Inside NEEM

NIMBA

( Azadirachta indica )

Nimba (Neem) is extensively used in Ayurvedic medicines and remedies since thousands of years. Its root bark, stem bark, flower, leaves, seed, seed oil are used in many medicinal preparation for treatment purposes.

According to Ayurveda, it is essential for our health to get all 6 tastes into the diet each day.  The bitter taste (and therefore Neem) is very reducing to both Kapha and Pitta dosha and is said to be cooling, cleansing, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory in action. 

Synonyms in Sanskrit:

Arishta, Pakvakrita, Nimbaka, Shukapriya, Subhadra, Sutikta, Sarvatobhadra.

Vernacular Names:

Kannada:  Bevu (ಬೇವು)
Hindi: Neem (नीम)
Tamil: Veppai (வேப்பை)
Malayalam:  Aryaveppu (ആര്യവേപ്പ്)
Telugu:  Vepa (వేప)
Marathi: Kadunimba (कडुनिंब)
Gujarati: Limbda

Bengali: Nim (নিম)

Tulu: besappu

Neem in Ayurvedic Textbooks Classical categorization

Charaka Samhita: Kandughna (group of herbs that are useful in relieving itching)

                                Tiktaskandha (group of bitter tasting herb)

Sushrutha: Aragwadhadi, Guduchyadi, lakshadi

Vagbhata: same as Sushrutha

Chemical composition of neem:

Neem tree has numerous medicinal properties by virtue of its chemical compounds. Seeds of the Neem tree contain the highest concentration of Azadirachtin. Apart from Azadirachtin , salannin, gedunin, azadirone, nimbin, nimbidine, nimbicidine, nimbinol, etc are other important liminoids of neem.

Properties (Rasa Panchaka): 

Rasa--Taste--Bitter (tikta) and Astringent(kashaya)
Guna--qualities--Light to digest (laghu) Dry(ruksh)
Virya--Potency--Sheeta
Vipaka--taste conversion after digestion--Katu vipaka

Karma--Kapha-pittahara, Dipana, Grahi, Krimighna, Netrya..

Neem uses and qualities:

• Sheeta – Nimba imparts cooling qualities to the body.
• Laghu – undergoes digestion and absorption pretty easily and quickly.
• Grahi – helps in absorbing moisture from the intestine. Dries up and cleans up the moisture in wounds and ulcers.
• Katu – has pungent taste. It also undergoes pungent taste conversion after digestion.
• Tikta – has bitter taste
• Agnikrut – improves digestion process
• Vatakrut – increases Vata
• Ahrudya – not so good for heart.
• Shramahara – relieves tiredness
• Truthara – relieves excessive thirst. Since it decreases Pitta, it is useful in fever and associated thirst.
• Kasahara – Helps to relieve cough. It is very useful in infective respiratory problems. It has anti-microbial properties.
• Jwarahara – Useful in fever, due to its potent anti microbial phyto-chemicals.
• Aruchihara – Helps to relieve anorexia. Bitter tasting herbs, though very difficult to consume, have this unique property of relieving anorexia.
• Krumihara – Actual translation is – relieves worms. Nimba is useful in intestinal worms, infested wounds, and as an anti -microbial agent.
• Vranahara – Helps to cleanse and heal wound quickly.
• Pitta – Kaphahara – Balances Pitta and Kapha. Note that, though neem has Cold quality, it helps to balance Kapha (which also has cold quality). This is due to its other properties such as Katu vipaka (pungent taste conversion after digestion).
• Chardi – hrillasa hara – Helps to relieve nausea and vomiting
• Kushtahara – Useful in numerous skin diseases
• Mehanut – Useful in diabetes and disorders related to urinary tract.

