Health Benefits - Nettle

Health Benefits - Nettle

Urtica dioica
Urticaceae
Big nettles and small nettles are species which can be found all over the world. In same tropical and subtropical areas, nettles can be as 13 feet high and it has wooden stem.

Nettle is known for a lot of time, since antiquity, as textile and medicinal plant. Young stem and leaves from both species can be used as food, which appear in early spring.

Nettles contains protides formed from a great number of amino acids, glucidic substances, vegetable hormone, volatile oil, B1, B2, C and K vitamins.

Therapeutic recommendations:
Internal use of nettles:

In old literature and in traditional medicine the therapeutical recommendations are varied. Recent studies have confirmed a part of these recommendations which refer to homeostatic (K vitamin), homeopathic, light hypoglycemic, diuretic actions. Experiments proved that the watery extract restrains the evolving of different pathogenic agents as Shigella,Staphylococcus,and Pasteurela.

*Diuretic actions (drink 2 mugs of nettle tea each day) manifest itself trough removing the uric acid, chlorides and urea. Based on this action it's justified the empiric use in edema, gout, rheumatism and as purifier of conjunctive tissue.

*In young phase, when it contains a low level of substances, it is considered a good food and medicine. It stimulates eating. Its high percentage of secretin situates the nettle on the same level as spinach, stimulating gastric, intestinal and pancreatic secretions, justifying its use in gastro-intestinal and pancreatic insufficiency.Nettle External use of nettles:

*The chlorophyll extracted from the nettle is used in cosmetic industries, in toothpaste and shampoo making and in dermatology. Nettle root tincture, combined with other plants tinctures, is used against hair loss.

In traditional medicine, fresh nettles leaves are used against rheumatic disease.
How to use it:
*As infusion from dry leaves (nettle tea): 3 tea-spoons for a mug. You can drink 2-3 mugs a day for at least 1 month.

*For hair loss you can boil 250g of roots or bits of leaves in 1 liter of water,liters of vinegar and 100 ml of alcohol at small fire for half an hour. With the obtained lotion wash your hair once a week.