptives. Neem leaves eaten every
morning on an empty stomach also
help in combating diabetes.

Neem purifies the air

Neem purifies the air and helps
to clean the environment. Neem
compounds are said to have antiinflammatory and anti-viral properties and hence the trees should be
planted around hospitals. Place porous packets of neem leaves inside
bookcases or cupboards to protect
from insect infestation.

Use in agriculture
The azadirachton compound in
neem has been recognised as an effective insecticide that is biologically
selective, not harming the useful
pests but keeping almost 250 harmful ones at bay.
Neem cake has been traditionally used in rice fields as a fertiliser
and pesticide. Scientists recommend
coating urea with neem cake to kill
nitrifying bacteria. Neem also contains salanina chemical substance
that is a potent pest controller and is
said to be far more effective than the
chemically produced diethyl-toluamide, which is a part of most lethal

Some Names of Neem

Botanical name
English name
Sanskrit
Hindi
Marathi
Tamil
Telugu
Kannada
Other Indian names

:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:

Azadirachta indica
Margosa tree
Nimbah
Neem
Nimba
Vempu, Veppai
Kondavepa
Bevu
Neem, nim, Indian
lilac, nimmi, limbo,
limda

synthetically produced pesticides.

Agro scientists say that neem is the
most eco-friendly pesticide. They
recommend that neem and its kernel be liberally mixed with compost
and set to rot. The pesticide is ready
in around three to four months, depending on the weather conditions.
Organic farming using neem
as a pesticide is practised on a very
miniscule scale in India. There are
hardly any pesticide-free farm products available in the country though
there is a growing demand for them.
Many western agro-scientists say
that if neem is effective on a small
scale, it can work on a larger scale as
well. There is a certain urgency in advocating the use of neem as a pesticide
as there is a growing concern about
the ill-effects of pesticides being used
in our day-to-day food. For example, a
minimum of six to seven chemical pesticides are sprayed on an apple tree
before the fruit is plucked. Just before
harvesting, the apple trees are sprayed
with fungicides and pesticides along
with daminozidea growth regulator.
Finally, the fruit is sprayed with alar
to heighten its redness. Once the apples reach the cold storage, they are
sprayed with pesticides once again to
keep off the rats and insects.
Neem for pest control. Mix
neem oil in water and spray on
plants. Neem oil doesnt kill pests
outright but affects their physiological processes so that they no longer
eat, mate or mature. And because
JUNE 2013

FACTS FOR YOU

25

Health
How to Make Neem Leaf Tea
Pour one cup of boiling water over one-fourth cup of fresh neem leaves. Let it stand
for five minutes, strain and sip slowly. The tea is taken to reduce blood sugar levels,
lower fevers and to treat tuberculosis, bladder ailments, arthritis, rheumatism, jaundice,
worms, malaria and skin diseases.
A strong tea of the leaves is used as a lotion for sprains, bruises and swollen glands
a bandage or cloth soaked in the hot tea is applied to the area and held in place, often
with a banana leaf wrapped around it. The tea can also be used for eczema, rashes, and
to wash out wounds. Leaves heated in boiling water are applied to boils, bites, stings
and infected grazes.
insects must feed on plant tissues
to be affected, neem-treated plants
are safe for beneficial insects such as
bees and butterflies.
Neem-based bio-insecticides.
Thapar University, one of Indias top
technical universities, announced
the commercial production of neembased bio-insecticides at the universitys bio processing unit in October
2008. Dr Abhijit Mukherjee, director, Thapar University, said, We
are confident that herbal bio-insecticides have tremendous market potential and will become a promising
small-scale business venture.
Bio-organic farming is of significant importance as bio-insecticides and bio-pesticides are herbal,
non-toxic and environment-friendly.
Broad spectrum insecticides offer
effective protection against pests.
These environment-friendly products do not cause contamination of
soil and ground water, and have wide
applications, added Dr Mukherjee.
India plans to register neembased products as a pesticide under
its Insecticide Act.

Neem as a medicine
Neems medicinal properties help
in treating and preventing a number
of diseases.
Heart disease. Including high
blood pressure, blood clots, cholesterol, and arrhythmia/rapid heart beat.
Blood disorders. Including
poor circulation, blood poisoning
and kidney problems.
26

FACTS FOR YOU

JUNE 2013

Digestive disorders. Including

heartburn/indigestion, peptic/duodenal ulcers, gastritis and hemorrhoids.
Nervous disorders. Including
anxiety, epilepsy and hives.
Sexually transmitted diseases. Including gonorrhea, syphilis,
chlamydia, genital herpes, genital/
vaginal warts, candidacies and urinary tract infections.
Jaundice and hepatitis. The
diluted juice of the tender neem leaves
with a tea spoon of honey is taken to
flush out toxins in liver disorders.
Respiratory disorders. Dried
neem powder given daily in doses of
1 gm, twice a day with honey, suppresses a cough.
Allergies. Eight to 10 fresh
neem leaves are to be eaten early
morning on an empty stomach. This
helps in purifying blood and controlling the allergic condition.
Treatment for AIDS. As far as
AIDS is concerned, the immuno-modulatory properties of neem appear to
enhance cell-mediated immune response in people who are HIV positive
but who do not have full blown AIDS.
The National Institute of Health reported positive results from a 1993
study using neem to kill the AIDS virus in a lab. The suggested pathway
is via neems immune modulating
polysaccharide compounds that may
cause increased antibody production.
Further research is underway.
Diabetes. Neem has been shown
to reduce insulin in the blood. A dosage as small as one tablespoon a day

can reduce insulin levels by 50 per

cent.

Tips on using neem

1. Mix pure neem oil with pure
coconut or olive oil in the ratio of 1:4.
This combination can be used for repelling insects including mosquitoes
as well as for skin disorders, minor
cuts, burns, wounds, etc.
2. For complete skin protection,
make a strong tea with neem leaves
and add to the bath along with a little rose water.
3. Ten freshly cleaned neem
leaves boiled in water and cooled can
be dabbed on the eyes with cotton in
case of conjunctivitis, itching, etc.
4. For athletes foot and other foot
problems, a strong neem tea is made
to soak the affected foot in.
5. For dandruff and head lice,
massage neem oil mixed with coconut or olive oil into the hair and
leave for one hour. It should be done
twice a week over three weeks or for
as long as the problem persists.
6. To treat a sore throat without
antibiotics, gargle with neem leaf
water (add 2-3 neem leaves to 300
ml water, boil and cool it) to which
honey has been added.
7. For acne, pimples, and other
skin infections, pure neem leaf powder mixed with water needs to be applied to the affected area.
8. In case of sinusitis, use pure
neem oil as nasal dropstwo drops
in the morning and evening.
9. To prevent the breeding of
mosquitoes, add crushed neem seeds
and neem oil to all breeding areas.
This ensures complete inhibition of
egg laying for seven days.
10. Add a few dried neem leaves
for the preservation of food grains
like rice, wheat, lentils, etc. The
leaves should be replaced every two
to three months.

The author is an assistant professor at

KBS Comm. & Nataraj Prof. Sci. College,
Vapi