Neem leaf benefits:

• Neem leaves do have similar qualities as discussed above, but it has some special benefits.
• Netrya – It is good for eyes. Helps to relieve infection.
• Kruminut – Helps relieve worms and microbes
• Pittanut – Balances Pitta
• Vishanut – Natural detoxifier.
• Vatala – increases Vata.
• Katupaka – Punget taste conversion after conversion
• Arochaka and Kushtanut – relieves skin diseases and anorexia.

Neem fruit benefits: 

• Neem fruit is Bhedana – helps to pass bowels easily
• Snidgha – Unctuous, oily
• Laghu – light to digest
• Ushna – hot in potency
• Gulmanut – Relieves bloating
• Arshanut – relieves piles (hemorrhoids)
• Kriminut – relieves worms and infection
• Mehanut – Helps in diabetes.

Different ways to use neem

• Lepa – Neem powder (mixed with other herbs or alone), can be made into paste with water or honey, to apply over the skin or wound in the form of paste.  
• Ahara – Neem can be used as part of food or as oral medication.
• Snana – Neem powder, added to hot water can be used to take bath
• kashaya – Neem water decoction can be used to wash, during infection. Like washing the eyes, infected pile mass.
• The same water decoction can also be used for sitz bath in peri anal abscess or infected anal fistula or hemorrhoids.
• Neem powder in bathing water or soap People with repeated skin infections, with pus and redness, and people with repeated abscess problem, it is a good idea to add a spoon of neem powder to a bucket hot water, and use this water for bathing.

Therapeutic Uses:

Sheetapitta: Neem leaves and Amla fruit are mixed with ghee and given regularly. 

Jvara: The leaves, root, fruits and bark of Neem are mixed with ghee and fumigation is given.

Kushta: Nimba and Patola together are used in different forms.

For clear skin: Make a paste out of neem powder and organic aloe vera.  Apply to the face and leave on for 15 minutes.  Perform this at least 3 times a week.

Home remedies with neem:

1. Apply Crushed fresh leaves of neem on acne. In case of body acne mix fine paste of fresh neem leaves in little water and smear this mixture on back, chest and shoulders.
2. In itching, application of neeem oil on affected areas helps. Boil neem leaves in a big bowl of water and mix this in bathing water. This reduces body itch.
3. Massaging Neem oil to scalp removes head lice and prevents formation of dandruff.
4. Mix dry neem powder, shikakai  and amla  in  water and apply this as pack on head . This pack has to be kept for 45 minutes and washed off later. This prevents hair loss and dandruff. Fresh neem leaves can also be used instead of dry neem powder.
5. A freshly prepared paste of turmeric, neem and sesame seeds is recommended in ayurveda for fungal infection between toes.
6. Fumigating the house with smoke of dried neem leaves in evenings for 1-2 minutes is an excellent ayurvedic method to keep mosquitoes away.

Neem side effects:

• Since it can lower blood glucose levels, as a general rule, if you’re fasting, better to avoid oral intake of neem.
• People with diabetes should use neem only under medical supervision,with constant blood glucose level  monitoring.
• It is best to take the advice of your doctor before using neem during childhood, pregnancy or lactation.
• If you are using neem oil for hair, (as in case of dandruff), while washing off the oil, it may cause burning sensation to the eyes. 

Research:

• Anti-fertility activity:- Neem oil, has been reported to possess strong spermicidal action against rhesus monkey and human spermatozoa within 30 sec of mixing with semen.
• Anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity:- Nimbidin (40mg/kg body weight) significantly reduce acute paw oedema in rats.
• CNS activity:- Leaf extract showed varying degree of CNS depressant activity in mice.
• Skin disorders and Anti-microbial activity:- It is found effective in case of acute eczyema, ringworm infestation, and scabies.
• Anti-diabetic activity:- Aqueous extract of leaves decreased the blood sugar levels in dogsand prevented adrenaline as well as glucose hyperglycemia. The onset of action was at 30 min-4hrs.
• Neem oil does not produce hypoglycemia in normal animals, but it does improve glucose tolerance. 

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