The Benefits of Nettles

For your first taste of the potent power of herbs, I highly recommend stinging nettles - without the sting.

This common plant is known for the “needles” that grow upon it.  It may have even gotten its name from the Latin “nere”, the verb meaning “to sew”.

However, once dried or cooked, the nettle loses its bite and becomes an extremely valuable and versatile herb that has been used for thousands of years.  The fresh leaves can even be boiled and eaten like spinach!

Nutritious nettle tea, tinctures and infusions can provide benefits to your whole body, often reducing or alleviating the symptoms of:

Nettle Tea

I highly recommend nettle tea (infusion).  Tea made from nettle leaves is dense in essential vitamins and minerals.  One quart of nettle tea, prepared as directed, provides 2,000 mg of calcium, eliminating the need for an extra calcium supplement.  Nettle tea is also high in:

• Iron
• Carotene
• Magnesium
• Vitamin A
• Chromium
• Vitamin B 
  
• Potassium
• Vitamin D 
  
• Zinc
• Vitamin K

How to Prepare Nettle Tea

1. Place 1 oz. of organic dried nettles in a glass, quart-sized jar.  Canning jars work well for this, and it will be just under half-full of the dried nettles.
   
2. Pour just-boiled water (preferably without chlorine or fluoride) over the nettles, filling the glass jar to the top.  Cap snugly, but not too tight.
3. Let it steep for 4 hours or overnight.
4. Strain the liquid out, squeezing any excess from the plant material, and store it in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.
5. Discard the left-over nettles in your compost or under your trees and bushes--it will help them stay healthy, too.  Plus it's a more respectful way to treat the plant.
6. Drink 1 cup to 1 quart daily, either iced or heated, depending on your preference and the time of year.  But try to avoid the microwave as it destroys nutrients.   If that sounds like a lot to drink, remember that that’s one less quart of water you need to drink.

I suggest starting with 1-2 cups for the first few days, then 1 quart a day until you feel great. At that time, 1-2 cups a day is usually sufficient for maintenance.  For those who have that mid-afternoon crash, I suggest drinking some of your nettle tea at 2-3 PM for a great pick-me-up.

Feel free to add a little honey or stevia (no sugar or artificial sweeteners) for flavor.  Fellow Herbalist Susun Weed says that even if you need to add whiskey to enjoy the tea, it's worth it!  One client adds a cinnamon stick when he steeps a quart for the nettle tea.  Some like the taste right away, others acquire the taste for it within two weeks--especially when they see and feel the results!

After just 1 to2 weeks of drinking a daily quart of nettle tea, you should notice a difference in the way you feel.  Sometimes you begin to feel better in as little as four days!  Most people feel more energetic and sleep more soundly when consuming this nutrient powerhouse.  And within a few months, you will likely see your hair become shinier, nails stronger and skin more supple, as well.  Just one example of the positive side effects you often get from herbs.

Past and Present Uses for Nettles

Roman soldiers used to purposely sting themselves with live nettles to keep warm in the winter.

Some Arthritis sufferers report stinging themselves on their joints, claiming that once the initial slight sting has worn off, they have enjoyed relief from their joint pain for hours at a time.

People used to snuff dried powdered nettle leaves in order to stop nosebleeds.  Nettles do have an astringent property that may help control internal and external bleeding.

To use nettles for a nourishing hair rinse, pour one quart of boiling water over approximately one cup of dried nettle leaves and allow to steep and cool for 30 minutes.  Strain and use as a final rinse after you have washed and conditioned your hair.  For additional silkiness, add comfrey root or comfrey powder to the dried nettles.