What Are the Benefits of Nettle?

Stinging nettles are the bane of the short-sleeved and shorts-wearing almost everywhere in the world, so it may be a surprise that stinging nettles are actually used for food, fabric and even as medical treatment by people all over the world. However, today stinging nettles are best known as a medical supplement. Stinging nettles have been known for their medical benefits for centuries, and today scientists are studying these plants to find out how the chemicals behind their sting can be used to ease many common conditions.

Identification

• Stinging nettles are perennial plants that can grow from three to seven feet tall, and are best known for their leaves and stems, which are covered with fine spines. When skin comes in contact with a spine, the tips break off and irritating chemicals ooze out. These chemicals include histamines and serotonin, which can be medically helpful in some cases. Stinging nettles are used in a variety of medical forms: in teas, creams, supplements and so on. Some people apply the leaves directly to the skin for medical use.

Traditional Use

• Teas made from stinging nettle have been used to treat joint pain for hundreds of years. In addition, healers of old would use the nettles themselves to ease joint or muscle pain, by whipping the patient with the nettles. It's not as odd as it sounds, as the chemicals in the stinging nettle spines, which normally cause so much pain when they come into contact with the skin, actually cancel out the pain from aching muscles, a process called counter-irritation.

Prostate

• Stinging nettle supplements are now best known as a treatment for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Some studies have shown that stinging nettle eases symptoms associated with BPH, such as trouble urinating, post-urination dribble and the constant urge to urinate. However, nettle treatments do not decrease the size of the prostate like traditional prostate medications. Stinging nettle may have these positive effects by affecting hormones. Ask your doctor before trying out any stinging nettle treatment for BPH.

Other Uses

• Stinging nettle may be useful in treating other conditions. It is a traditional remedy for osteoarthritis, and some sufferers are able to take smaller doses of traditional painkiller medications while undergoing stinging nettle treatments. Stinging nettle supplements may also ward off hay fever by acting as a natural antihistamine. In addition to treating medical conditions, stinging nettle is also used as a fiber for natural yarn. It can also be cooked and eaten and is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C and protein.

Warnings

• Stinging nettle supplements aren't regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Also, when you buy a stinging nettle product, you don't know how much nettle it contains, and what else is in the product as well. Stinging nettle isn't appropriate for everyone, either. It can cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate, so it's not safe for diabetics. It may also amplify the effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen.