FOR some it is a miracle tree, a source of many different medicines. But extracts from the Indian neem tree have now been shown to damage the DNA of sperm when fed to mice. The researchers who made the discovery think that neem could be a “long-term genetic hazard”, and have called for further investigation to ensure that eating neem products does not produce genetic abnormalities in adults or their children.
Proponents of traditional Hindu Ayurvedic medicine passionately dispute the relevance of the results. “Neem has been used by millions of people in India over several centuries, and there has…
