Plant Medicine Summary: Nettle

​Nettle is Mother Nature's multivitamin.  We love this plant! It is one of the richest sources of chlorophyll in the vegetable kingdom. 

Brief History

“In ancient Egypt reports are found of the use of nettle infusion for the relief of arthritis and lumbago pains.
The Roman soldiers are said to have brought their own nettle to the British Isles to treat their tired, painful legs on long marches in the cold and wet climate by smacking their legs with the stinging leaves, thus stimulating the circulation.

Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.) and his followers reported 61 remedies using nettle. In the second century A.D., Galen, the Greek physician, recommended nettle in his book De Simplicibus as “a diuretic and laxative, for dog bites, gangrenous wounds, swellings, nose bleeding, excessive menstruation, spleen-related illness, pleurisy, pneumonia, asthma, and mouth sores.”

Apuleius Platonicus (circa 400 A.D.), in his book Herbarium of Apuleius, added nettle combined with hemp or cannabis to “treat symptoms of feeling cold after being burnt (shocked)”, and nettle by itself for “cold injury”.
Throughout the Dark Ages (fifth to tenth centuries) uses of nettle were expanded to include treatment of shingles, constipation, and “dry disease”, which probably meant problems with the sinuses or lungs, mucous membranes, and skin.

John Gerard (16th Century) used stinging nettle as an antidote for poison. Culpeper, (17th Century) the astrologer-physician, recommended a nettle and honey as a gargle for throat and mouth infections, “bladder stones or gravel, worms in children, an antiseptic for wounds and skin infections, gout, sciatica, joint aches, and as an antidote to venomous stings from animals”.

Phelps Brown (19th Century) suggested nettle internally as a diuretic and tonic.  He hailed it as a remedy for dysentery, hemorrhoids, bladder and kidney stones infant diarrhea and eczema.”
To read the whole report go to: http://herballegacy.com/Vance_History.html 


How Do I Use It?

As you have just read, nettles have a long history of use. It is filled with all kinds of vitamins and minerals.   The more we learn about it the more impressed we are with this little gem. It is like a vitamin supplement in a plant! These are some of the vitamins and minerals it has:  Contain tannic acid, lecithin, chlorophyll, iron, silicic acid, lime, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and vitamins A and C. . It contains fatty acids, carotenoids, calcium, iron, sodium, Vitamin A, Vit C.

Cooking

• There are reports of the Romans eating nettles as food and using it in the boiling of meat to tenderize it.  It is used as a pot plant, used in soups, a tea, or the leaves can be used much like spinach.  Recommended to use young leaves (like spinach) cooked and seasoned with butter. Older leaves are very prickly, so use the young leaves!
  • Dried leaf can be sprinkled on food.

Fresh

•  Use the raw leaves directly on the skin where it needs circulation. The pain from the nettle sting helps to do this.

Teas

• Nettle is something that can be used for scurvy, anemia, and lack of energy. It has high iron, vitamin C, magnesium, and other nutrients. 
• Tea is also great for houseplants because of all the nutrients it has.
• Teas can be used to help increase milk in nursing mothers.
• The tea is a great one to use to relax muscles. .

Animal Fodder

• Stinging nettle has been used throughout history as animal fodder.

Juiced

• The juice has been used as a hair rinse and to stimulate hair growth.  The leaf can be used for nosebleeds, excessive menstruation, and internal bleeding.

Syrup

• .It is applied to burns and taken in syrup or tincture form treat the rash that the nettle gives.

Tincture

• Nettle tincture can be used for allergy preventative. Needs to start a good month before allergy season. Also helps with symptoms of sinus infections. It is a natural decongestant.

Our Experience with it

• (Paula) "Nettle is an amazing herb – I think I keep saying that! My primary use has been as a tea. It is amazing what a difference it makes in the way I feel, my energy and vitality are increased when I drink it."
• We use this plant as a base in our daily multivitamin teas. 
• It can help nursing mothers produce milk. It stimulate the digestive glands of the stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, and gall bladder.  Nettle stimulates the lymph system, support adrenals, helps cramping, reduces hypertension, helps with gastrointestinal disease, IBS and constipation, supports the endocrine system by helping the thyroid, spleen and pancreas
• It contains antihistamines and anti-inflammatories that open up constricted bronchial and nasal pages. It also helps with asthma.
• It helps with arthritis symptoms because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
• Using a cup of nettle tea in the morning and in the night helps relieve water retention and nourishes the kidneys.
• Supports the adrenals and feeds the kidney’s.
• Because of its high nutritional value it helps female system.
• It is a great animal fodder.
• Historically considered a poor man’s health builder because it grows freely.​ 

Few Properties Of Nettle
       Analgesic – Relieves Pain
       Anodyne – Soothes Pain
       Astringent – Tightens Tissues
       Depurative - Detox
       Diuretic – Eliminate fluid
       Tonic – Support Immune System
This list is from http://www.anniesremedy.com/

Caution

• The nettle leave will cause a rash. Interestingly the juice from the leaf is the antidote. Sage, rosemary and mint also.
• When nettle is dried, it looses most of its sting. I use it after I have gathered and dried it.

 
 NMM Products With Nettle

Powerhouse - Excellent combination of herbs for after doing physical exercise or hard physical labor to replenish the body with nutrients needed. 
Children's multivitamin - Powerful set of herbs to boost the health of your child. 
Anxiety R&R - Very strong combination of deeply nourishing herbs to help the body overcome anxiety.