Neem Leaves and Tamarind : Health with Mahatma Gandhi

You ask about food values. Data on this point are being rapidly gathered here and elsewhere in India, and I hope that at no very distant period an authoritative book or pamphlet giving the chemical composition, vitamin potency, etc. of all common foods will become available for those interested in dietetics. I have little doubt that you are right in stating that in practice different vegetable fats and oils produce different physiological effects. This is probably due to their chemical make-up, but unfortunately we are not yet in a position to correlate chemical composition and dietary effect in this case. In all probability some research worker some­where in the world will soon enlighten us.

“We have analysed neem leaves in the laboratory. As compared with a number of other green vegetables previously investigated, they have a high nutritive value. Both mature and tender leaves are rich in protein, calcium, iron and vitamin A activity and are superior in these respects to amaranth leaves, coriander leaves, and spinach. This perhaps explains the tradition of their high nutritive value. I believe that modern laboratory investigations in China have not infrequently demonstrated that herbs and other types of food recommended in ancient Chinese books are rich in vitamins, etc.

~ Harijan, 16-11-1935

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