Meliaceae Family-Azadiracta indica
Native to India where it is considered a "sacred gift of nature to man", Neem Oil is derived from the seeds of the neem tree. This tree, whose benefits have been known for 4000 years is described by the natives as the “the village pharmacy” due to its wide spectrum of medicinal qualities. Its oil possesses powerful antidermatonic and anthelmintic properties and is widely used in treating chronic malaria, bed bugs, ulcers, bad teeth, syphilis, leprosy, and other diseases. Externally, the oil is applied as an antiseptic dressing in leprosy, suppurating glands, urticaria, and for chronic skin diseases like eczema, scabies, ringworm, and maggot infested wounds. It is also used for killing lice, fleas, ticks, and bacterial growth in the mouth.
Neem oil is especially beneficial for curing skin ailments. The oil contains fatty acids which build collagen, promote wound healing and maintains the skin’s elasticity. It is a powerful insect repellant, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and strengthens the body’s overall immune responses. It has been traditionally by families for curing household ailments, including as a spermicidal in preventing pregnancies.
From almost the very beginning of recorded human history, people have taken advantage of the remarkable neem tree. Its medicinal qualities are outlined in the earliest Sanskrit writings dating back about 4500 years. It forms a foundation of the ancient Indian system of natural healing, Ayurveda. In these ancient texts neem is mentioned in almost 100 entries for treating a wide range of diseases and symptoms, most of which continue to ail humanity. Neem oil is revered even to be prescribed ritually in daily life: newborn infants are anointed with the oil, laid on a silken sheet and fanned with a branch of a neem tree with ample leaves. As the child grows it is given small doses of neem oil when ill and bathed with neem tea to treats cuts, rashes and the lesions of Chicken pox. Thus, over thousands of years, neem has been used by hundreds of millions of people and no hazards have been documented for normal dosages.
Although neem is one of the
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