Ongoing research is validating what Ayurvedic practitioners have known for millennia, that Neem is a dynamic plant which can help treat a variety of health problems, while enhancing overall well-being.
Ayurveda is a holistic system indigenous to India and practised worldwide. The word Ayurveda is a Sanskrit term meaning “science of life.” Ayu means “life” or “daily living”, and Veda is “knowing”.
Ayurveda was first recorded in the Vedas – which are ancient Hindu scriptures. Widely practised in India, this holistic health approach encompasses the most successful medical system in the world and has been practised in daily life in India for more than 5,000 years. Ayurveda treatment involves the whole body, mind, and spirit with a focus on the cause of health disorders.
Yoga, meditation, and botanical medicine are all valuable parts of the Ayurvedic approach. One plant that is essential to Ayurvedic practice is the Neem tree, named “Arista” in Sanskrit. With its 4,500 year history, “Arista” means perfect, complete, and imperishable. The Neem tree is also known as “sarva roga nivarin” meaning healer of all ailments and “The Village Pharmacy” in India.
For thousands of years, humans have sought to fortify their health and cure various ills with herbal remedies. The World Health Organization claims on their website that 80% of the world’s population are still using herbs and herbal remedies for health problems! The search for the true panacea, or cure-all, has been undertaken by virtually every civilization.
Perhaps no other botanical plant better meets the true definition of a panacea than the Neem tree, a tropical evergreen belonging to the mahogany family and native to India and Myanmar (Burma). Every part of this fascinating tree – bark, cake, fruit, flowers, honey, gum, leaves, seed oil, twigs, pulp, resins and roots has been used since ancient times to treat hundreds of maladies. While other herbs such as ginseng are better known, comprehensive research has proven that Neem has a wider array of uses than any other plant on Earth! While it has always been revered in India, there has been a dramatic increase in worldwide interest in Neem recently.
As a result, new herbal products are being manufactured, promoted, and distributed around the globe. Large corporations have been jumping on the bandwagon offering many kinds of Ayurvedic herbal medicinal Neem products (make sure to read the labels and check for toxic chemicals). These include: Colgate, Costco, Wholefoods Market, WalMart, Now Foods, New Roots Herbal, Sundari, Nature’s Way, L’Oreal, Garnier / Paris, Avon / UK, A.Vogel / UK, Dr. Hauschka / Germany, and Shiseido / Japan. Furthermore, you will find huge numbers of companies selling Ayurvedic herbal neem products on Amazon and Alibaba!
The first recorded use of Neem was several thousand years ago, as ancient Indian cultures used it as an integral part of dozens of health and beauty aids. In fact, 75% of all Ayurvedic herbal products contain Neem, and medicinal attributes of Neem were extolled in the oldest Sanskrit writing.
The following health problems have been treated successfully with Neem using the Ayurvedic approach:
Ongoing research is validating what Ayurvedic practitioners have known for millennia, that Neem is a dynamic and useful plant which can help treat a huge variety of health problems, while enhancing overall well-being.
Every part of this fascinating tree – bark, cake, fruit, flowers, honey, and roots has been used since ancient times to treat hundreds of maladies
The Neem tree grows only in these tropical and sub-tropical countries:
Here is an impressive list of 118 tropical and sub-tropical countries where the miraculous versatile medicinal neem is growing globally. That does not mean that herbal Ayurvedic neem products are manufactured /distributed in these countries:
Native to India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Thailand.
Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Guyana, Gabon, Cambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Jamaica, Java, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malawi, Mail, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nanimbia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Qatar, Sao Tome et Principe, Saudi Arabia, Sechelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, The Bahamas, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, United States of America, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (US), Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Neem acts as antiviral, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, analgesic, anti-helmetic, anti-emetic, anti-arthritic, anti-gastric, anti-carcinogenic, anti-anxiety, and antioxidant (free radicals).
Neem works to boost the immune system on all levels while helping the body fight infections. Unlike synthetic antibiotics, Neem does not destroy beneficial bacteria and other micro-organism needed to maintain optimum health. Some medical experts believe that the overuse of chemical antibiotics is contributing to the breakdown of the human immune system. Neem offers a non-toxic, zero-harm alternative to powerful and sometimes damaging prescription medicines and their side effects!
