There are more, but…
I know you don’t want them in your garden [but seriously, you should], and I know you avoid them because they sting – but there are five good reasons you really could need nettles.
Nutrient dense
I am not aware of anything you could get for nothing that is quite so packed with nutrients. Within these vibrant green leaves [which you intent to throw into your compost bin] there is a whole pharmacy of calcium, magnesium, iron, boron, manganese, cobalt, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, thiamine, zinc, Vit C, Vit A and even protein, which makes them an excellent tonic for those who suffer from debility. Because of its high iron content nettle leaves help to replace lost iron due to heavy menstrual bleeding, and help prevent iron deficient anaemia.
Honestly, if you are finding it difficult to afford bottles of synthetic vitamins and minerals to ‘keep healthy’, instead of ordering supplements from Amazon, tend your nettles…
Anti-inflammatory/anti-rheumatic
Nettle leaf is anti-inflammatory, and is said to enable the kidneys to clear toxins effectively, which could have a knock-on effect of improving skin conditions like eczema, and reduce the inflammation that is linked to arthritis.
Apparently, the Anglo-Saxons used to drink nettle beer to relieve their rheumatism. Of course, this doesn’t happen if you drink one cup a week, so you would need to commit.
Antihistamine
This is one of nature’s antihistamines, and daily cups of nettle tea started a month before your hay fever season and carried out during the high pollen months, should help alleviate the itching eyes, sneezing and stinging eyes. The ‘anti-allergy’ action is partly due to the histamine content of the leaves which has a milder action than the histamine released from human cells when they suffer a reaction to pollen. Thus, the effect is to dampen down the response.
Hypotensive
Some studies have indicated that nettle leaf tea could help lower high blood pressure. To quote one:
‘Regularly drinking stinging nettle tea can help lower systolic blood pressure as well as relieve tension and stress in the cardiovascular system.’
Tahri A., Yamani S., Legssyer A., Aziz M., Mekhfi H., Bnouham M., Ziyyat A., Acute duiuretic, natriuretic and hypotensive effects of a continuous perfusion of aqueous extract of Urtica dioica in the rat. J. Ethnopharmacol.2000;73 [1-2]]: 95-100
As with many studies, this was done in rats, but a student of mine tried simple nettle tea on a family member with high blood pressure and it worked…
Antidiabetic
Other studies have shown that nettles can have an antidiabetic effect. One study summary stated that:
‘The findings of the present study suggest that nettle supplementation may be effective in controlling FBS [fasting blood sugar] for T2DM [type 2 diabetes mellitus] patients.’
The Effect of Nettle (Urtica dioica) Supplementation on the Glycaemic Control of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Abed Ghavami, , Sahar Foshati, Mohamad Ail Hojati Kermani, Amir Hadi, Cain C. T. Clark, Mohammad Javad Tarrahi. Student Research Committee, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
And no, one cup of nettle tea a week while still eating doughnuts ain’t gonna crack it. Diabetes 2, prediabetes, and insulin resistance are complex states which need to involve more than one type of intervention, including dietary change and usually an increase in exercise on a case-by-case basis, but nettle tea could definitely help.
So, you can either harvest nettles, dry them, store them, and make your own tea, or at a pinch buy Clipper organic teabags [these you can buy on Amazon].
Now [March] is the time to start harvesting, as Spring nettles are the best!
Next week I will tell you how to harvest, dry and store nettles yourself and how to make and take nettle tea medicinally step by step.
