Stinging Nettle for allergies, cancer, inflammation
Along with the dandelion, the stinging nettle "weed" is considered just that by homeowners. They use weed killer to rid their premises of the plant. However, like the dandelion, stinging nettle has many nutrious and medical qualities. While the stinging nettle can't be used in a salad like the dandelion, it can be boiled as a tea and has many other uses.
Throughout the ages, stinging nettle has been used for gout, goiter, anemia, thin blood, epilepsy, poor circulation, pinworms, depression, intestinal disorder, diarrhea and for flushing impurities from kidneys and bladder. A tea can be made to fight colds and the flu. Asthma, allergies and cancer can be treated naturally with stinging nettle.
The following is an article that goes into the deep woods to find a good source of stinging nettle and also includes recipes that could come in handy.
http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/node/216
STINGING NETTLE
Springtime Wild Greens are an Adventure in Culinary Herbalism
By Linda Gabris
Mother nature has many wonderful plants for foraging but if I had to pick a favourite, I think I’d point a gloved finger at stinging nettle. It is, without doubt, the number one springtime pick for good health and fine eating.
My grandmother, a well-known herbalist in the rural woods where I grew up, always said that nothing enlivened the spirit or rejuvenated the body better or faster than a cup of stinging nettle tea commonly known as spring tonic. “Half the cure,” she’d wink, “is in the drinking. The other half comes from time spent picking.”
Nettles belong to the Urtica family which has over 500 world species — the majority being tropical members. The common stinging nettle is found in more temperate climates across North America. Being plentiful and easy to identify, nettles are an ideal pick for beginner foragers.
Stalking the Wild Nettles
Like dandelions, nettles are considered a nasty weed by gardeners and land owners since the hearty plant can thrive anywhere, and once root is taken it has a tendency to spread like crazy. Nettles can be found filling waste grounds, but for kitchen use you’ll want to harvest from a woodland patch where the nettles will be cleaner and more lush than those found forcing their way up through rotting boards, cracked cement and broken pavement. You’ll find nettles growing in abundance on moist grounds around swamps, marshes, along waterways and in open areas of woodlands. In fact, there will be a nettle patch thriving wherever the wind has carried seed.
Average-sized nettles measure two to four feet high but on fertile grounds they can reach over six feet tall. The plant has square, fibrous stems and long, sharp finely-toothed, heart-shaped leaves that are covered with tiny hollow hairs filled with compounds including histamine, acetylcholine and formic acid, which cause a stinging sensation when touched — thus its name. This is the number one key to identification and you will only want to make the test once!
You’ll need long pants tucked inside socks, long sleeved shirt and gloves for harvesting but don’t fret if you do get stung as the burning sensation and rash, if one develops, only causes discomfort in most folks for about an hour and does not permanently harm skin although you should leave your dog at home on this outing, especially if he’s short-haired. An oddity of nature is that the best antidote for nettle sting is juice of its own leaves. Burdock leaves, moss or damp birch bark will help relieve accidental sting and some outdoor enthusiasts carry a baggie of baking soda which can be mixed with water into paste for emergency relief. The leaves lose the sting upon drying and cooking.
Nettles have greenish clusters of beady flowers that appear in mid-summer dangling from the junction of the leaf stem. The flower develops into seeds that spread by wind and take root easily. Since the plant also spreads by root, it’s easy to see why they are so plentiful.
Potent Plant Medicine
As far back as history dates, stinging nettles have been praised as a cure-all for everything from common ailments like cold and sore throat to serious afflictions like scurvy and cancers. Today, research is looking at nettle preparations as possible treatment for various conditions including prostate cancer and hepatitis. Studies have shown the herb makes useful treatment for urinary disorders.
Since nettles are rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, silica, iodine, sodium, sulfur and other elements including tannin, beta-carotene and amino acids, it’s easy to understand why the herb is so well-established and highly regarded in the world of herbal medicines. Nettles are also a good source of vitamins C and B complex and it’s fascinating to note that they are said to dish up more protein than any other vegetable.
For centuries, herbalists and aboriginal medicine men have used nettles as treatment for gout, goiter, anemia, thin blood, epilepsy, poor circulation, pinworms, depression, intestinal disorder, diarrhea and for flushing impurities from kidneys and bladder. Probably the most shocking account of nettle use is an old English claim that paralyzed limbs could be brought back to life by flogging with a whip of nettles. From this, no doubt, stemmed the belief that applying the fresh plant directly to skin could ease pain of rheumatism, arthritis and swollen joints.
