Diabetes mellitus is a disease suffered by millions of people in the United States alone. It causes a number of debilitating and sometimes deadly complications. Blindness, amputations from poor circulation, heart disease and a number of other problems can result from diabetes. It is therefore a major concern that we develop adequate treatments, and eventually a cure.
Diabetes had been treated with herbs and diet until the advent of modem pharmaceuticals and the ability to chemically produce insulin in large quantities. Though insulin has been a lifesaver for insulin-dependent diabetics, the repeated injections are expensive and painful. The neem tree offers an opportunity to reduce the number of insulin shots with a safe and proven herb. Neern can also reduce the need for hypo-glycaemic drugs, and increase their effectiveness for those with non-insulin dependent diabetes.
Scientific studies show neem leaf and certain extracts of the leaf and seed oil are effective in reducing insulin requirements. Different studies show insulin requirement reductions of between 20 - 50% for those who take five grams of dried neem leaf capsules daily. There are even anecdotal reports of diabetics chewing a single neem leaf daily that have been able to eliminate hypoglycernic drugs completely. Based on the many studies of neem's effect on diabetes, the Indian government approved neem-based tablets for sale by a pharmaceutical company as a treatment for diabetes. One study of the product published in The Journal of General Medicine showed the tablets alone significantly lowered blood glucose levels. Tests were also performed on the effect of taking the tablets along with standard hypoglycemic drugs. These tests showed that the neembased tablets significantly improved the effectiveness of standard hypoglycemic drugs when taken together. Circulation problems are a frequent cause of amputations for diabetics. Neem leaf extracts cause the blood vessels to dilate, allowing for increased circulation to the extremities. In one personal experience, a friend's diabetic brother was about to lose a foot because of poor circulation. After taking neem leaf capsules three times a day and wrapping his foot in a poultice of neem leaves for several days, the circulation returned to his foot and the amputation was cancelled. There is no consensus as to the mechanism of the results observed. Some researchers believe it can work by either reserve insulin being released or by directing the reduction of blood glucose by metabolic factors. In either case, neem can be extremely useful in treating both types of diabetes mellitus.
The neem tree has historically been a source of medications to treat heart disease. Scientists have proven neem's effectiveness for many of the causes of heart disease and have begun isolating promising compounds from different parts of the tree. Neem leaf and seed oil extracts have been shown to reduce clotting, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, slow rapid heartbeat, reduce inflammation and inhibit irregularities of the rhythms of the heart.
Some neem leaf compounds can produce effects similar to mild sedatives, reducing anxiety and other emotional and physical states that can precipitate heart attacks. To understand the great promise of neem in lowering the incidence of heart disease, we must look at all of the different effects neem can have on the body relating to the heart and the circulatory system. Scientific research shows how simple, yet effective, many of the traditional treatments using neem can be. A healthy cholesterol level is important to maintaining blood flow. Neern leaf extracts have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels significantly and may help remove cholesterol from the body. Blood clots often cause heart attacks when they close blood vessels at points where plaque formation has significantly narrowed the opening. Some neern compounds act like aspirin to reduce blood clotting without harming the stomach. Many researchers now believe the leading cause of heart attacks is chronic, low-grade inflammation of the arteries. Neern compounds are proven inflammation reducers, a major benefit of taking neem for circulatory conditions. Arrhythmias (irregular heart beats) are implicated in one-third of all heart attacks. Simple neern leaf extracts exhibited anti-arrhythmic activity and a decrease in rapid heartbeats. These are a few of the effects neern can have in preventing heart disease. For both the people who cannot get access to the expensive medications currently used by wealthier countries and those who desire alternative therapies, neern can be an alternative source of medication.
One of the first things we notice about people is their teeth. Are they all there? Are they straight? Are they white? Teeth tell us a lot about the person and affect how we respond to them, especially on a first impression. I'm reminded of the commercial where a nice looking man and woman are glancing at each other at a party and starting to flirt. Then, the man smiles a friendly smile and shows a set of yellow teeth.
