Urtica dioica L., (Urticaceae), commonly called the Stinging Nettle, or Urtica in English. A closely related herb, Urtica urens L., also called the Small Nettle, or Annual Nettle contains essentially the same ingredie...
* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Name
Urtica dioica L., (Urticaceae), commonly called the Stinging Nettle, or Urtica in English. A closely related herb, Urtica urens L., also called the Small Nettle, or Annual Nettle contains essentially the same ingredients. In German, it is Brennesselkraut or Brennesselbiatter.
Source
Nettles grow along roadsides and unpopulated areas all across Europe and North America. Products sold commercially are made from dried crushed plants.
History
At one time, the nettle was cultivated as a source of fiber. Soft pliable fibers, nearly a yard in length, can be extracted from the plants. The name "nettle" comes from the an old English word meaning "to twist." In ancient Greece nettles were used as an antidote for hemlock poisoning and to treat venomous insect stings.
According to ancient folklore, throwing a handful of nettles on a fire during a storm would prevent the house from being hit by lightning. The phrase "to grasp the nettle," meaning to do something difficult or unpleasant, derives from the old folk belief that someone suffering from a fever could be cured by uprooting a nettle plant with his/her bare hands. Even touching a nettle, let alone pulling on one, can be a painful experience. Hairs on the plant secrete formic acid. Concentrated doses can produce intense itching and even painful blisters.
Young nettles do not produce formic acid, and they can be substituted for spinach in salads. Since nettles are rich in Vitamins A and C, substituting nettles for spinach or other leafy vegetable makes sense, provided you can tell young plants from old. Nettle seeds were once thought to be an aphrodisiac, which may have been at least partly true, since recent studies suggest the plant may be useful in treating prostate enlargement.
Traditional Claims
Diuretic and galactogenic (increase milk production). Nettle leaves have also been used either internally or topically to treat aching joints. Products made with the roots are said to be beneficial in treating the symptoms of prostate enlargement.
Commission E Recommendations
Nettle is used for irrigation therapy, rheumatism, urinary infection or inflammation, and the treatment of kidney stones or gravel.
Proven Effects
All parts of the plant contain flavonoids, specifically glycosides of quercetin (isoquercitrin and rutin), along with substantial amounts of chlorophyll. Nettles were once cultivated as a source for chlorophyll. Compounds found in root extracts called lignans bind with human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and this interaction is thought to account for the improvement seen when nettles are given to men with benign prostate enlargement. At least in animal studies, nettle root extracts can prevent experimentally induced prostate enlargement. Other laboratory studies have shown that extracts of the leaf inhibit prostaglandin and leukotriene production - in other words, they are anti-inflammatory agents.
Studies on white blood cells taken from healthy human volunteers showed that nettle extracts can prevent those cells from making and releasing inflammatory substances, such as tumor necrosis factor. Studies have also shown that another nettle component, called lectin, stimulates white blood cells, and that it may help boost the immune response.
Even though nettles are widely recommended for treating seasonal allergies, evidence from clinical trials suggest that they don't provide much of a benefit. When ninety-eight allergy sufferers took part in a double-blind randomized study comparing the effects of a freeze-dried preparation of stinging nettles with placebo on allergic rhinitis, only sixty-nine individuals even bothered to complete the study, and the improvement they reported, though real, was extremely modest.
Dosage
The daily dose of dried herb and leaf is 8 to 12 grams per day. When the root is being used to treat prostate enlargement, the dose is only half that amount. If fresh leaves are being used, put two to three tablespoons in a cup of boiling water and allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes. Use one tablespoon of the resulting liquid up to four times a day.
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Directions
Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tea bag for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
Iced tea brewing method (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water].
Cautions
Concerns
Nettle extract may very well reduce some of the symptoms experienced by men with prostate enlargement, but under no circumstances should anyone ever begin treating symptoms of prostate disease without first seeing a physician and making sure that the symptoms are, in fact, due to prostate enlargement, and not something worse (cancer) or different (hyperactive bladder).
Effects on blood sugar are another concern. Though poorly documented, there is some evidence that nettles may cause blood sugar levels to decrease. There is no evidence that anyone has ever suffered a hypoglycemic reaction, but users who develop symptoms such as headache, weakness, irritability or confusion, might well be having a hypoglycemic reaction.
Warnings
Taking nettles, or saw palmetto, or any other drug to treat the symptoms of prostate disease, without first knowing that the problem is, in fact, prostate disease, is a very bad idea.
Drug Testing
Nettle extracts are not known to interfere with routine workplace urine drug screening tests.
Additional Information
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
