Stinging
nettle has a wide range of uses and is a very versatile medicinal
herb.
Since biblical times, it has been
used to help with arthritis. The practice called urtication (from
its botanical name) involved stinging stiff swollen joints affected
by arthritis. Urtication often provided considerable relief with
reports of arthritic swelling subsiding within minutes after stinging!
In more recent years, nettle has been
increasingly used for treating bronchitis, asthma and hay fever.
Research shows that it may effectively treat allergic nasal symptoms
and has been used for centuries around the world to treat nasal
and respiratory troubles: coughs, runny nose, chest congestion,
asthma, whooping cough (pertussis) and even tuberculosis and laryngitis
Scientific studies have proven that nettle is an anti-histamine.
The leaf extract may also be used to help treat and heal hives.
Nettle is also a traditional liver
tonic often recommended for ridding the body of all kinds of toxins.
When the liver is sluggish, it processes oestrogen slowly, contributing
to the high levels that may cause or aggravate premenstrual syndrome.
This herb can also reduce bloating and breast tenderness.
Nettle is recommended for the prevention
and treatment of kidney stones and as it's a diuretic it can help
with bladder infections. Nettle is a silicon-rich herb which has
strong folkloric support as a treatment for gout and rheumatism.
Experimental animal studies found nettle increases uric acid secretion
and lowers blood levels of uric acid making it useful for the treatment
of gout. It has long been used to treat inflammatory conditions
that affect the joints and therefore may help in treating bursitis
and tendinitis as well.
Nettle contains considerable amounts
of the mineral boron, which can double levels of the hormone oestrogen
circulating in the body. In several studies, oestrogen helped improve
short-term memory and helped elevate the moods of some people with
Alzheimer's disease. In addition to the magnesium in nettle greens,
studies show that nettle also has anti-bacterial activity. It can
be added to toothpastes and mouthwashes to reduce plaque and gingivitis.
Nettle may also be used to treat prostate
enlargement. Extracts have successfully treated benign prostatic
hypertrophy (BPH). Researchers gave a few teaspoons of extrxct daily
to 67 men over 60 with BPH and found the herb significantly reduced
their need to get up at night and urinate. The herb apparently has
some inhibitory effect on the conversion of testosterone.
Finally, tincture of nettle leaf can
also prevent balding in those with thinning hair. |
