Nettle Medicine
Stinging nettle (like dandelion) gets a bad rap. Most people who are aware of this plant avoid it and are surprised to learn that others seek it out. Even the sting has its uses, but there are many much less unpleasant ways to work with nettle.
Nettle the Plant:
Nettle is pretty easy to find as it grows all over the Northern Hemisphere. It prefers moist soils and grows well in disturbed areas. You can find it near stream banks, in runoff ditches, or marshy areas. It spreads both by seed and rhizomes (small roots), so can behave invasively. If you choose to cultivate nettle, you will want to keep it in an enclosed area where it cannot spread too far and water it frequently. When harvesting the plant for personal use, you will want to do so before it goes to seed as the leaves get much more tough after that. The stems can be used to harvest fiber for rope making and other uses - Nettle burial shrouds have even been found (1). Roots can be dug up in the fall. To harvest nettle, be sure to wear long sleeves, pants, and gloves. You can harvest bare-handed, but who really wants to risk it?
If you are wild-harvesting nettle, be aware of any issues with threatened butterfly species in your area. Here in the Portland, Oregon area, there have been problems with the over harvesting of nettle in city parks such as Powell Butte decreasing food and habitat needed for migratory butterfly species.
Nettle as Food:
Our food supply has become less and less nutrient dense over the years as we breed plants for larger size and greater sugar content and our soils have become depleted due to monocrop culture. This is important to be aware of and one reason I advocate the use of herbs as food. Nettle is particularly nutrient dense and is a fantastic source of calcium, fiber, protein, potassium, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Glucosamine, Beta carotine, iron, and other nutrients (1).
The leaves are what are eaten most frequently; however, you can eat the seeds and the roots, but most use them as medicine instead. Nettle leaves can be eaten just like any other green with one exception - you must cook or dry the leaves to avoid their sting. A quick blanch in boiling water works well if you want to make pesto or other dishes where you don’t want over-cooked leaves.
Another way to consume nettle is as a strong tea. Those who drink a cup of nettle tea or infusion daily will gladly sing its praises. Nettle helps you grow strong bones, teeth, and hair due to its high nutritional content. It’s also helpful for clearing the skin of conditions such as acne and eczema. The most frequent benefits I hear reported are greater energy both physically and mentally. I can attest to these benefits personally, and making a pot of nettle tea was the first step I took before sitting down to write this.
Nettle as Medicine:
When we think of food, we are looking for something that will give our body the energy and nutrients we need to live our lives - and hopefully will be enjoyable to eat. Medicine on the other hand is something we eat, take, inhale, or apply in order to address a health issue. Eating nettle regularly can help prevent and treat illnesses, but if what you want is to treat a condition directly, this is when we consider the use of a plant or other substance as medicine.
Nettle as a medicine can be used in many ways:
Nettle leaf is a strong diuretic and can help treat swelling, lower blood pressure, and under the careful supervision of a doctor can be a component in the treatment of heart failure or other issues of impaired fluid movement in the body.
A tincture of the fresh leaves has been shown to reduce inflammation and blood sugar in people with insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome).
Nettle root is used often in combination with other herbs to reduce the swelling in BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia).
Nettle seed has been used successfully as part of the treatment for kidney damage.
Nettle leaf tea has been used to address the pain and inflammation of arthritis.
Nettle leaf is a powerful treatment for seasonal allergies.
Nettle leaf stings are used topically to reduce pain and inflammation in arthritic joints.
Nettle in the Garden:
In the garden, Nettle, especially when paired with comfrey, can make a powerful fertilizer tea. Simply fill a bucket with chopped nettle and comfrey leaf and then fill almost to the top with rainwater or non-chlorinated water. Let this sit for 2-3 weeks (longer if it’s quite cold) stirring once a day. It will smell bad and bubble - this is a good sign and shows that your tea is brewing. Once the bubbling has stopped, your tea is ready.
To use your fertilizer tea, simply mix 1 part tea to 10 parts water and water your plants. The tea will last for about 6 months.
Nourishing Nettle Infusion Recipe:
For internal use, a nettle infusion is much more pleasant than the fertilizer tea! You can read and follow the directions below, or you can pop on over to my YouTube channel to watch this video. Please let me know what other videos you would like to see.
To make an infusion, add 1/2 cup of dried nettle leaf to a 1 quart mason jar. Then fill with hot water and seal with a two piece lid (ring and lid). Let this sit on your counter for 4 hours up to overnight. Strain and drink 1-4 cups a day. Infusions will last in the refrigerator for 3 days, so go ahead and make a few jars at a time.
When enjoying nettle this way, you will notice how black the water turns, how there is a full body to the infusion, and that nettle has a slightly salty taste - a sign that it is rich in minerals. Over time, you should notice a change in your energy and ability to focus.
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, try drinking 1 cup of nettle infusion daily for 2 months before allergy season begins - you will be surprised by how this lessens your symptoms once all that pollen starts flying.
Next week, we will take a deep dive into understanding allergies and why nettle is a better choice than allergy medicine if you plan ahead and how to use nettle during allergy season for immediate symptom relief - hint, it’s not as a tea.
To our health!
References:
De La Foret, R, Han, E, Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine, Hay House, 2020
