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food/nutrition
Herb profile
ettles beyond the^stingTerryWillard.ClH.PhDLast summer a visitor
to our herb farm wondered why we let the weed stinging nettle [
rticdioica]grow liberally. When it stu ng him , he suggested we pul
l it out. I explained that wcould never do w ithou t the herb st
ingin g ne tt le because it is a gentle and s low -ac
tingcleanser.Nettle leaf is one of the safest ofcleansing herbs,
especially in the treat-ment of chronic disorders that requirelong-
term trea tment . Net t le can beeaten wilted or cooked and drunk
ingen e rou s amoun ts a s he rba l t e a .Consumed in one of these
ways, nettlegently stimulates the lymphatic sys-tem, seeming to
enhance the excretionof wastes through the kidneys. For thisreason
nettle is highly reputed as aspring tonic and in the treatment
ofchronic metabolic disorders such asdiabetes, obesity, and
syndrome X, aprecursor to d iabetes.
As a nutritive agent, nettle is val-ued in the treatment of
anemia, espe-cially in women. As nettle is very highin vitamin C,
it helps the absorptionof iron. For this reason, nettle is ahighly
valued beverage during preg-nancy and pos t par tum to enhancemilk
production.
Nettle also helps the utilization ofdigested proteins, while
simultaneous-ly preventing them from being dis-charged through the
body as wasteproducts.Arrests arthrit isNettle s action is similar
to d andelionle f promoting the elimination of uricacid from joints
with a gentle, aikaliz-
'The high calc nettle rebuild bone.
ing diuretic activity. Its use is indicatedin most types of
joint diseases anddoubly so in degenerative conditions.
Not only does nettle have the abilityto arrest inflammation and
enhancethe excretion of wastes, its high nutri-ent content,
especially the mineralscalcium and magnesium, aids in
bonerebuilding.Use it topicallyFor topical use, the whole nettle
plantis picked fresh and wrapped aroundarthritic joints. The
subsequent rashwith its profound stinging propertywill eventually
leave the treated jointvery much relieved. No observed sideeffects
have been reported, except a
Dosage data Nettle can be harves ted and eatein soups as a
spinach -like gree n. Dried nettle leaves can be steepeas a tea
Idrink a maximum of ^cups or l i tre daily]. The dosage of leaf
tinct ure is 20 t60 drops tw ice daily. The dosage for free2e
-dried leafcapsules is usually 400 mg twicedaily or as needed.
transient urticarial (hive-like) rash.In a 2002 German, open
multi-cen
tre clinical trial for rheumatoid arthritis, daily dosages of 50
grams of nettleleaf soup were compared to therapywith non-steroid
al anti-inflammatory
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drug s {like acetylsalicylic acid or traditionally used for
linens in Scotland, and during the Second World W ar. theAspirin ).
The sou p demo nstrated a Third Reich used the fibre in the
manufacture of Germ an uniforms,similar reduction in pain and immo-
We've never woven with nettle fibre, but when we cut nettles down
on the farm,bility, with excellent tolerab ility. we use all of its
par ts: roo t and leaf Nettles are a useful and m edicinal
botanical. 3Soothes tummy troublesNettle leaf is also an
exceptionallyuseful plant to correct gastrointesti-nal symptoms
such as low stomachacid with sour burping and nausea,as wel l as
chronic diarrhea andmucous colitis.
Similar ly, the abi l i ty to s topbleeding demonstrated by both
net-tle leaf and root make it useful ininfectious diarrheas, bloody
diar-rheas, and bleeding hemorrhoids .Note that, because it is slow
acting,ne t t l e c annot be cons ide red anemergency remedy.Stops
sp ring sneezesand much moreIn the treatment of hayfever,
thefreeze-dried encapsulated herb isgenerally thought to be best.
Taketwo capsules every 5 to 15 minutesuntil symptoms have
diminished.Nettle tea also provides relief fromhay fever for many
people.
More recent ly , the roo t ha sundergone a significant degree
ofinvestigation in the treatment ofe n l a r g e d p r o s t a t e
. A c o m b i n e danalysis of its traditional uses anddemonstrated
activities in clinicaltrials suggests that nettle root is agood
pelvic decongestant, justifyingi ts use in any condi t ion tha t
isaffected by such a state, includinghemor rhoids , pa s s ive mens
t rua lproblems, and uterine fibroids.
You can evenweave with nettleWe can't talk about nettles
withoutmentioning tha t i ts f ibres were
Terry W ittard. CIH. PhD. is a practi t ione r, teach er, d ire
ctor of the Wild Rose Coltege ofNatural Healing in Calgary,
Alberta, and author of Mind Body Harmony Key Porte r, 2003|.
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