Strongly brewed nettle tea and powdered plant are noted for having power to stop hemorrhaging, internal bleeding and excessive flow from wounds and cuts. When I was a kid I was prone to nosebleed and grandma always had a bottle of nettle juice handy for when I was struck. A ball of cloth dabbed in juice then inserted in nose stopped the flow promptly. The potion was also applied to cuts, scratches and bug bites as disinfectant and healer.
I still depend on Grandma’s treatment for cold and flu — nettle tea sweetened with honey and heavy with lemon — to break up congestion. Bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia have been treated with nettle concoctions for ages with one remedy calling for the sufferer to inhale smoke of dried burnt nettle leaves. Recent studies indicate that nettles — being a natural antihistamine — have the capacity to provide natural relief for allergies like hay fever without harmful side effects often associated with pharmaceutical antihistamines. As any seasonal sufferer knows, this discovery is certainly nothing to sneeze at! On the lighter side of good health and well-being, regular ingestion of nettles can help grow thicker hair, clearer skin and stronger nails.
During the First World War, the fibrous stems were used in Germany like flax to replace the shortage of cotton to make army clothing and bandages. During times of need, nettles were also cut down and dried and used as animal fodder, which is reported as being both nutritious and well-received. Grandma mixed chopped dried stinging nettles into chicken feed and swore it increased egg production. In Hungary and other parts of Europe, it is common practice to fatten domestic fowl on nettles, said to be especially good for fattening up ducks. My dad kept a ready scythe to chop down nettles that grew around the horse stables. Once hung and dried, the leaves were stripped and added to feed rations to give the team shiny coats and, according to dad, the supplement was good for the horses’ digestive systems.
Nettles can be harvested from the earliest shoots of spring at which time they are most potent for medicinal uses. The leaves can be harvested all summer long for use as fresh tea, for drying or for table greens. Once the leaves take on the crisp of autumn they begin to toughen and loose much of their nutritional value.
Below are some of my favourite uses for nettles. Give them a try. It’s a wonderful way to cash in on the healthy rewards of springtime.
Recipes
Stinging Nettle Hair Tonic
When I was little grandma used this nettle rinse on my hair after washing and I must admit, my shiny braids could take a good tugging. The solution can be used as a comb-through for thinning hair or as a deterrent for balding. To make hair tonic, simmer four quarts of fresh picked nettle leaves in one quart of water for three hours or until infusion is strong. Cover and let steep until cold. Strain. Add 1/2 cup cider vinegar. Bottle and cork. This can also be massaged into scalp as dandruff treatment.
Spring Tonic — Fresh Nettle Tea
Good to the last drop and rich in minerals and vitamins to boot. Put a handful of fresh washed leaves into heated tea pot. Cover with boiling water and steep for five minutes, or until desired strength is reached. Strain before serving. Especially nice with a dab of honey. Don’t discard leftover tea! Put in a jar and refrigerate for a healthy cold drink. Leftover cold tea also makes nutritious house plant water and leaves or dregs can be sprinkled on soil for boost.
To Dry Nettles
If you want to stash some sunshine away for winter use there is no better way than filling up the baskets with nettle leaves for drying. Dried leaves can be steeped into delicious tea that makes an invigorating morning drink, and since it’s caffeine-free it can be enjoyed by the younger set as well. Use two teaspoons of dried nettles per pint of boiling water for table or afternoon tea and increase to three to four teaspoons per pint for medicinal tea. To dry nettles, cut plant down at lower stalk, tie into bundles and hang in airy place until all moisture is gone, about five to seven days. When crisp, strip off leaves and crush. Store in tea tins.
Mock Parsley — Nettle Sprinkle
Finely crushed, dried nettles can be used in place of dried parsley for adding enlivening colour to soups, stews or any dish calling for a sprinkle of greenery. Use it to dress up cottage cheese, eggs, dumplings or anything in need of zap. Use hands to crush leaves to same consistency as parsley.
Nettle Salt Substitute
When nettle flowers go to seed, they can be gathered and dried and used as a salt substitute. Simply spread the seedy clusters on paper towels or screens and dry in airy place until moisture is gone, about a week. Pulverize in mortar with pestle or in blender. This was originally used as goiter treatment because of its iodine content.
