Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

You do not need to sting yourself with nettles to ease rheumatism. Drinking the tea is sufficient. Nettle is also effective for an enlarged prostate, high blood pressure, arthritis and iron deficiency.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is rich in vitamins, minerals and medicinal compounds. Nettle leaf effectively relieves rheumatic discomfort by significantly reducing pain both during movement and at rest. The practice known as urtication, meaning striking the painful area with fresh nettles, is no longer used for rheumatism. Instead, nettle is prescribed internally as a diuretic because it can increase the elimination of sodium and uric acid, which helps relieve rheumatism and arthritis.

German laboratory studies from 1999 showed that the leaves have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Nettle counteracts diarrhea and helps with hemorrhoids. The tea is used to flush the urinary tract, to prevent the formation of kidney stones, to increase urine output and to support the body during inflammatory processes.

Nettle also lowers blood sugar levels, which is why it appears in many herbal blends for diabetes. According to Italian research from 2002, nettle root extract may also be effective in reducing blood pressure. Nettle root is most often used for difficult urination caused by an enlarged prostate. Root preparations ease symptoms of an enlarged prostate, although the size of the gland does not decrease.

Nettle tea is an excellent tonic because it stimulates the appetite, supplies the body with iron and successfully combats fatigue. For external use, nettle is applied in the care of acne, eczema, oily skin and dandruff. Nettle grows like a weed and is widespread across much of the world. The ancient Egyptians knew its nutritional value and even cultivated it as a vegetable.

The Greeks and Romans also consumed it frequently and held it in high regard. Many Europeans still enjoy nettle today, although it is rarely cultivated. The edible parts are the blanched leaves and the tips of young plants, harvested from late February through May, and sometimes again in autumn. The tender tops with four to six leaflets should be picked with gloves where the stem is still soft.

The root is dug in autumn and spring, then used fresh or dried. Young nettle can be prepared like spinach, and it suits sauces, salads, soups, pies and many other dishes. The young shoots can be sautéed in oil, and once dried and ground into a powder, they can be stored for later use. The irritating compounds in the stinging hairs, mainly formic acid, evaporate during cooking and become neutralized.

Nettle is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron and silicic acid. The plant contains vitamin K, vitamin B2 and pantothenic acid, which makes it a natural multivitamin concentrate. It can be grown from seed sown in spring in moist loamy soil in a sunny or lightly shaded spot.