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The following statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is for educational purposes only.
While its name makes this herb sound quite undesirable, it’s more likely that Stinging Nettle (Urtica Dioica) is something you could greatly benefit from. In this post, I’ll dive into the wonderful world of nettles, from their outstanding mineral profile, to their specific uses for the body. This is the second post in our Herb of the Month post series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the last one on the soothing Lemon Balm!
What’s In This Post:
Nutritional Profile of Stinging Nettles
Nettles pack an impressive punch of vitamins and minerals, making them the perfect every day herb!
Urtica Dioica has the highest concentration of iron and calcium in plant form, and is rich in vitamins A, B2, C, and K.
This plant is also a source of chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, amino acids, and fatty acids like Omea-3. These properties make Nettles an excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant herb.
Actions of Nettles
Stinging Nettles have an abundance of uses for daily supplementation and acute ailments.
- Allergy Relief: nettles reduce the body’s production of histamines, so it may reduce sneezing and itching associated with seasonal allergies and hay fever.
- Asthma: urtica dioica has been used historically to relieve symptoms of asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis.
- Blood Pressure: in its dried form, nettle is lower in vitamin K and can have a hypotensive effect.
- Bleeding: when used fresh, in a poultice, the higher levels of vitamin K aid in blood clotting, making it excellent for wound care.
- Diuretic: due to this effect, nettles can be used in the instance of edema, urinary problems, and diarrhea.
How to Use Stinging Nettles
For daily use or acute ailments, nettles are best used as a tea or tincture. in both instances, the maintenance use will be one serving daily, and acute use will be 3-5 servings daily for adults.
To make a tea, steep 1/2 a teaspoon of dried herb in 6-8oz of hot water for 10 minutes. You can add other herbs for flavor, but nettles alone have a mild flavor that is similar to green tea.
To make a tincture, use a 1:5 ratio (weight : volume) of dried herbs to alcohol or vegetable glycerin. Alcohol should be at least 80 proof. Steep for 4 weeks, shaking daily to evenly distribute the herbs for extraction.
Where to Buy Nettles
Nettles are one of the most accessible medicinal herbs. Many natural health food stores will carry dried herb as well as premade teas and tinctures.
If you’d like to support a small business, you can purchase this Nettle Tincture from Heritage Remedy Co.
You can also purchase a bag of dried nettles, and amber dropper bottles on Amazon. The dropper bottles are important for long term storage after straining your herbal tinctures.
My favorite Resources
The Honeystead (YouTube)
Medical Herbalism
David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG
The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion
Amy K. Fewell
Herbal Healing for Women
Rosemary Gladstar
Herbal Healing for Men
Rosemary Gladstar
Herbs for Common Ailments
Rosemary Gladstar
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