Stinging Nettle Potherb
Cooked nettles are similar in taste to spinach, only I find they are milder and more tender, especially when young. They can be used in place of spinach or Swiss Chard in any recipe calling for cooked greens. Two methods — boil until tender in salted water, and drain, saving liquid for another days soup or for drinking cold or plant water. Or steam until tender. Dress as you would any potherb with seasoned butter, cheese or cream sauce, spray of lemon juice, shake of herbs or use in quiche or pudding.
Aunt Nettie’s Nettle Quiche
This recipe was handed-down to me from my grandma who got it from her Aunt Nettie. It makes a delicious pie to serve for Sunday brunch or as a light supper to enjoy after a day spent in the field picking nettles.
10-inch unbaked pie shell
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked nettles, drained
1/4 cup minced onion
4 eggs
3/4 cup light cream or milk
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
Sprinkle cheese in bottom of chilled pie shell. Spread prepared nettles over cheese. Beat remaining ingredients and pour over nettles. Bake in 400oF oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350oF and bake another 20 minutes or until custard is set: when a knife inserted comes out clean.
Delicious Cream of Nettle Soup
This is my all time favourite soup and it can be made throughout the growing season from April onward.
1 pound of nettle leaves
2 Tbsps oil or butter
1 minced onion
4 tsps chopped chives
3 Tbsps flour
2 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup water
2 tsps seasoned salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup cream
Heat oil or melt butter in soup pot. Sauté onion until soft. Add chives and flour and stir until blended. Slowly stir in stock, beating with wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, except cream, and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add cream and heat to just boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Rub soup through a sieve into heated tureen. Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired.
Grandma’s Nettle Wine
Every season I make a gallon or two of nettle wine from grandma’s old recipe. This fine light white wine is one of my cellar favorites. Sip it mulled for cold and flu treatment. A little glass before bedtime helps induce sleep.
8 quarts washed nettle leaves
2 gallons water
3 thinly sliced, unpeeled lemons
1 ginger root, grated
12 cups sugar
1 slice stale toast
1 package yeast
Put nettles in large kettle or pot. Add 1/2 gallon of water and bring to a boil. Add lemon and ginger. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
Put sugar in a wine making vat and strain cooked warm nettle liquid onto sugar and stir until dissolved. Add remaining water and stir. Cover with cloth and allow to cool.
When cool, sprinkle yeast on toast and float on liquid. Cover and let stand in warm room for five days. Pour into fermentation jar, put on air-lock and let work until bubbling ceases. Siphon into sterilized bottles and cork.
Throughout the ages, stinging nettle has been used for gout, goiter, anemia, thin blood, epilepsy, poor circulation, pinworms, depression, intestinal disorder, diarrhea and for flushing impurities from kidneys and bladder. A tea can be made to fight colds and the flu. Asthma, allergies and cancer can be treated naturally with stinging nettle.
The following is an article that goes into the deep woods to find a good source of stinging nettle and also includes recipes that could come in handy.
http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/node/216
STINGING NETTLE
Springtime Wild Greens are an Adventure in Culinary Herbalism
By Linda Gabris
Mother nature has many wonderful plants for foraging but if I had to pick a favourite, I think I’d point a gloved finger at stinging nettle. It is, without doubt, the number one springtime pick for good health and fine eating.
My grandmother, a well-known herbalist in the rural woods where I grew up, always said that nothing enlivened the spirit or rejuvenated the body better or faster than a cup of stinging nettle tea commonly known as spring tonic. “Half the cure,” she’d wink, “is in the drinking. The other half comes from time spent picking.”
Nettles belong to the Urtica family which has over 500 world species — the majority being tropical members. The common stinging nettle is found in more temperate climates across North America. Being plentiful and easy to identify, nettles are an ideal pick for beginner foragers.
Stalking the Wild Nettles
Like dandelions, nettles are considered a nasty weed by gardeners and land owners since the hearty plant can thrive anywhere, and once root is taken it has a tendency to spread like crazy. Nettles can be found filling waste grounds, but for kitchen use you’ll want to harvest from a woodland patch where the nettles will be cleaner and more lush than those found forcing their way up through rotting boards, cracked cement and broken pavement. You’ll find nettles growing in abundance on moist grounds around swamps, marshes, along waterways and in open areas of woodlands. In fact, there will be a nettle patch thriving wherever the wind has carried seed.
