Neem Powder: 5 Miraculous Benefits

Neem Powder: 5 Miraculous BenefitsNeem has long been considered one of the cornerstones of Ayurvedic medicine. The herb is incredibly versatile and highly regarded for its ability to keep a wide variety of ailments and diseases at bay. There are different forms of neem that you can either purchase or prepare yourself, but today we’re going to focus specifically on neem powder. Learn more to learn how neem powder can improve your skin, strengthen your immune system and even help relieve diabetes.

Neem and its Role in Ayurveda

Neem has so many benefits that even ancient Indian mythology attempted to explain why. One legend has it that Indra, king of the heavens, was carrying a pot of the ‘elixer of life’ that could turn anyone immortal. But some of it spilled all the way down to earth on the neem tree, thus granting the tree its potent healing powers.

The neem tree is indeed impressive. It can live to be a couple hundred years old while also withstanding extremely hot temperatures. The leaves are the most common part used as medicine, but other parts of the tree, such as its bark and seeds, also have medicinal value. (1)

The tree, scientifically known as Azadirachta indica, grows all over India and other South Asian countries. It’s also occasionally grown in other warm climate countries in Southeast Asia or in the Middle East. Though neem is still not very well known in the West, more and more neem products, such as neem powder and neem oil, have been making their way onto the international market.

Neem is considered to be a potent cooling herb. In regards to the Ayurvedic doshas, neem is said to help balance both Pitta and Kapha but increase Vata. If you’re unfamiliar with these terms, don’t worry. We’ll save them for another time and won’t be mentioning them again in this article.

 

Neem leaves Neem powder
Neem: The “super herb”

The Top 5 Benefits of Neem Powder

The versatility of neem is truly amazing. After reading the list below, you’re very likely to discover at least one or two ways that neem powder could benefit your life. Let’s go over five miraculous benefits of neem powder, but keep in mind that there are still even many more!

1. Neem Powder for Skin

Neem is an excellent remedy for common skin problems like acne. It can also provide relief for skin that’s either too oily or too dry.

One of the reasons that neem is so good for the skin its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Applying neem powder on your face can help clean the skin and also help it heal faster. This can prevent scars from forming after a blackhead pimple is gone, for example. Furthermore, its anti-fungal properties mean that’s ideal for fighting against problems like ringworm.

Many commercial skin products on the market nowadays use neem as an ingredient. But why not ditch the extra, and oftentimes unnecessary, chemicals, and go straight to the source?

How to make a neem powder face mask: A neem powder mask can be helpful to get rid of annoying pimples. You have a few different options when it comes to making one. First of all, you can simply try mixing some neem powder with water, and applying the paste on your face. Leave it on for up to a few hours before washing it off. You can try this a few days a week and you should eventually start seeing results. (2)

Aside from just water, you can even try making a face mask using neem powder and fresh papaya! I have yet to try this myself, but others have reported smooth, glowing skin. (3)

But that’s not all. Neem has also been shown to help cool a sunburn, and it can even help relieve symptoms of herpes.

 

Neem Powder for Skin
Consider neem powder for healthy, glowing skin

2. Neem Powder for Hair

Do you suffer from either dandruff or psoriasis? Or just a dry, itchy scalp in general? It turns out that people have been using neem powder for hair and scalp health for centuries!

For a dry or itchy scalp, you can mix together neem powder with water and a couple drops of olive or coconut oil. Place the mixture in your hair and massage your scalp for awhile. Leave it in your hair for about 15 minutes before rinsing it out. (4)

Conversely, neem is also beneficial for those with oily hair. You can try a similar mixture to the one above but without the added olive oil. (5)

3. Neem Powder for Immune Health

Neem helps detoxify the body and clean the liver. It also fights infections by stimulating T cell production in the body. T cells are white blood cells that are meant to target pathogens. Think of them like body guards trained to protect their host from any foreign threat.

Neem powder also strengthens the immune system by nourishing the body. It contains important nutrients like calcium, fiber and various amino acids. Neem is also known to contain compounds which have been proven to be highly beneficial for immune health. Some of them are:

  • Quercetin – an antioxidant compound which fights against damage caused by free radicals
  • Nimbin – a chemical compound unique to neem with anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties
  • Carotenoids – compounds that are also found in many fruits and vegetables, and which boost the immune system while helping keep tumors at bay
  • And lots more! (1)

Furthermore, consuming neem powder can also help purify the blood! Clearly, there are just so many benefits to consuming neem powder. And best of all, neem has been used for thousands of years and with few reported side effects or adverse reactions. This is in stark contrast to antibiotics and other commercial medicines that have many known side effects, while also costing a fortune.

For an immune system boost, the web site Satveda recommends adding between half to one teaspoon of neem powder to a glass of water. Drink this mixture two times a day, around an hour or so after breakfast and then either after lunch or dinner. (5)

4. Neem Powder for Digestion

Neem helps smoothen digestion while also reducing inflammation in the gut. As mentioned in the point above, neem leaves and seeds contain many beneficial compounds that have extraordinary antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory benefits. And it’s thanks to these compounds, some of which are unique to neem, that the herb is also good for the digestive system.

