Nettle is the herb for masochists! In the past the sharp leaves were beat against the skin, a process called urtication. This painful practice drove the beneficial chemicals of the leaf into the skin for the treatment of arthritis and skin disease. Nettle contains natural antihistamines and anti-inflammatories and these were driven into the skin with this self-flagellation. Fortunately, today you get nettle's gain without pain.
Nettle has been called the masochist's herb. This is because, in the past the sharp leaves were used in urtication, a self-flagellation, driving the beneficial chemicals in the leaf into the skin painfully! It was a treatment for arthritis and skin disease. Apparently it worked because of the antihistamines and anti-inflammatories in the leaf that were beaten into the body. Aren't you glad you can gain the benefits of nettle without beating yourself with it?
Stinging nettle is a perennial. It grows from 2 to 7 feet high and the leaves are serrated and pointed. The small, greenish flowers appear in clusters starting in July.
Nettle is rich in helpful chemicals: vitamins A and C, bio-available minerals, including potassium chloride, calcium, and silicon, chlorophyll, protein, and dietary fiber.
The antihistamines in nettle make it an excellent treatment for hay fever. Nettle is also used to loosen congestion and open the bronchial airways in people with asthma or allergies. In addition it is used to treat inflammatory skin conditions.
Nettle helps people with arthritis by reducing the dosage of drugs and thus their side effects. Nettle also contains large amounts of silicon and boron that ease symptoms of bursitis, arthritis, and tendonitis. Nettle is able to treat urinary tract infections and increase the production of urine. It is a mild laxative, and can increase the efficiency of kidney and liver function. As a bitter herb, nettle purifies the blood and is thus used to treat ulcers, asthma, bronchitis, hemorrhoids, jaundice, nephritis, and spasmodic dysmenorrhea.
Nettle has been used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhages, febrile affections, gravel, nephritic complaints, chronic diseases of the colon, eczematous affections, eczema of the face, neck and ears, and chronic cystitis. Externally it has been used for bleeding wounds, burns, scalds, nettle rash (yes, you can use nettle to treat nettle pain), urticaria, and nosebleed.
Nettle is a key ingredient in herbal treatment of BPH, a urination discomfort in men in which the prostate enlarges and hinders this function. It does this by keeping the body from converting testosterone into 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that causes the prostate gland to begin growing again after 40. It does not decrease enlargement of the prostate but increases the flow through the urethra. Taking nettle in combination with either saw palmetto or pygeum bark extract is, in some men, as effective as the drug finasteride. Nettle is also used in hair tonics because of its purported ability to stimulate hair growth.
Nettle is one of nature's diuretics. It aids the body in eliminating uric acid and bacteria both of which cause urinary tract infections and kidney stones. This diuretic action of nettle may also help relieve premenstrual bloating and lower blood pressure. Should pregnant or nursing women take nettle? This is a debated issue. One side says it might cause the uterus to contract. Others say this is not a problem when taken in moderation. Perhaps the safety of this practice is related to when the nettle is harvested. If it is cut before it flowers, it seems to be safe in this regard.
Nettle can be grown yourself, or purchased as a dried leaf to make into tea, or as capsules, tablets, and tinctures. Dried root products, often combined with saw palmetto, are also available for prostate treatment. Some just like to sprinkle the powder on their food. If you store the leaves, do so in a dark, dry, and cool place.
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