Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) also known as Stinging Nettle, Scaddie, Xun Ma, Pokrzywa

Common Nettle is distributed throughout the temperate regions of Europe and Asia: it is not only to be found in distant Japan, but also in South Africa and Australia and in the Andes.

A detailed description of this familiar plant is hardly necessary; its heart-shaped, finely toothed leaves tapering to a point, and its green flowers in long, branched clusters springing from the axils of the leaves are known to everyone. The flowers are incomplete: the male or barren flowers have stamens only, and the female or fertile flowers have only pistil or seed-producing organs. Sometimes these different kinds of flowers are to be found on one plant; but usually a plant will bear either male or female flowers throughout, hence the specific name of the plant, dioica, which means 'two houses.'

The male flower consists of a perianth of four greenish segments enclosing an equal number of stamens, which bend inwards in the bud stage, but when the flower unfolds spring backwards and outwards, the anthers with the sudden uncoiling, exploding and scattering the pollen. The flowers are thus adapted for wind-fertilization. The perianth of the female flower is similar, but only contains a single, one-seeded carpel, bearing one style with a brush-like stigma. The male flowers are in loose sprays or racemes, the female flowers more densely clustered together.

The Nettle flowers from June to September. As a rule the stem attains a height of 2 to 3 feet. Its perennial roots are creeping, so it multiplies quickly, making it somewhat difficult of extirpation.

The whole plant is downy and also covered with stinging hairs. Each sting is a very sharp, polished spine, which is hollow and arises from a swollen base. In this base, which is composed of small cells, is contained the venom, an acrid fluid, the active principle of which is said to be bicarbonate of ammonia. When, in consequence of pressure, the sting pierces the skin, the venom is instantly expressed, causing the resultant irritation and inflammation. The burning property of the juice is dissipated by heat, enabling the young shoots of the Nettle, when boiled, to be eaten as a potherb.

It is a strange fact that the juice of the Nettle proves an antidote for its own sting, and being applied will afford instant relief: the juice of the Dock, which is usually found in close proximity to the Nettle, has the same beneficial action.

Part used: Leaf, Herb, Root, Seed

Constituents: Chlorophyl, Tannin, Formic acid, Minerals (incl. Silicon, Chlorine, Sodium, Sulphur, Phosphorus, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Potassium), Xanthophyll, Lecithin, Proteins (up to 24%), enzyme secretin, vitamins (esp. C, B-carotene, B, D, K), Serotonin, Histamine, Acetylcholine, Tannic and gallic acids, Glycoside, Hormones, Alkaloids, Astragalin, Butyric acid, Caffeic acids, Carbonic acid, Linoleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Stigmasterol, Terpenes, Quercetin, Kaempferol, and Coumarins.

Flavour/Temps: Somewhat sweet and salty, Astringent, Neutral to Cool, Dry

Stabilizing, Nourishing, Dissolving, Restoring, Astringing

Tropism: Fluids, Blood, Spleen, Liver, Lungs, Kidneys, Bladder, Connective tissue, Uterus, Intestines, Prostrate

Meridians: Spleen, Liver, Bladder, Lung, Kidney

Key actions in Western Medicine: (Nettle leaf/herb) Decongestant, Antihistamine, Anti-inflammatory, Diuretic, Immune Enhancing, Haemostatic, Mild Laxative, Astringent, Tonic, Astringent, Expectorant, Vasodilator, Hypotensive, Circulatory stimulant, Re-mineraliser, Antirheumatic, Rubefacient

(Nettle root) decongestant, anti-inflammatory, mucostatic, diuretic, antidiarrheal, astringent, immunostimulant, rubefacient

(Nettle seed) Adaptogen, Restorative, Thyroid stimulant, scalp and skin restorative

Indications in Western Medicine: 

