WHAT IS NEEM?

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a precious, valuable herbal tree species found in all Ghana’s sixteen regions. Ghanaians believed the tree got introduced to the country from its native lands of India and Burma.

We cut the leaves, the seeds, pill some stem-barks and sometimes cut the root-bark for our uncle or grandmother to use for traditional (herbal) medicine when we were sick.

We sometimes cut the Neem wood into little twigs, and we use it to brush our teeth with the ash from the Neem tree used for firewood. It was sometimes used for insect repellent and sometimes mixed with other herbal leaves to help fight lice. There were no significant scientific studies to back the benefits of Neem leaves back then. We now have capsules and other products extracted from the Neem Tree. That’s how potent the Neem is. You wonder why we called it “King.”

I remembered my late uncle, a traditional herbalist, talking about how he would be famous when scientists find out how he has been healing people with Neem. He was one of those guys who did the study, travel a lot, healing people from various illnesses and did a lot of work on traditional Neem medicine. He treated and cured many people with health-related issues such as Asthma and Diabetes (common in Ghana), Cough, Ulcer, Pain, Fever, Gum disease, Constipation, Infections, and other illnesses.

20 Benefits of Neem Leaves, Seeds, Stem-barks and Root-barks

NEEM

BOTANICAL / OTHER NAMES: “Azadirachta indica, Neem.

Local Name: Nim or Abodua.

OTHER NAMES: Indian Lilac, Azadira, Margosa (Goa), Margosa, Niembaum, Nimb, Tamar, tamarkha, Vembu, Veppan , Nimba, Nimbou, Arishtha (reliever of sickness), Nimmi, Kohomba, Azad darakht I Hindi (free tree of India), Nib, Veppa, kohumba, mindi, dongoyaro, mwarubaini (muarobaini).”

Neem leaves are excellent for traditional medicines because of the anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties it contains.

Here are the 20 benefits of Neem:

  1. Asthma: Neem has suppressing properties if consumed every day. The best way is to boil the leaves and bark plus ginger and let it cool down for a little bit, and drink whiles it is a bit warm. Studies have shown that few drops of Neem oil mixed with turmeric paste consumed daily to prevent asthma.
  2. Constipation: Boil Neem leaves, bark with ginger, lemon and consumed warm; it helps with constipation and inflammation.
  3. Fight Cancer: Neem contains suppressing properties if consumed every day. It helps keep the number of cancerous cells in the body within a specific limit.
  4. Ulcers: The Neem leaves’ anti-inflammatory properties assist in treating, curing ulcers, helps promote, regulate digestion and reduced gut inflammation.
  5. Diabetes: Helps regulate and control blood sugar sparks level. When consumed, Neem leaf, flower, seeds, and bark help stabilize blood glucose levels and minimize surge in blood glucose values.
  6. Cough: Neem leaves, when mixed with ginger and consumed warm, help the cough.
  7. Oral Health: Fights gum diseases, destroy and prevent plaque. It treats and prevents swollen gums and gives you whiter teeth when brushed with neem ash or pastes.
  8. Malaria: Neem leaf teas are good for treating malaria. They are usually prepared by decocting or extraction from boiling the leaves, seeds, stem-barks, root-bark, and consuming daily.
  9. Hemorrhoids: Neem leaves ointments and consumption assist in treating, curing hemorrhoids and also help promote, regulate and reduced gut inflammation.
  10. Liver Disease: Neem, when consumed, improves liver health.
  11. Pain and Fever: Extracting Neem leaf, Neem seed, plus the bark and consuming it in the form of hot tea helps with pain and fever. Due to the excellent anti-inflammatory properties, consuming Neem help in subduing and helps relieve the burning sensation in various parts of the body.
  12. Healing Wounds: Grind or crush some Neem leaves to make a paste, clean the wound area and dab some Neem paste onto your wounds. Do this a few times daily till the would heal up.
  13. Hair Health: Neem helps the hair follicles to become very strong, which helps with hair growth. Applying Neem paste or topical to your hair also improved hair growth. Apply paste or topical to your scalp and let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes before washing it.
  14. Skin Health: Neem contains a higher vitamin E source that helps people with dry skin conditions. Daily consumption of Neem leaves and stem barks in tea form also proves beneficial to skin health. Leaves or topical cream applied to the skin in past forms help prevent skin disease.
  15. Removes Toxins: Consuming Neem leaves, infused in tea form and consuming both internally and externally, help maintain bacteria culture. Also, get rid of unhealthy bacteria, promoting gut health.
  16. Spermicidal and Contraceptive: Consuming Neem leaves for a more extended period will kill the sperm cell. Research has shown that Neem ingredients have contraceptive properties, and consuming them reduces unwanted pregnancies. Research shows that applying Neem oil before sexual intercourse prevented pregnancy.
  17. Boils: Grind or crush some Neem leaves to make a paste, clean the wound area, and dab some Neem paste onto your wounds. Do this a few times daily till the would heal up.
  18. Head Lice: Neem leaves’ anti-bacterial properties help treat, cure head lice, and promote hair growth. For head lice treatment, use Neem leaves and topical creams.
  19. Blood Detoxifier: Due to excellent detoxified properties, Neem consumed for a particular period helps in blood purification, blood cleansing, and blood circulation.
  20. Antiparasitic: Consuming Neem leaf juice or boiling the leaves, bark and root and drinking helps to combat parasites in the human digestive tracks, in the blood and lymph systems.

 

References

NEEM A Tree For Solving Global Problems,NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS. https://books.nap.edu/read/1924/chapter/1

GHANAIAN INDIGENOUS HEALTH PRACTICES: THE USE OF HERBS,ISAAC NORTEY DARKO. https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/72598/1/Darko_Isaac_N_200911_MA_thesis.pdf