The woman immediately stops flirting and looks away. The possibilities end there. The commercial is perhaps a bit extreme, but similar occurances are not uncommon when it comes to teeth and the reactions they evoke. Scientists investigating neem extracts have found that they have much to recommend for dental hygiene. The microorganisms found in inflamed gums are resistant to penicillin and tetracycline but are not resistant to antibacterial plant extracts like neem. Unlike antibiotics, antibacterial plant extracts produced no allergy in the gingiva that could inhibit their effectiveness. In a clinical study, 50 patients with confirmed gingivitis were selected, 40 showed severe bleeding and pustular discharges from the gums. After just three weeks of brushing twice a day with paste including neem leaf extracts, eight out of ten patients showed significant improvement. The patients also showed a reduction in bacterial populations and elimination of halitosis (bad breath) with no side effects. Pyorrhea is an advanced gum disease characterized by an inflammation of the gums and membranes covering the roots of the teeth. More teeth are lost by people over age 35 because of this disease than any other cause. Using a neem-based toothpaste and mouthwash healed bleeding gums, stopped the secretion from pockets around the teeth and returned blue-tinted gums to a healthy pale pink color. As a personal testimonial, my father was scheduled to undergo a long and painful process of visiting a periodontist to correct bleeding gums. He was to have his gums cut between the teeth, and then have each tooth scraped to remove accumulated plaque and bacteria. I gave him some neem bark powder and told him to dip his toothbrush into the powder each time he brushed his teeth. He agreed to try it for a month before the recommended surgery. Within a week, he noticed his gums felt better and had stopped bleeding, and his teeth seemed more firmly set in the gums. By the end of the month, his dentist was examining his teeth to have a last look before the surgery, but the dentist no longer felt surgery was necessary. He asked my father what he had been doing because his teeth and gums were almost normal. The dentist, when told, said he had never heard of neem, but told my father definitely not to stop because it was working - keeping him from a series of painful scrapings. Since then, I have given the powdered bark or leaf extract to several other friends Who faced dental surgery and all have been able to cancel the procedures. They all continue to brush with neem.
Love potions and aphrodisiacs have been the stuff of legend and lore throughout history. So far, none have been found to be true. But sex can be made better, safer and more enjoyable with neem.
The two biggest worries while having sex are pregnancy and disease. Neem oil's safe lubricating action combined with its birth control and its anti-viral and immune stimulating properties can allow both partners to concentrate more on enjoying sex and less on worrying about pregnancy and disease. Research over the last 20 years has shown neem oil to be 98% effective at preventing pregnancy when used as a vaginal lubricant, The effectiveness lasted over five hours after a single application and produced no irritation. That compares to no more than 30 minutes for commercial spermicides that are messy and irritating to both parties. Neem oil's birth control effect does not appear to be hormonal and is considered a safe and effective alternative to other methods. A neem-based contraceptive cream called Sensal was iecently developed by a pharmaceutical company for distribution in India. Tests of its effectiveness showed that it compared favorably with the chemical-based foams and gels usually used for contraception but had the advantage of also killing diseasecausing bacteria, fungi and viruses. Neem contains a number of healing compounds that lessen the chance of contracting or transmitting sexual diseases. Used in conjunction with condoms, neem can help to minimize the risk of dangerous diseases such as AIDS, herpes and the human papilloma virus (HPV). As an added benefit, neem oil safely acts as a lubricant soothing vaginal walls without danger of damaging latex condoms. The AIDS virus can be transmitted during sexual intercourse. Latex condoms are, at present, the only known way of severely reducing the chance of transmission during sexual intercourse. However, condoms sometimes break, especially when using certain lubricants, allowing any infectious agents to come into contact with tissues. Neem oil can help protect against AIDS through its anti-viral and immune-stimulating properties, especially the cell-mediated immune response. The National Institutes of Health reports that neem extract prevented the AIDS virus from infecting cells, but there was no determination of how this was accomplished. Before the advent of AIDS, herpes was the most dreaded sexually transmitted disease. Herpes is an incurable and easily transmitted disease that can result in periodic eruptions