Neem powder is commonly taken to treat ulcers. This is likely due to the plant’s ability to inhibit helicobacterpylori. a harmful bacteria which is largely responsible for the formation of gastric ulcers. (6)

Taking neem powder regularly is also believed to aid in the removal of harmful parasites and even reduce bloating. And it’s also said to help remove excess moisture from the digestive tract. Furthermore, as a ‘cooling herb,’ it can cool down excess heat in the stomach.

5. Neem Powder for Diabetes

Another amazing benefit of neem powder is its ability to relieve the symptoms of diabetes. According to health writer Stas Bekman, “Neem has been found to reduce insulin requirements for diabetics by up to 50% for nonkeytonic, insulin fast and insulin-sensitive diabetes…” (1)

In the United States, the cost of diabetes treatment continues to rise at a staggering rate. In the period between 2007 and 2012 alone, Americans went from spending $174 billion on treatment to $245 billion. As of 2017, the number is estimated to be around $327 billion! (7)

Today in India, neem powder capsules are widely available at pharmacies for people with diabetes. And neem as a treatment for diabetes has even been promoted by the Indian government. It really makes you think, then, how a $327 billion industry was able to form in the United States, when a cheap and healthy alternative has literally been growing on trees this entire time!

If you have diabetes and are interested in neem, it’s best to consult a professional who is open-minded about herbal treatments and who has experience with neem.

According to sources like The Indian Spot, treating diabetes with neem powder is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is mix a teaspoon of neem powder in a glass of water and drink it before breakfast. You can do this on a regular basis. (8)

Just bear in mind that neem is very bitter, so you’ll likely want to use a natural sweetener. Raw honey would be an excellent choice.

(If you’re interested in other ways to treat diabetes naturally, you can check out my book Diabetes: The Raw Food Diet for Diabetes Reversal)

 

neem powder for digestion
Neem powder: Boost your immune system, reverse diabetes and a whole lot more!

Where to Buy Neem Powder?

For those living in India, you likely won’t have to go very far before finding the nearest neem tree. For people in the rest of the world, though, a bit more effort and money are required to get your hands on this powerful antioxidant.

Luckily, there are a lot more neem powder products (and also neem oil, for that matter) appearing on the market these days for those living in the West.

Buying straight neem powder is the best choice. When neem first touches your tongue, your digestive system immediately starts preparing itself for when the herb reaches your stomach. Also, by buying powder instead of capsules, you can use neem externally on your face or scalp as we went over above.

When buying any herbal product, you always want to make sure it’s non-GMO and from a reputable source. Even while it may all look the same, it doesn’t pay in the end to skimp out and choose a cheaper, and most likely inferior, variety of an herb.

Banyan Botanicals is a well-known company selling neem powder in the West. And just by looking at the packaging, it’s clear that they know what they’re talking about when it comes to Ayurveda.

Another non-GMO source that’s been highly rated on Amazon is the kind by Royal Leaf Essentials.

If you still prefer capsules, there are plenty of neem powder products in that form on sale as well. Reviewers of Organic India Neem Capsules have noted relief of ailments like diabetes and candida, among many others.

Potential Side Effects

Neem is generally considered to be safe for most people. However, you should definitely avoid, or at least consult with a professional, when taking neem while pregnant or while nursing. Neem is also potentially harmful to infants.

Neem has also been known to send people’s blood sugar levels down too low. This is another reason to consult with a professional before taking neem as a diabetic.

Some people might have allergic reactions to neem which include dizziness, nausea or diarrhea.

You should also be aware that neem has traditionally been taken as natural birth control (for both women and men) for many years. This can either be considered as a benefit or a side effect, depending on your situation!

You should also stay away from neem powder while fasting.

Conclusion

Believe it or not, we’ve only just scratched the surface on all the things that neem can do. Did you know that it’s also good for your teeth? Or that it can even be used as a natural insect repellent? Neem is such an amazing plant that we could all do ourselves a favor by learning a lot more about it. Give neem a try and you could also end up saving a lot of space in your medicine cabinet!

 

Sources

(1) https://stason.org/articles/wellbeing/health/The-Miraculous-Neem.html

(2) https://nimprah.com/en/neem-tree/neem-powder/

(3) https://www.rewardme.in/beauty/skin-body/article/5-neem-face-packs-for-flawless-skin

(4) https://www.beautifulhameshablog.com/how-to-use-neem-powder-for-skin-and-hair/

(5) https://www.satveda.com/p/neem-powder

(6) https://www.ultra-herbneem.com/neem-and-digestive-disorders/

(7) https://www.diabetes.org/advocacy/news-events/cost-of-diabetes.html

(8) https://theindianspot.com/uses-and-benefits-of-neem-powder/

 

Neem Powder: 5 Miraculous Benefits

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