Know your Herbs

The scientific name for Neel is Indigofera tinctoria. It belongs to the family Fabaceae or the bean family. It is one of the oldest natural dyes used and is native to India. This plant also had its origin in Malaysia. Neel is also called true indigo and is widely found in the tropical and subtropical areas and has a pan tropical dispersal. It exists in Asia, Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Soviet Union, America and Iran.

The whole plant is used for the various purposes has a bitter taste and hot potency. It grows up to 2 meters in height and is a perennial herb cultivated across the whole India for the commercial purpose. The whole plant is crushed and dried to make powder.

The dye made form this plant has a fascinating blue colour and is known as “king of dyes” .It has been found in the clothes of Egyptian mummies.

The plant has pinnate, light green leaves with violet or pink flowers. The plant can withstand high temperature.

The flowers are a rich source of nutrients including carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, alkaloids, fats, tannins, flavonoids. Due to the potent medicinal properties, it is used for re found in the plant compared to other medicinal plants.

The leaves contain flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, terpenoid, quinines, saponins, steroids, myrcetin, gallic acid and quercetin. Apart from these, other components are found in the plant are Dehydrodeguelin, Tephrosin, Rotenone, Deguelin and Sumatrol.

Neel has various medicinal properties such as anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anthelmentic, laxative, expectorant, anticancer, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsant, anti-septic, anti-diabetic and cytotoxic properties. It can thus be used to treat splenomegaly, cardiopathy, neuropathy, epilepsy, ulcers, skin disorders and other illnesses.

In traditional Ayurveda, Neel was used to treat epilepsy, gout, lumbago, spleen diseases, cough, delusion, parasitic infestation, phobia, poisoning, mental disturbance, nervine disorders, headache, jaundice, leucorrhoea and depression.

Benefits of Neel

• Improves Hair Health: Neel oil is well known from ancient time in Ayurveda. It is mainly used for the hair growth, to prevent premature greying of hair and to control hair fall.  It works as a good hair tonic.
   
• Improves Skin Health: The extract of Neel leaves can be applied on the wounds, cuts, burns, scabies and other skin ailments to speedup healing.
   
• Improves Respiratory Health: Neel is an effective remedy in whooping cough, asthma and other respiratory disorders. Extract of leaves shows protective effects against lung illnesses and lung cancer.
   
• Fights Fever: Neel is used to treat fever and any kind of inflammation.
   
• Improves Mental Health: Its natural anti-oxidants help in the treatment and prevention of brain diseases and disorders including Alzheimer’s disease.
   
• Helps in Chronic Diseases: Neel is equally helpful in diabetes and arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory effect.
   

The therapeutic value of Neel in improving the health of scalp and hair make it a part of Tressgrow oil and Tressgrow Combo.