of painful sores and blisters. Tests in Germany show that neem extracts are toxic to the herpes virus reducing the threat of transmission and helping to prevent eruptions of established conditions. The human papilloma virus (iJPV) is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease that is difficult to treat and can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Condoms and barrier methods of birth control will not prevent an infection by HPV. However, using neem oil as a vaginal lubricant during intercourse, in conjunction with condoms, may provide significant protection. Most men buildup to and complete an orgasm much quicker than women. This disparity in timing is frustrating to both participants. To remedy the situation topical analgesics have been used to help men delay their orgasms. Most of these analgesics are effective, but irritate the areas they touch. Neem oil has a very mild desensitizing quality that has traditionally been used to treat skin conditions such as scrapes, bums, psoriasis and itching. By reducing slightly the nerve sensitivity of the penis, the buildup of sensations that end in orgasm is slowed. This delay enables the woman to continue her slower orgasmic build up so she may achieve orgasm either before or simultaneously with the man. Sex is an integral part of the human experience. The way our bodies respond to stimuli, the timing of peak sexual enjoyment and the distracting influence of worry and fear can all reduce the potential for pleasure. Though neem is no aphrodisiac or love potion, it can make sex a more enjoyable experience for both partners by making sex safer, better and more worry-free.
Neem is quickly becoming the best friend of many of the world's farmers, especially in the more impoverished areas of the tropics. Neem oil is an effective insecticide, miticide, fungicide, nematacide, and an insect antifeedant and repellant. (An insect antiieedant is a substance that discourages insect feeding but does not directly kill the insect.) As an antifeedant, neem oil is so effective that desert locust, a major crop destroyer, will starve to death before eating plants treated with neem oil.
Because neem products are used for human consumption and medication, exposure to neem in the process of treating plants with neem oil poses no threat to humans or other higher animals. Moreover, neem is not a contact poison so does little han-n to beneficial insects, affecting primarily those insects feeding on plants treated with neem, Since most predator insects do not feed on plants, they are rarely harmed by the presence of neem. Neem. biodegrades in a matter of weeks when exposed to sunlight or in soil. Naturally occurring compounds in neem have been shown to be an effective antifeedant and growth regulator for more than 200 species of insect pests and yet are surprisingly nontoxic to birds, mammals and beneficial predators like ladybugs, spiders, bees and wasps. Implementation of environmentally friendly horticultural practices is essential to the preservation of the quality of life on Earth. Ecologically sound practices which rely less upon synthetic chemical pesticides and more upon integrated pest management (IPM) practices including the use of naturally occurring pest controls like neem oil are imperative to maintain soil productivity and reduce ancillary poisoning of people and animals. In third-world countries where the tropical neem tree grows, farmers can make crude insect control directly from neem seeds. Crushed neem seeds soaked in water overnight provide a very effective spray that protects crops from attack by insects. Neem seeds are readily available to the farmer since the tree grows in the yard or is used as a windbreak. Making their own insect control from neem saves the fanner hard-earned money that would normally have been spent on commercial pesticides. It also protects their health because it protects without being toxic. Neem makes the ideal insect control for impoverished farmers worldwide. After taking the highly valuable oil from them the remaining kernels of neem seeds are not wasted. They are used, as they have been for centuries, as a soil amendment. Experience has taught farmers that working the leftover neem kernels into the soil of a garden produces larger, healthier plants that have few problems with insect pests. The neem tree can save millions of people from starvation caused by insects that are growing increasingly resistant to our current arsenal of nerve toxins and biological pesticides. Neem can also prevent countless deaths and physical suffering caused by using chemical pesticides. It can do this for large farming corporations and backyard gardeners in industrialized nations as well as for subsistence farmers who grow a few trees for their own use in rural villages of third-world countries. Providing a safe, inexpensive and very effective insect control for both ends of the agricultural spectrum is a truly remarkable quality of the amazing neem tree. Source: Neem: The Miraculous Healing Herb by John Conrick |