Numerous active compounds have been isolated from the neem plant. Some of the most studied include: gedunin, sodium, nimbinate, salannin, nimbin, azadirachtin, nimbidiol, quercetin, and nimbidin. Neem leaves contain fibre, carbohydrates and at least ten amino acid proteins. They also contain calcium and other nourishing minerals.
Klaus Ferlow hugging for the first time a neem tree at the Neem Research & Technology Development Center, Village Gondkhairy, North of Nagpur , India
The tree helps prevent environmental pollution and soil erosion, and works to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems and wastelands. Neem trees are recommended for reforestation, are useful for wind breaks, in areas of low rainfall (grows even in the desert), and high speed wind, protects crops. It can also be made into non-toxic pesticide and fertilizer and can be used as a veterinary medicine.
My own experience with Neem for psoriasis has been nothing short of a miracle. I suffered for more than 40 years with severe psoriasis on my scalp and elbows. However, when I started using the herbal neem care products we created (Neem cream, shampoo, conditioner, soap, oil blend) and I alleviated the problem. But it is not a cure and the psoriasis sufferer needs to maintain using the Neem products! Question: Which product has been the bestseller? Answer: The bestseller is our Neem Cream.
About the author:
As one of the few North Americans researching Neem medicine since 1994, I have authored over 95 educational articles about health, healing, herbs and nutrition. These include 23 articles about the miraculous and versatile Neem tree from India that works to improve plant, human, animal and environmental health.
I am also the author of three Neem books:
I am also one of 14 core-founding members who established the WNO – World Neem Organisation, in Mumbai, India, in 2017. Other founding members were from Africa, Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East. I represent North America, United Kingdom, Germany and the Scandinavian countries. As well, I attended three Neem Conferences in India as a speaker:
The strongest supporters of my Neem research and books include:
Dr. David Suzuki, CC, OBC, FRSC, PhD: I viewed his video “What’s in a Neem” at the CBC program “The Nature of Things” in January 1994, and I have been in touch with him since 1995.
Dr Zoltan Rona, MD, MSc, Dr. Neil McKinney, ND, BSc, Dr. David Schleich, PhD, Dr. Nirrmala Kotharii, ND, FICCM, PhD
Dr. Malte Hozzel, PhD, Dr. Sandra Goodman, PhD, Dr. Eve Hillary, ND, BHSc., MA
Dr. Arun Kumar Garg, MD, FRCPC, PhD
Two other supporters include world renowned entomologists, scientists, and neem researchers Dr. Ramesh Saxena from India, and Professor Dr. Heinrich Schmutterer. Dr. Schmutterer, who hails from Germany, is known as “The father of Modern Neem”, and he is editor of the book “The Neem Tree ” second edition published in 2002.
Conclusion:
Of all the plants that have proven useful to humans throughout the ages, few have offered as much value and versatility as the neem tree. With growing research supporting the benefits and healing properties, Neem is finally getting the attention it deserves!
>
Words of Wisdom
It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. Mahatma Gandhi, India
Nature gives us energy we need to protect and maintain our health. Alfred Vogel, Switzerland
> References:
>
> https://neemresearch.ca, www.worldneemorganisation.org
[2] https://neem.world, neempedia.com
[4] https://www.discoverneem.com , neemresearch.ca/, neemresearch.ca/neem-oil-a-sacred-oil-from-india
https://www.ferlowbotanicals.com, book” THE NEEM TREE” second edition,
> edited by Prof. Dr. Heinrich Schmutterer, 893 pages, published 2002
> Neem Foundation, Mumbai, India.
>
> Klaus Ferlow, Master Herbalist, (HMH) www.doninionherbalcollege.com
> [5], Herbal Advocate (HA), https://bcherbalists.ca, author, educator,
> formulator, lecturer, researcher, writer, founder of Ferlow Botanicals & Neem Research, co-author of the book
> “7stepstodentalhealth”, author of the books “Neem: Nature’s Healing Gift to Humanity,” “Neem: The Tree that heals Nations,” “Neem: Your Guide to Natural Health and Beauty”
>
> disclaimer: the content of this article is for educational purpose
> only and should not be used for the diagnose and or treatment or cure
> of disease, please contact your health care practitioner
copyright 04/2025
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Very informative article. I saw it offered as a tea in the health food store, but wasn't sure of all the benefits.