Average-sized nettles measure two to four feet high but on fertile grounds they can reach over six feet tall. The plant has square, fibrous stems and long, sharp finely-toothed, heart-shaped leaves that are covered with tiny hollow hairs filled with compounds including histamine, acetylcholine and formic acid, which cause a stinging sensation when touched — thus its name. This is the number one key to identification and you will only want to make the test once!
You’ll need long pants tucked inside socks, long sleeved shirt and gloves for harvesting but don’t fret if you do get stung as the burning sensation and rash, if one develops, only causes discomfort in most folks for about an hour and does not permanently harm skin although you should leave your dog at home on this outing, especially if he’s short-haired. An oddity of nature is that the best antidote for nettle sting is juice of its own leaves. Burdock leaves, moss or damp birch bark will help relieve accidental sting and some outdoor enthusiasts carry a baggie of baking soda which can be mixed with water into paste for emergency relief. The leaves lose the sting upon drying and cooking.
Nettles have greenish clusters of beady flowers that appear in mid-summer dangling from the junction of the leaf stem. The flower develops into seeds that spread by wind and take root easily. Since the plant also spreads by root, it’s easy to see why they are so plentiful.
Potent Plant Medicine
As far back as history dates, stinging nettles have been praised as a cure-all for everything from common ailments like cold and sore throat to serious afflictions like scurvy and cancers. Today, research is looking at nettle preparations as possible treatment for various conditions including prostate cancer and hepatitis. Studies have shown the herb makes useful treatment for urinary disorders.
Since nettles are rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, silica, iodine, sodium, sulfur and other elements including tannin, beta-carotene and amino acids, it’s easy to understand why the herb is so well-established and highly regarded in the world of herbal medicines. Nettles are also a good source of vitamins C and B complex and it’s fascinating to note that they are said to dish up more protein than any other vegetable.
For centuries, herbalists and aboriginal medicine men have used nettles as treatment for gout, goiter, anemia, thin blood, epilepsy, poor circulation, pinworms, depression, intestinal disorder, diarrhea and for flushing impurities from kidneys and bladder. Probably the most shocking account of nettle use is an old English claim that paralyzed limbs could be brought back to life by flogging with a whip of nettles. From this, no doubt, stemmed the belief that applying the fresh plant directly to skin could ease pain of rheumatism, arthritis and swollen joints.
Strongly brewed nettle tea and powdered plant are noted for having power to stop hemorrhaging, internal bleeding and excessive flow from wounds and cuts. When I was a kid I was prone to nosebleed and grandma always had a bottle of nettle juice handy for when I was struck. A ball of cloth dabbed in juice then inserted in nose stopped the flow promptly. The potion was also applied to cuts, scratches and bug bites as disinfectant and healer.
I still depend on Grandma’s treatment for cold and flu — nettle tea sweetened with honey and heavy with lemon — to break up congestion. Bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia have been treated with nettle concoctions for ages with one remedy calling for the sufferer to inhale smoke of dried burnt nettle leaves. Recent studies indicate that nettles — being a natural antihistamine — have the capacity to provide natural relief for allergies like hay fever without harmful side effects often associated with pharmaceutical antihistamines. As any seasonal sufferer knows, this discovery is certainly nothing to sneeze at! On the lighter side of good health and well-being, regular ingestion of nettles can help grow thicker hair, clearer skin and stronger nails.
During the First World War, the fibrous stems were used in Germany like flax to replace the shortage of cotton to make army clothing and bandages. During times of need, nettles were also cut down and dried and used as animal fodder, which is reported as being both nutritious and well-received. Grandma mixed chopped dried stinging nettles into chicken feed and swore it increased egg production. In Hungary and other parts of Europe, it is common practice to fatten domestic fowl on nettles, said to be especially good for fattening up ducks. My dad kept a ready scythe to chop down nettles that grew around the horse stables. Once hung and dried, the leaves were stripped and added to feed rations to give the team shiny coats and, according to dad, the supplement was good for the horses’ digestive systems.
Nettles can be harvested from the earliest shoots of spring at which time they are most potent for medicinal uses. The leaves can be harvested all summer long for use as fresh tea, for drying or for table greens. Once the leaves take on the crisp of autumn they begin to toughen and loose much of their nutritional value.
Below are some of my favourite uses for nettles. Give them a try. It’s a wonderful way to cash in on the healthy rewards of springtime.
