The post The Future of Cities appeared first on Neem.World.
]]>In these urban centers, where over three-fourths of the growing population will reside by 2050, the air pollution exceeds safety limits, containing excessive levels of sulfate, nitrates, and black carbon. When the air pollution is too great, the health and lives of urban residents are put at risk. This excessive air pollution causes an estimated 3 million deaths every year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 94% of these deaths arise in the form of noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and lung cancer. Even though the rate of high pollution levels seems daunting, they can be mitigated and overcome by a change to more sustainable practices, like the introduction of eco-cities.
Eco-cities are human settlements that are committed to working as a self-sustaining structure, like a natural ecosystem, without consuming more natural resources than it produces, limiting the amount of waste it produces, and functioning without impacting neighboring ecosystems. Already, over 2,500 cities have submitted carbon emission reduction plans to the United Nations, with a potential to cut over 500 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2030! Neem is the perfect addition to these eco-cities, as it is one of the best tree species in air filtration and carbon sequestration. Due to its high sequestration ability, neem is ideal for reforestation efforts, with its high carbon sequestration rate of 14 µmol of CO2 m-1 sec-1, enough to eliminate 12.27 tons of carbon per year! Neem even serves as a filter for pollutants in the air and cleanses your skin and body of the toxins it absorbs from living in urban areas, defining its prowess as the tree of the sustainable eco-city. How sustainable is your city?
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]]>The post Sustainably Feed the World with Organic Farming appeared first on Neem.World.
]]>Their findings are that:
- Organic yields match conventional yields
- Organic outperforms conventional in years of drought
- Organic farming systems build rather than deplete soil organic matter, making it a more sustainable system
- Organic farming is more efficient – it uses 45% less energy
- Conventional systems produce 40% more greenhouse gases
- Organic farming systems are more profitable than conventional
Rodale Institute, 2011
In some agricultural areas of the United States, topsoil is eroding away at rates 12x faster than the government had estimated. Instead of regenerating and fertilizing the soil, conventional systems have eroded away soil and the nutrients and benefits they contain. In comparison, the Rodale Institute’s organic systems showed that soil health improved, was able to regenerate, and retained more water than conventional systems.
The organic manure and legume system both showed an increase in carbon containment, higher water retainment and reduced runoff, and are able to retain the natural nutrients longer than the conventional system retained the synthetically added nutrients.
In addition to increasing the vitality of the soil, the organic systems were found to make 3x more profits than the conventional systems. However, if they were to take away that price premium, yields are the same for both systems, meaning that, with lower input costs in energy, the organic system is actually more profitable, no matter what!
These are just a few of the reasons why organic farming is not only better for the planet, but better for farmers and for you! Instead of being exposed to synthetic, dangerous chemicals, demand sustainable, neem-based farming methods so that you can focus on eating truly healthy, sustainable food.
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]]>The post Nimbolide: Fighting Breast Cancer appeared first on Neem.World.
]]>When breast cancer patients chew neem leaves or drink neem tea in the morning, their white blood cell count has been shown to improve. Many cancer patients have very low white blood cell counts and these cells are necessary to help fight cancer within the body.
According to a study from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, neem compounds have been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and reduce cellular oxidative stress because of their antioxidant properties. Inhibiting cell proliferation is the main feature to many chemotherapy treatments. Cancer cells can modify their microenvironment, and neem ends this process, or at least alters it to a more beneficial environment.
Neem compounds inhibit the cancer cell’s cycle, and they exhibited this effect on in vitro breast cancer cells during the latest scientific investigations. This apoptosis effect was caused by nimbolide, a compound unique to neem. The ability to halt cell reproduction was shown not only in breast cancer cells, but also in HeLa cervical cancer cells, leukemia, and melanoma cells! In a separate study, nimbolide was shown to have both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis effects on breast cancer cells, showing that neem has amazing potential as a natural treatment for many types of cancer!
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]]>For example, even though they have found that farmers typically have better health than the average population, they have higher instances of specific diseases, such as leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, soft tissue sarcoma, and skin, lip, stomach, brain, and prostate cancers. Even though there is still a lot to learn and many of the causes are difficult to pinpoint, synthetic pesticides are continually researched and evaluated to determine their health risks. One study showed that farmers exposed to atrazine, a popular herbicide used across the world today, led to increased risk of thyroid cancer.
Neem is beneficial in many regards in this situation, not only by reducing synthetic pesticide exposure because of its efficiency as a biopesticide and biofertilizer, but because it has been shown to be an effective cancer cell disabling agent.
The Georgia Regents University Cancer Center is offering fantastic research in this field! Gedunin, a compound in neem, is able to bind to a helper cell to inactivate the Hsp90 cancer cell. This works because the cell that gedunin binds to, p23, is a protein in charge of normal cellular functions and keeping the cancer cells alive. This research is the beginning of a potential cure for cancer using neem!