(Nettle leaf/herb) Metabolic and hepatic disorders (incl. diabetes, Glycogen storage disorders, Rickets); Inssuficient Lactation; Any Chronic and Degenerative disorders; Gonadal/Adrenocortical/Thyroid deficiency; Anaemia, amenorrhea; Chronic gastric degeneration. Connective tissue degeneration; Hair loss and hair care in general; Amenorrhea, estrogen deficiency disorders (incl. PMS); Oedema, Haemorrhoids, Ascites; Irritation of urinary track in all conditions; difficult, scanty, frequent urination; strangury; Lung TB, Chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma; Uric acid diathesis with chronic arthritis, eczema, gout; Hard deposits: gallstones, urinary stones; Allergic Rhinitis, Eczema, Asthma; Tumors; Skin conditions in general (incl. infantile eczema, dandruff, eczema, urticaria); Burns, bites, wounds, stings; Leucorrhoea; haemorrhage external or internal, including nosebleeds, (inter)menstrual bleeding, haemophilia; Lung TB with haemoptysis; Diarrhoea, Chronic intestinal and gastric ulcers; Throat or Mouth infections, catarrh, ulcers, sores; Urinary Infections (chronic or acute, incl. nephritis, cystitis, urethritis)

(Nettle root) benign and other form of prostrate hyperplasia; Diarrhoea; chronic gastric and intestinal ulcers; Urinary infections acute and chronic, Oedema, hair loss, dandruff

(Nettle seed) restorative adaptogen for any kind of deficiency; thyroid stimulant in subclinical/functional hypothyroidism (incl. overweight cases); immune stimulant for poisonous plant ingestion or insects bites; and similar to herb and root skin and scalp  restorative

Key actions in Eastern medicine: Resolves Toxicosis, Promotes Detoxification and Resolves Eczema; Reduces Tumors; Dissolves Stones and Deposits; Regulates Metabolism and Strengthen Connective Tissue; Nourish Blood and Liver, Relieves fatigue; Restores Thyroid, Gonads, Adrenals, Promotes Lactation and Benefits Hair; Drains Water, Promotes Urination, Relieves Oedema and Irritation; Strengthen and Nourish Lungs, Relieves Wheezing and Coughing, Resolves Phlegm; Relieves Allergy; Reduces Infections; Astringes, Stop Discharges and Bleeding And Dries Damp;

Indications in Eastern medicine: Kidney and Liver water congestion: puffy eyes in morning, general ankle or body swelling; Uterus blood deficiency: Scanty, delayed or absent periods; Liver Yin deficiency: wight loss, stamina loss, evening fatigue; Blood Deficiency: dizziness, stopped periods, weakness, exhaustion, pale complexion; Kidney Qi stagnation with metabolic toxicosis: dry skin, urinary infections, skin eruptions, malaise; Lung Phlegm-Damp: white sputum in cough, shortness of breath; Genitourinary Damp: urinary and vaginal clear discharges, frequent, scanty, painful urination; Bladder Damp-Heat: cloudy urine, painful and frequent urination.

Constitutions: Phlegmatic and Choleric krases

Dependant/Tai Yin earth and Though/Shao Yang biotypes

All three constitutions

Preparations:

(Nettle Leaf/herb) Fresh Juice, Freeze dried juice, Long Infusion, Tincture, Vinegar Tincture, Infused oil

(Nettle Root) Decoction, Tincture

(Nettle Seed) Short decoction, Tincture

Dosage, 3 times a day unless otherwise instructed by Herbalist:

Nettle leaf/herb:

fresh juice 5-10 ml

Infusion 3-6g

Tincture 1-2 ml, 1:2 25% alcohol (same apply to vinegar tincture)

Tincture 2.5-4.5 ml, 1:5 25% alcohol (same apply to vinegar tincture)

Nettle Root:

Decoction 1.5-2.5g

Tincture 1.5-3 ml, 1:2 45% alcohol

Nettle Seed:

short decoction 1-3g

Tincture 1-3 ml, 1:2 45% alcohol

Note: Dosage described can be safely increased if necessary.

Note: Freshly expressed juice from whole herb is most effective preparation; almost as good is freeze dried juice.

Note: Infusion, Decoction and Tinctures are also excellent and almost as good as the top two extractions.

Note: Externally washes and compresses are used in degenerative and arthritic conditions of joints and muscles, providing pain relief and deep-level treatment.

Note: Nettle ointment is superb for skin conditions alone or used with Burdock root, Marigold flower, Gotu kola leaf, or Figwort herb for example.

Note: Nettle hair rinse is excellent for falling or weak hairs. Can be made as vinegar or infusion.