Recipes
Stinging Nettle Hair Tonic
When I was little grandma used this nettle rinse on my hair after washing and I must admit, my shiny braids could take a good tugging. The solution can be used as a comb-through for thinning hair or as a deterrent for balding. To make hair tonic, simmer four quarts of fresh picked nettle leaves in one quart of water for three hours or until infusion is strong. Cover and let steep until cold. Strain. Add 1/2 cup cider vinegar. Bottle and cork. This can also be massaged into scalp as dandruff treatment.
Spring Tonic — Fresh Nettle Tea
Good to the last drop and rich in minerals and vitamins to boot. Put a handful of fresh washed leaves into heated tea pot. Cover with boiling water and steep for five minutes, or until desired strength is reached. Strain before serving. Especially nice with a dab of honey. Don’t discard leftover tea! Put in a jar and refrigerate for a healthy cold drink. Leftover cold tea also makes nutritious house plant water and leaves or dregs can be sprinkled on soil for boost.
To Dry Nettles
If you want to stash some sunshine away for winter use there is no better way than filling up the baskets with nettle leaves for drying. Dried leaves can be steeped into delicious tea that makes an invigorating morning drink, and since it’s caffeine-free it can be enjoyed by the younger set as well. Use two teaspoons of dried nettles per pint of boiling water for table or afternoon tea and increase to three to four teaspoons per pint for medicinal tea. To dry nettles, cut plant down at lower stalk, tie into bundles and hang in airy place until all moisture is gone, about five to seven days. When crisp, strip off leaves and crush. Store in tea tins.
Mock Parsley — Nettle Sprinkle
Finely crushed, dried nettles can be used in place of dried parsley for adding enlivening colour to soups, stews or any dish calling for a sprinkle of greenery. Use it to dress up cottage cheese, eggs, dumplings or anything in need of zap. Use hands to crush leaves to same consistency as parsley.
Nettle Salt Substitute
When nettle flowers go to seed, they can be gathered and dried and used as a salt substitute. Simply spread the seedy clusters on paper towels or screens and dry in airy place until moisture is gone, about a week. Pulverize in mortar with pestle or in blender. This was originally used as goiter treatment because of its iodine content.
Stinging Nettle Potherb
Cooked nettles are similar in taste to spinach, only I find they are milder and more tender, especially when young. They can be used in place of spinach or Swiss Chard in any recipe calling for cooked greens. Two methods — boil until tender in salted water, and drain, saving liquid for another days soup or for drinking cold or plant water. Or steam until tender. Dress as you would any potherb with seasoned butter, cheese or cream sauce, spray of lemon juice, shake of herbs or use in quiche or pudding.
Aunt Nettie’s Nettle Quiche
This recipe was handed-down to me from my grandma who got it from her Aunt Nettie. It makes a delicious pie to serve for Sunday brunch or as a light supper to enjoy after a day spent in the field picking nettles.
10-inch unbaked pie shell
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked nettles, drained
1/4 cup minced onion
4 eggs
3/4 cup light cream or milk
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
Sprinkle cheese in bottom of chilled pie shell. Spread prepared nettles over cheese. Beat remaining ingredients and pour over nettles. Bake in 400oF oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350oF and bake another 20 minutes or until custard is set: when a knife inserted comes out clean.
Delicious Cream of Nettle Soup
This is my all time favourite soup and it can be made throughout the growing season from April onward.
1 pound of nettle leaves
2 Tbsps oil or butter
1 minced onion
4 tsps chopped chives
3 Tbsps flour
2 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup water
2 tsps seasoned salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup cream
Heat oil or melt butter in soup pot. Sauté onion until soft. Add chives and flour and stir until blended. Slowly stir in stock, beating with wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, except cream, and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add cream and heat to just boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Rub soup through a sieve into heated tureen. Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired.
Grandma’s Nettle Wine
Every season I make a gallon or two of nettle wine from grandma’s old recipe. This fine light white wine is one of my cellar favorites. Sip it mulled for cold and flu treatment. A little glass before bedtime helps induce sleep.
8 quarts washed nettle leaves
2 gallons water
3 thinly sliced, unpeeled lemons
1 ginger root, grated
12 cups sugar
1 slice stale toast
1 package yeast
Put nettles in large kettle or pot. Add 1/2 gallon of water and bring to a boil. Add lemon and ginger. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
Put sugar in a wine making vat and strain cooked warm nettle liquid onto sugar and stir until dissolved. Add remaining water and stir. Cover with cloth and allow to cool.
