Vinegar was used to treat scurvy during the American Civil War.
Neem oil and vinegar are both known for their medicinal properties. Both have been used for thousands of years. Although both come from natural resources, such as seeds, sugars and fruits, the techniques that transform the natural resources to the finished product are different. Once developed, neem oil and vinegar can be used to treat a wide variety of problems, from skin infections to bug infestations and warts.
Origin
Vinegar and neem oil have histories connected with agriculture. The French once referred to vinegar as sour wine. Vinegar was discovered when a barrel of wine had fermented past its time. The ancient Babylonians used vinegar as a food preservative and as a condiment, and they were among the first to add herbs and spices to the liquid. Vinegar has also been used as a household cleaner, as a sunburn remedy and as a vegetable wash. Neem oil originated in India. The specific tree, known as the azadirachta indica, produces neem oil and is indigenous to India. Neem oil has an important part of the Indian way of life for centuries, and the people of India have improved the extraction process throughout the centuries. In India, neem oil is used as a medicine to treat ailments such as skin allergies, malaria and diabetes.
Regulations
There are several types of vinegar, such as cider, malt and wine, manufactured throughout the world. The United State's Food and Drug Administration requires that vinegar have four grams of acetic acid per 100 milliliters, for the product to be labeled vinegar. The FDA does not regulate neem oil. The safety of the oil, pertaining to the use as a food or drug, is not controlled within the United States. Neem oil is supervised under the United State's Environmental Protection Agency and classified as a pesticide.
Process
Vinegar is usually produced from apples, grapes or sugar. Historically it has been made from a wide variety of foods -- anything that could be fermented, in fact. Making vinegar requires fermentation. The fermentation of fruit involves a chemical process that changes the fruit carbohydrates into alcohol. A second fermentation yields acetic acid, which is the key ingredient in vinegar. Neem oil is made by either pressing or extracting the neem seed kernel. Pressing the kernel involves squeezing or crushing the seed until the oil separates from the seed. Extracting the oil also concerns crushing the seed but then soaking the seed in a solvent such as Hexane. Hexane is relatively safe, but caution is required since the solvent is a component of gasoline.
Warning
Consult the advice of a naturopathic physician, a medically accredited doctor trained in natural therapy, before you use neem oil as a health remedy. Applying a large quantity of neem oil could cause kidney damage. Children should not ingest neem oil, as the oil can cause symptoms similar to Reye's syndrome and could lead to death.
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