Note: Smocking Nettle may bring relief in asthmatic conditions.

Note: One of the greatest virtues of Nettles is unquestionably in its ability to help with the dreadful chronic aches of rheumatism or arthritis. The internal medicine is certainly likely to be of help and may be as far as most people will take it but also worth trying Urtication.

Urtication - You can try this by getting some fresh nettles (very easy to grow in a pot at home if this turns out to be an effective aid) and then developing the practice of brushing or rubbing the affected area with a leaf. Yes, it will certainly sting but there may be a great deal of relief subsequently and, as anyone with a deep joint ache knows; there are worse kinds of pain! If it will really help you then you will know about it from the first treatment and then you may wish to try it again, in which case read the following.

If you are game to try and you do find that you get relief from brushing the skin over your painful joint with fresh Nettle leaf and so you want to adopt it as your medicine then you need to be aware of the following points
a) do not wash the treated area with cold water for the rest of the day or the pleasant warmth and relief from pain will be replaced by an unpleasant burning sensation (will be fine to wash after 8 hours)
b) do the treatment daily for no more than 3 days and then take a break for at least 2-3 days otherwise you will become desensitised to its effects (conversely doing this on/off approach should cause you to become increasingly responsive to the treatment as your joint gets more blood flow and the tissues make progress with their attempt to self-heal.

Note: 1:100 Decoction of dried leaves simmered for 30 minutes, yield a 5mg of silicone per 1g of Nettle used. That’s mean that Nettle is great source of absorbable silicone, which is more rapidly extracted comparing to Horsetail. This is only half much of silicone obtained from superhigh in silica Horsetail during 3 hours decoction.

Note: If you want use Nettle leaf as source of Silicone simmer it for 30 minutes.

Synergy Examples:

Nettle leaf/herb combines very well with Raspberry leaf in pregnancy as a tonic, it works well with Alfalfa as a tonic for weak blood, with Elder for allergies and with Juniper for a potent cleansing remedy for joint pain, stiffness and congestion.

Nettle root combines very well with Pine Pollen for testosterone deficiency; Combines perfectly with Saw palmetto and Zink for prostrate treatment.

Cautions: Nettle is mild remedy with minimal chronic toxicity. Obviously, you have to be very careful handling fresh Nettles but once dried or taken as a tincture they are extremely safe to use, even in high or frequent doses. No adverse reactions are expected and Nettles may safely be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding (where they may be expected to encourage the production of healthy milk)  

Contraindications: Patients allergic to Nettle should not use fresh or unprocessed leaves topically.

Interactions with drugs: None known

Side effects: Leaf/Herb and seed none known. Root – very rare mild gastrointestinal disturbance from ingestion of nettle root has been recorded.

History, Folklore and Science:

 In Ancient Greece, stinging nettle was used primarily as a diuretic and laxative. The genus name, Urtica, derives from the Latin word “uro,” meaning to burn, as the plant is well known for its burning, stinging properties due to the fluid contained in the stinging hairs found on the leaves. An East Indian species is powerful enough to sting and burn for days. The species name, dioica, means “of two houses” and refers to the plant being male and female.

In Ancient Egypt, the oil from the seeds was burned in lamps, and in Arab countries, nettle seeds were ground and mixed with horse’s food to bring a gloss to their coats.

In Ancient Rome, soldiers would bring stinging nettle seeds with them to rub into cold chapped skin to help counteract the effects of numbness due to extreme cold on their limbs.

The word “nettle” is thought to have derived from German or Scandinavia from the word “netel” or “noedl” meaning a needle as not only does the plant sting like being pricked by needles but it was also used to supply thread before flax or hemp was available.

“Net” means to “spin or sew.” Its fibers can make fine textiles or coarse fabric for sailcloth or sacking. The nettles were cut, dried, and steeped, with the fibers then separated to be spun into yarn. Both hemp and flax were introduced into Northern Europe to replace the use of nettle. Studies have shown that good nettle is equal to cotton in terms of quality and durability. In 1915, Germany used nettle to make cloth for their military uniforms. Using nettle to make fabric is an ancient art in China with hand-woven fabrics being found in mummy cases that date back as far as the fifteenth dynasty.