When cool, sprinkle yeast on toast and float on liquid. Cover and let stand in warm room for five days. Pour into fermentation jar, put on air-lock and let work until bubbling ceases. Siphon into sterilized bottles and cork.
I did a search for an image of Stinging Nettle so that if I see it growing in my garden, I will harvest it for a tea. The tea is supposed to be good for what ails you, like cold, flu, asthma, allergies, etc.
The following article is a blog where they had a picture of stinging nettle. It is another excellent review on this weed that heals...
http://shawnphillipsblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/spring-walks-and-a-spring-tonic/
Spring Walks and A Spring Tonic
Posted on March 8, 2010 by Shawn Phillips
Stinging nettles are not something one wishes to encounter in a walk through the woods but are a perfect herb to ingest on a regular basis.
Nettles are perennial plants that can be found all over the world and people have been using them as an herbal supplement and even to make cloth since ancient times. I can think of several reasons that nettles are a traditional spring tonic – they stimulate the kidneys, are an effective antihistamine to treat seasonal allergies, and are anti-inflammatory to treat arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties made it a good solution for itchy rashes. Asthmatics drink it as in reduces wheezing.
Nettles are nutritious and build energy – providing iron, calcium and are high in vitamin C. They have been used to treat anemia. Nettle tea has also been a traditional drink for women as it increases breast milk, provides iron, and improves digestion. A tea of nettles used as an after shampoo rinse is good for hair – eliminating dandruff and encouraging hair growth.
While some like to collect fresh nettles for soups and such, I’ve always purchased it already dried. I highly suggest either Frontier Natural Products Coop
(http://www.frontiercoop.com/)
or Mountain Rose Herbs
(http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/).
I drink a nettle infusion and typically have it in the refrigerator as an “iced tea”. Even my husband likes the taste of nettle ice tea. We drink the nettle infusion without sugar or sweetening. It is mild enough and not at all bitter. I drink a glass or two of this infusion a day.
How to make an infusion:
An infusion is just a large amount of herbs, covered with hot water and left overnight. Just before I go to bed I place a cup of dried herb in a quart jar. I pour boiling water to the top and seal the jar tightly. The next day I strain the mixture, squeezing the herbs a bit to get most of the fluid out. I then put the container in the refrigerator and compost the nettles. (Nettles are a wonderful addition to the garden – you will be delighted with your plant growth.)
The following article is a blog where they had a picture of stinging nettle. It is another excellent review on this weed that heals...
http://shawnphillipsblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/spring-walks-and-a-spring-tonic/
Spring Walks and A Spring Tonic
Posted on March 8, 2010 by Shawn Phillips
Stinging nettles are not something one wishes to encounter in a walk through the woods but are a perfect herb to ingest on a regular basis.
Nettles are perennial plants that can be found all over the world and people have been using them as an herbal supplement and even to make cloth since ancient times. I can think of several reasons that nettles are a traditional spring tonic – they stimulate the kidneys, are an effective antihistamine to treat seasonal allergies, and are anti-inflammatory to treat arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties made it a good solution for itchy rashes. Asthmatics drink it as in reduces wheezing.
Nettles are nutritious and build energy – providing iron, calcium and are high in vitamin C. They have been used to treat anemia. Nettle tea has also been a traditional drink for women as it increases breast milk, provides iron, and improves digestion. A tea of nettles used as an after shampoo rinse is good for hair – eliminating dandruff and encouraging hair growth.
While some like to collect fresh nettles for soups and such, I’ve always purchased it already dried. I highly suggest either Frontier Natural Products Coop
(http://www.frontiercoop.com/)
or Mountain Rose Herbs
(http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/).
I drink a nettle infusion and typically have it in the refrigerator as an “iced tea”. Even my husband likes the taste of nettle ice tea. We drink the nettle infusion without sugar or sweetening. It is mild enough and not at all bitter. I drink a glass or two of this infusion a day.
How to make an infusion:
An infusion is just a large amount of herbs, covered with hot water and left overnight. Just before I go to bed I place a cup of dried herb in a quart jar. I pour boiling water to the top and seal the jar tightly. The next day I strain the mixture, squeezing the herbs a bit to get most of the fluid out. I then put the container in the refrigerator and compost the nettles. (Nettles are a wonderful addition to the garden – you will be delighted with your plant growth.)