Neem - The cure-all tree

COMMENT - Neem oil can actually be used as a completely non-toxic (to humans, pets, livestock and beneficial predatory insects) pesticide. It has thousands of years of human use to prove it's safety - people actually put it on their face, wash with it, etc. Add untreated strips of weeds and herbs among your crops as a preferred food source for your crop's pests, and your actual crop can be pretty much disease and pest free.

Neem - The cure-all tree
By Sunday Health Session: with Kim Otteby
Sun 26 Sep. 2010, 04:01 CAT

NEEM is a wonderful tree with many therapeutic properties that are getting more and more recognition worldwide. What’s more, this amazing tree grows here in Zambia. This week I have asked Elias Tembo from Mount Makulu Research Station to share with us his knowledge on Neem. Elias Tembo has spent his life researching Zambian herbs and is an expert on Zambian Herbal Medicine.

Tembo: Neem is actually the common name for Azadirachta indica. For centuries the importance of neem has been established in India through their traditional Aryuvedic form of healing, but the knowledge of its uses were initially limited only to villages. Now however, this knowledge has spread and continues to do so as modern science validates many of the traditional claims with regards to the wonderful health benefits that neem has to offer humankind.

Traditionally, a neem tree was always grown in almost every Indian village in order to prevent disease. It was the common custom for each person to eat 5-10 leaves on an empty stomach for 15 days (from the end of winter till the start of the summer season) and that this would then prevent them from getting various diseases throughout the rest of the year.

But not only was Neem used to prevent disease. Indeed every part of the tree was used for various purposes such as for fertilising the soil, insect repellent, insecticide, animal fodder, dye, wax, fuel, lubricant soap, mouth wash hygiene product and so on.

Recently however, most of the research has concentrated more on its pharmacological properties in relation to health and disease. Its effectiveness as an anti-microbial (natural antibiotic), anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, anti-malarial, antitumor and anti- gastric ulcer agent have been duly noted as well as its positive effects on cardiovascular health, fertility, skin conditions and for people with diabetes.

Neem has tikta rasam (bitter taste), indeed almost all parts of the tree are bitter in taste. According to Aryuvedic tradition, this is a very important property of the tree and is one of the contributing factors why it is so useful in cases of tiredness, cough, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, wound healing, and worm infestations.

Often when we talk about the Neem tree and its healing properties we’re usually referring to its leaves (and this is mainly how neem is sold here in Zambia).

However, the neem seeds and neem oil also have noted pharmacological effect ( anti-dermatotic, powerful antihelmintic, anti-poisonous, etc).

As a botanist and herbalist, I would like to emphasis that although Neem can aid us through its pharmacological actions and help cure us from various ailments, it has many other uses. There is one in particular that I would like to draw attention to, and that is the environment. Planting a Neem tree in your back yard can vastly improve the quality of your air. Neem will help eliminate/counteract some of the pollution that we are exposed to. In addition, like all plants it will also help oxygenate your environment. Furthermore, burning neem leaves will prevent insects from bothering you, including mosquitoes. I truly hope people take this on board and start planting neem trees in our compounds, gardens, schools, outside hospitals and so on. Not only would we be supporting and enhancing our health but also the environment around us. Neem is a wonderful natural resource that we have been blessed with, let’s make use of it.

One word of caution though, please don’t just go out and harvest every part of this precious tree without the proper knowledge. Bear in mind that every part of the tree is to be collected in a particular season for effectiveness of its properties. Therefore, consult with someone who knows these specifics and techniques.

It is also important that you store your neem properly. Find a place that is free of insects and has good ventilation.

Finally, below is a list of conditions that herbalists often treat with neem (sometimes in combination with other herbs). Internal use - fever, malaria, digestion disorders, diarrhea, dysentery, hyperacidity, constipation, worm infections, burning sensation, hepatitis, respiratory disorders, cough, tuberculosis, urinary disorders, gynecological disorders, leucorrhoea, dysmenorrheal, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, leprosy, skin disorders, allergy, AIDS.

External uses - eczema, psoriasis, acne, inflammatory conditions, infected wounds and glands, abscess, ulcers, sinusitis, headache, hair care, poison bite, scabies, small pox, chicken pox, measles, piles, vaginal disorders, etc.

Want more information about Neem? You can contact Tembo directly on 096-5-/097 7 833940, 095-5-823940 email: umoyo05@yahoo.com
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