Besides being used as a cotton substitute for making fabric and twine, stinging nettle has been used for sugar, starch, protein, and ethyl alcohol production.

Stinging nettle has been used for centuries to treat allergy symptoms, particularly hay fever. In Germany, nettle is a common ingredient in herbal prescriptions for rheumatic and inflammatory complaints, including prostate enlargement.

The healing power of stinging nettle is steeped in folklore. There is an old fairy tale, The Wild Swans, in which the heroine must weave a shirt of nettle leaves if she is to save her brothers from a curse that turned them into swans. It has been said that stings from the nettle can prevent sorcery. Nettle is a good protective plant that is considered good at breaking spells and jinxes.

Stinging nettle is used in potions designed to transition a difficult situation into a nurturing one. The leaves can be burned to drive out negative energies or break curses.

The herb’s ability to clear uric acid wastes from the body makes it good for treating eczema, gout, arthritis, and kidney stones. Combined with large amounts of water, stinging nettle is used in so-called “irrigation therapy” to treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

Stinging nettle leaves can be placed against the skin to externally treat arthritic pain and the branches of the stinging plant can be swiped at the infected area to also provide relief from arthritis.

An infusion of the dried herb, an alcoholic tincture made from the fresh plant, or juice of the fresh herb in doses of 1-2 tablespoons is famously used to stop uterine bleeding, nosebleeds, and internal bleeding. Nettle can help treat anaemia, poor circulation, and an enlarged spleen. Stinging nettle is considered one of the best all-around female tonics as they are excellent for women starting their menses and women entering menopause.

Stinging nettle roots are used to aid urinary dysfunction caused by enlarged prostate or infection. This includes nighttime urination, kidney stones, painful urination, irritable bladder, and frequent urination.

The burning property of the stinging juice is dissipated with heat, enabling the young shoots of the nettle to be eaten when boiled.

Steamed leaves can be eaten in salads, soups, stews, and pasta. The healthy and nutritious roots are also a wonderful vegetable and easy to digest.

Plants are harvested in May and June, just before coming into flower. The seeds and flowers can be dried in the sun.

Their presence in the environment is a good sign of nitrogen-rich soil. Tradition says that nettle grows where either a human or animal once lived, probably due to the high levels of nitrogen and phosphates found in the soil where decomposition has occurred.

Those plants that are in rich deep soil can grow to be 5 to 6 feet tall and are the best for producing fiber. If planted in the neighborhood of beehives, it is said nettle will drive away frogs. The plants are also an important food for the larvae of butterflies and moths.

Stinging nettle beer was an Old English folk remedy used by elders to help cure gout and rheumatic pains, but the beer can also be enjoyed simply for its flavor. Nettle can be used as a substitute for rennet in cheese making.

The juice of the plant is stronger medicinally than either the leaves or the root.

Cows will produce more milk if fed nettle rather than hay, if the nettles have been picked and allowed to wilt, so the “sting” is gone. Horses and cattle suffering from malnutrition and digestive problems have improved when fed wilted nettles. Dried and powdered nettle added to food for poultry increases their egg production and improves their health.

 M Grieve writes “Old writers recommended a small piece of lint, moistened with the juice, to be placed in the nostril in bad cases of nose bleeding. Burns may be cured rapidly by applying to them linen cloths well wetted with the tincture, the cloths being frequently re-wetted. An infusion of the fresh leaves is also soothing and healing as a lotion for burns. An infusion known as Nettle Tea is a common spring medicine in rural districts and has long been used as a blood purifier. It is a strange fact that the juice of the Nettle proves an antidote for its own sting, and being applied will afford instant relief. The juice of the Dock, which is usually found near the Nettle, has the same beneficial action.

