HEALTH BENEFITS OF NEEM

5000 B.C. A saint is writing his daily texts. He is recording his observations because he wishes to pass on his knowledge of Ayurveda, the science of life, for everyone that comes after him. On a parchment made from hand, using a quill and dye, he writes in Sanskrit, which means the universal healer or curer for all ailments. Perfect, complete and imperishable and giver of good health. It may surprise you that he used these terms for something that has survived more than 6000 years of humanity and yet grows in our backyard. Neem. A tree of unbelievable wonders that is deeply imbued with spiritual meaning. Hello and welcome to medsimplified. I'm Dr. Umar Malik and today in this video we will talk about Neem. Why our ancestors were obsessed with Neem and why are we still understanding its vast prospects? Let's first start with a brief history of Neem. The earliest authentic record of curative properties of Neem and its uses in the indigenous system of medicine in India is found in Arthashastra. It is a text written by Kautilya, a healer around 4th century B.C. Records show that non-edible Neem oil was perhaps the oldest known medicinal oil to be used by man. Almost every part of the Neem tree has been documented for some medicinal use. Neem bark leaves and fruits have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for a long time and were also described in the ancient writings of Sushruta. Sushruta has been appropriately called as the father of Indian medicine. So what is Neem? Neem is a plant which is basically a member of Mahogany family. It is today known by its botanic name as a directa indica. Neem trees are attractive broad-leaved evergreens that can grow up to 30 meters tall and 2.5 meters in girth. Neem is renowned for its robust growth and resilience to harsh conditions. Neem in India is still used today for its many beneficial qualities. Starting from birth, the newborn infant is rubbed with herbs and oil, laid on a silken sheet and fanned with neem tree branches. The child was given small doses of neem oil when ill, bathed with neem tree to treat cuts, rashes and chicken pox. Neem twigs are used as toothbrushes to prevent gum diseases and tooth caries. Wedding ceremonies include neem leaves placed on floors of the temples and neem branches for fan. Neem oil is also used in small lamps for lighting purposes. Neem wood is also used as cooking fuel and for making the roof of the houses. Grains and beans are stored in containers with neem leaves to keep out insects. At the time of death, neem branches are used to cover the body and neem wood is burned in the funeral pyre. So, what makes neem so special? Let's look at few uses of neem one by one. Its most important use is as a natural, non-toxic pesticide. Although 1000-year-old Sanskrit medical writings mention neem's usefulness, the tree's exciting potential for controlling insects has only recently become clear. Neem's ability to repel insects was first reported in the scientific literature in 1928 and 1929 by two Indian scientists R. N. Chopra and M. A. Hussain. They used a 0.001% aqueous suspension of neem to repel desert locusts. Research has shown that neem protects itself from the multitude of pests with various compounds that it secretes. These compounds belong to a general class of natural products called tripertines, more specifically known as limonoids. New limonoids are still being discovered in neem, but the best known of these are azadirachtin, salanin, maliantriol, and nimbin. Talking about azadirachtin, it is one of the first active ingredients isolated from neem, and azadirachtin has proved to be the tree's main agent for battling insects. It does not kill insects. Instead, it both repels and disrupts their growth and reproduction. Research over the past 20 years has shown that it is one of the most potent growth regulators and feeding inhibitors ever discovered. In fact, it is so potent that a mere trace of its presence prevents some insects from even touching the neem plants. A chemist from Keeley University named D. Morgan is credited to be the first to isolate azadirachtin. Another important compound in neem extract is known as maliantriol, which kills insects by attacking their nervous system as a result of which they stop eating and eventually die. The demonstration of its ability to prevent locust attacks on crops was the first scientific proof for neem's potential as an agent for insect control for crops. Nimbin and nimbidin are two more neem components which have been found to have antiviral activity. They affect potato virus, vaccinia virus, and foulpox virus. They could perhaps open a way to control these infections and other viral diseases of crops and livestock. So these were some of the uses of neem as an agent for insect control. Now let's look at neem's use as a medicinal agent. Since antiquity, neem has been renowned for healing. Use of neem as a medicinal agent has been found in even the earliest Sanskrit medicinal writings, which talk about the benefits of its seeds, oil, leaves, roots, and bark. Thus, over thousands of years, millions of Asians have used neem medicinally. Today, the best established and most widely recognized use of neem is as a general antiseptic agent. Neem preparations are reportedly efficacious against a variety of skin infections, septic sores, and infected burns. The leaves are also recommended for boils, ulcers, and eczema. The oil is used for skin diseases such as scrofula, skin ulcers, and ringworm. Cures for many more ailments have been claimed but have not been independently confirmed by trials under controlled conditions. So to summarize, neem has fungicide properties, so it is used widely for treating fungal infections of the skin also. Neem also has antibacterial properties against bacteria like staphylococcus and typhoid, which cause many human infections. You would be surprised to know that neem has potential birth control properties. Research has shown that neem oil acts as a powerful spermicide. This finding is preliminary and may eventually prove of high importance. An inexpensive birth control method such as neem that can be produced in the backyards of even the remotest and poorest villages could be a vital resource to control population explosion. Scientists maintain that neem oil might be ideal contraceptive. It is a natural product, readily available, inexpensive, and non-toxic. Moreover, they anticipate that it will be widely accepted. The only disadvantage, they say, is neem oil's unpleasant odor. One such attempt at utilizing neem is pranine. Pranine was introduced and studied as a spermicide cream that a female applies in her reproductive tract before intercourse. It is also being studied for its antiviral properties. Now let's look at some of the industrial uses of neem. Neem provides many useful and valuable industrial materials. Some of these include neem oil which is extracted from the seeds and is used to make soaps, waxes, and lubricants. Neem oil is also used as a fuel for lighting and heating. The residue of the oil extraction is employed as fertilizer and soil nutrient booster. In addition, the wood from the neem trees is valued for construction, woodcraft, and even used as fuel in rural regions. The bark is tapped for its gum, and the gum can be utilized for making tannins and dental care products. Even the leaves are sometimes used as livestock feed. You may be surprised to know that in parts of Asia, neem honey has such high demand that it has high premium prices, and people promote apiculture by planting neem trees. Now let's talk about the role of neem in restoring areas with deforestation. As our hunger to expand and commercialization grows, we have raised forests and wildlife. Worldwide attempts to make the earth green again by reforestation drive is gaining momentum and public support. In this attempt, neem plays a vital role. This is primarily because of two factors. 1. It grows vigorously in many types of semi-arid and tropical sites. It is less dependent on soil nutrients and has innate ability to fight off pests. 2. It is a multi-purpose species that provides villagers with various products from which they can derive an income during the years when the trees are maturing. These features are especially important for motivating enthusiast local tree planting. According to a forester, Jean Gorisset, who spent most of his career working in Africa's jungles, planning and executing reforestation drives, the propagation of neem in West Africa in the 50s and 60s is the most successful and cheapest rural forestry operation ever implemented. If neem lives up to its early promise, it will help to control many of the world's pests and diseases, as well as reduce soil erosion, desertification, deforestation, and perhaps even slow the rate of increase in population. A lot of research and trials and experience is required into neem. Like that saint who lived 5000 years ago, who observed everything very keenly, we are still learning a lot day by day.