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]]>The post Feeding the Global Population appeared first on Neem.World.
]]>Farming techniques rely on an unsustainable amount of water, energy, and agrochemicals to sustain the world. Soon the current means of production will be unable to meet the growing demand for food. We must tackle these problems head on with natural, alternative solutions, like neem, to avoid a Malthusian catastrophe! Additionally, we can solve this imminent catastrophic issue of food supply and security with organic inputs, like biopesticides and biofertilizers, and precision technologies, such as the ability to collect and analyze plant data and health needs!
Every day a new technological advancement is made, and these new tools must be integrated into our daily lives, especially when it comes to protecting our planet. By utilizing natural resources like neem, we will strengthen and protect our global food supply, allowing mankind and the environment to flourish.
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]]>The post France Sets Limit on Synthetic Pesticides appeared first on Neem.World.
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France has implemented a new law that will require pesticide companies to reduce their production by 20% over the next five years. This has angered some farmers as they are concerned about their options to protect their crops. However, there is no need for them to worry. Despite requiring 2.5x more labor than conventional farming, organic alternatives are environmentally safer, produce crops with higher nutritional value, and yield on average 10x the profit.
A sustainable, productive, and equitable global food system will be achieved through precise application technology as well as biological control. This is where neem fits into the plan! By replacing those harmful, synthetic chemicals with natural alternatives like neem, consumers will see a reduction in the presence of chemicals on their food and farmers will have healthier plants, higher crop yields and greater profits. Not to mention the unparalleled benefits that a shift to organics will have on human health and the environment!
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]]>The post A Practical Solution for Reducing our Ecological Footprint appeared first on Neem.World.
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Neem is a practical solution for reducing our Ecological Footprint. We are presently using natural resources at a rate 1.6 times greater than the Earth can supply and we’ve already exceeded four of nine “Planetary Limits.” These are security thresholds of the fundamental processes that make up Earth’s capacity to sustain life on our planet. Neem is one of Nature’s gifts and a fundamental agent in the Green Revolution of Agriculture:
- Neem strengthens the planet’s supply of nutrients
- Neem can be used both as a biopesticide and a biofertilizer
- Neem is healthy and nutritious for cattle
- Neem has multiple medical benefits
- Neem has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties
- Neem is an effective anti-malaria agent
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]]>The post Azadirachtin: the model botanical biopesticide appeared first on Neem.World.
]]>Neem formulations have been evaluated against 600 species of insects and more than 400 are reported to be susceptible at low concentrations. Many commercial formulations of neem have received the relevant certifications for dustribution across various agri-dominant regions of the world including the United States and Europe. Neem is currently being used as an effective pesticide protecting a variety of staple crops such as corn, tomato, soy, and cabbage.
Neem has come to the forefront as the model botanical biopesticide for the new millennium.
Source: Neem: Today and in the New Millennium
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]]>The post Neem Research in AIDS appeared first on Neem.World.
]]>35 million people were living with HIV in 2013; with an estimated 39 million people having died from AIDS in the last century. Although the number of HIV infections has dropped by 21% since 1997, it is still prevalent in developing regions such as Africa where between 15-28% of the population are living with the infection. 2.1 million people were infected in 2015.
Out of the 36.7 million people living with HIV in 2015, only 17 million were receiving treatment. In order to combat this, cheaper, natural medicine must be researched and produced. As a natural medicine, neem leaves show exciting opportunities for AIDS treatment and recovery!
Exhibiting significant improvement of CD4T cell levels, reduced levels of anaemia, and an average weight gain of six pounds, the examined AIDS patients in several clinical trials showed signs of recovery and did not experience any adverse effects from the treatment. Neem has also been shown to increase hemoglobin concentrations and platelet counts. In a different study, neem killed the AIDS virus in vitro!
According to the US National Institute of Health, neem leaf extracts may be useful in the formulation of multidrug combination therapies for AIDS as its antiretroviral activity is still being evaluated. However, initial studies lead to the conclusion that neem is going to be a key component of future AIDS medications and cure!
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The global impact of cancer is extraordinary. Worldwide, cases are expected to increase to 21.7 million with 13 million deaths per year in 2030.
Various compounds found in neem bark, leaves, seeds, and seed oil have been used to combat cancerous cells with no registered side effects. Neem extracts have also been shown to sensitize cancer cells to immunotherapy and radiotherapy and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents.
The Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology from Rochester’s Mayo Clinic have been researching neem since 2013 and are currently engaged in preclinical evaluation of neem’s ability to inhibit prostate cancer tumor growth in mice.
Most recent investigations have focused on nimbolide, an active molecule isolated from neem that is being evaluated as a potential treatment for the highly lethal pancreatic cancer.
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