Neem has more than 100 separate compounds so scientists still have a long way to go in terms of understanding how and why it works in many biological processes. One new discovery, however, may explain why it’s so good for gray hair.
Researchers of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany and the University of Bradford report that free oxygen radicals — aka hydrogen peroxide — are involved in the loss of hair color.
With advancing age, hydrogen peroxide builds up in larger amounts in the hair follicle and ultimately inhibits the synthesis of the color pigment melanin, explains Professor Heinz Decker of the Institute of Biophysics at Mainz University.
The peroxide is a byproduct of normal cell metabolism and is generated in small amounts throughout the human body. As we age, it becomes harder and harder for our bodies to neutralize the free radicals in peroxide and it builds to levels that bleach color from hair.
Neem, of course, is packed with bio-available antioxidants including glutathione that some researchers call the master antioxidant. Neem has a long tradition of being used to treat graying hair and perhaps this is a primary reason why it works.
Personally, I think I have less gray hair today after using neem consistently over the last 10 years than I did when I was in college. Please let us know if you’ve noticed a difference in your hair!
2 Comments
is this benefit come from using the oil topically?
or some form of internal use – or both?
No one should use neem oil internally! I use neem oil topically to cover my gray hair — it worked beautifully until I turned 60. But I had started going gray in college, so it worked for a long time!
Vicki