“Nettle in, dock out - Dock rub nettle out!”

is an old rhyme and if a person is stung with a Nettle a certain cure will be effected by rubbing Dock leaves over the part”

F Ellingwood writes “Urtica has been employed, and is generally agreed to be an efficient remedy, for the general purposes of an astringent, both internally and externally, in hemorrhages, illconditioned ulcers, and in chronic disease of the mucous membranes of the bronchi, bowels and urinary organs”

WM Cook writes “as a local arrester of bleeding, it has few equals; and its infusion or tincture is of much power, used inwardly, for bleeding from the nose, lungs, or stomach, and may also be used to excellent advantage in bleeding from the bowels and passive menorrhagia”

King's Dispensatory writes “Nettles are astringent, tonic, and diuretic. A decoction is valuable in diarrhoea and dysentery, with profuse discharges, and in hemorrhoids, various hemorrhages, and scorbutic affections, and has been recommended in febrile affections, gravel, and other nephritic complaints. The leaves of the fresh plant stimulate, inflame, and even raise blisters on those portions of the skin with which they come in contact, and have, in consequence, been used as a powerful rubefacient. Paralysis is said to have been cured by whipping the affected limbs with them. Applied to bleeding surfaces, they are an excellent styptic. Some physicians prescribe the remedy internally at the same time that they are using it locally. It is also a remedy for chronic cystitis, with mucous discharges. Warts, rubbed with the freshly expressed juice of this plant, 3 or 4 times a day, continuing the application daily for 10 or 12 days, disappear without any pain being produced”

T Bartram quotes Hilda Leyel saying “no plant is more useful in domestic medicine” and in turn he lists many actions for Nettles including; “blood tonic, hypoglycaemic, antiseptic, tonic-astringent (external) expectorant, vasodilator, hypotensive, galactagogue (increasing breast milk) circulatory stimulant, re-mineraliser, antirheumatic” he also gives extensive indications for its use, including; “acute, painful gout, to stimulate the kidneys, detoxify the blood, chronic skin disease, feeble digestion due to low stomach acid” He writes “on taking Nettle tea for high blood pressure, passage of gravel from the urine is possible and should be regarded as a favourable sign”

Hoffmann describes the actions of Nettles as “astringent, diuretic, tonic and hypotensive” and says “it is one of the most widely applicable plants in the Materia medica. The herbs strengthen and supports the whole body. Throughout Europe, Nettle is used as a spring tonic and general detoxifying remedy. It may be very helpful for internally and topically for myalgia and osteoarthritis. It is a specific for childhood eczema and beneficial for all varieties of this condition, especially nervous eczema”

The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (BHP) says Nettles is indicated for “uterine haemorrhage, cutaneous eruptions, infantile and psychogenic eczema”; and goes on to say it is specifically indicated for nervous eczema suggesting that it combines especially well with Burdock root. The BHP recommends a dose of 2-4 grams or by infusion (a heaped tsp is about 1.5gm) and the tincture as a 1:5 in 45% ethanol at a dose of 2-6 ml up to 3 x daily.

The sting of Nettle leaf has been shown to be beneficial in treating osteoarthritic pain at the base of the thumb or index finger in a randomised, double-blind, controlled, crossover trial. Nettle or placebo was stroked over the painful area daily. Nettle hairs contain high levels of leukotrienes and histamine.

A multicentre surveillance study examined the safety and therapeutic benefit of a nettle leaf extract in nearly 9000 patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. After a three week period 82% of patients believed that the treatment had relieved their symptoms, 26% no longer required to take anti-inflammatory drugs and 38% said that they were willing to reduce their drug therapy.

Twenty healthy volunteers took 1.34 grams of Nettle leaf extract for 3 weeks. The medicine significantly decreased the release of certain compounds associated with inflammation and tissue damage. Nettle leaf extract has also demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity by other laboratory studies and is believed to work by inhibiting cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase derived reactions.

Hoffmann writes that Nettle root has been used with success to treat the early stages of benign prostatic hyperplasia and studies show that it improves urine flow, reduces urinary frequency and nocturia and decreases the volume of residual urine.

Allergy Tea - for hay fever or hives relief

10g Eyebright                                       

15g Elder flower     

10g Sage leaf   

15g Nettles           

2.5g Peppermint

The dose is 3 full teaspoons into one large cup of freshly boiled water. You cover the cup and let it sit for 10 minutes before straining it off (you could use a teapot or coffee plunger etc. to do the infusion). It is ok to add honey, and you need to sip the tea whilst it is still hot to get all the benefits. Don’t expect the tea to work immediately like an anti-histamine might but most people do start obviously responding to the treatment if they have two doses a day for at least three days.

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