Hormonal effects of neem oil considering differences between mammals and insects.

by Jan S
(Australia)

I have scanned your site and noticed a claim that neem oil is harmless for humans to eat either as surface residue on leaves or as within the plant after uptake from soil.
The site also claims that it has a hormonal effect on some insects.
Why would it not also have similar or same effect upon humans?
I would appreciate an answer in layperson language. Looking forward to your response.

Comments for Hormonal effects of neem oil considering differences between mammals and insects.

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Hormonal effects of neem oil
by: Birgit

To put it very simply: the reason that neem oil does not have the same effect on humans is that humans don't lay eggs, don't hatch, and don't go through a larvae or pupae stage.

So we don't have any hormones that regulate this process.

We also don't have any hormones that make us gorge on green leaves that smell just right, and our breeding habits are regulated by very different hormones!

A hormone is a highly specific molecule, it regulates a very specific pathway, is needed in very small amounts but has huge effects.

A hormone is not a chemical class of substances. You may assume that all hormones must have something in common, (like all fats have something in common, or all salts, all carbohydrates) and therefore they all should be affected the same way.

This is not true. The word hormone just refers to the role in the body. It does not tell you what type of substance it is. They are all totally different and they work very differently.

Hope that makes sense!
Neem is used as birth control by humans
by: Anonymous

It has nothing to do with being an insect. Please do your research, a simple Google search on neem an birth control or neem and hormones should clear things up.
Neem and hormones
by: Anonymous

Hi Anon,
If you Google neem and birth control you will land on my website again. I encourage you to read everything, and the associated studies I reference, to understand how neem may affect conception/pregnancy.

Neem does not inhibit feeding in humans, it does not inhibit the laying or hatching of eggs, it does not inhibit moulting.

Direct contact with neem oil kills sperm.
And ingestion of large amounts of neem, or direct injection into the uterus, can stimulate the immune system enough to make the body of mammals reject/resorb the embryo during the first days of a pregnancy. At least that is the suspected mechanism. (Note that it requires very large amounts, and it only works in small laboratory animals. There are no studies in humans.)

None of these effects of neem have anything to do with its effect on hormones in insects, the effects we use to our advantage when using neem for pest control.

Just because neem is mentioned in the same sentence as contraception does not mean it is something like an anti baby pill.
Neem effects on hormones
by: TommyT

Neem affects hormone levels in rats:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication...

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