Nettle.Stinging nettle,Nettle leaf,Nettle root,Common Stinging Nettle?Therapeutics and Pharmacology,Historical or traditional use of Nettle.

article content dotArticle Content:

Dosage,Safety and Suggestions of Nettle.

Nettle Extract INCI Name Urtica Dioica Extract EINECS ELINCS No 281-685-5 CAS 84012-40-8 Urticae radix Extracts Nettle Root Extract photo picture image Adult:Oral

 Tea: prepare a cup by pouring 2/3 cup of boiling water over 3 to 4 tsp of dried leaves or dried root and steeping for 3 to 5 minutes. Drink three to four of these cups a day. An infusion can also be made with fresh nettle leaves. Always drink additional water along with the tea (at least 2 quarts per day).
 Dried leaf: 2 to 4 grams, three times a day
 Fluid extract (root,1:1): 1.5 mL, three to four times daily
 Fluid extract (leaf, 1:1): 2 to 5 mL three times daily
 Tincture (root, 1:5): 5 to 7.5 mL three to four times daily
 Fresh Plant Tincture:leaf or root,1:2,95% alcohol,3~60 gtt.
 Dry Plant Tincture:leaf,root or seed,1:3 or 1:5,25~40% alcohol,3~60 gtt,1~15 mL.
 Hot Infusion:1:20,leaf,up to 1 liter daily.
 Powder:leaf 8~12 gram; root6~8 grams.
 Creams: use as directed

  Allergic rhinitis: 600mg freeze dried nettle at the onset of symptoms for one week has been used (21).
 Arthritis: 50mg stewed nettle leaves in combination with 50mg diclofenac daily for 14 days has been used (22).

 Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): Various types of nettle, including capsules and extract, have been used in clinical trials. Bazoton? capsules: (300mg extract of Radix urticae; ERU); one capsule twice daily for six to nine weeks (9; 19). Two capsules twice daily for six months and two capsules daily for two to five months have also been used (12; 27); 459mg dry extract Bazoton uno for one year has also been used (28). Bazoton? Liquidum: 3mL twice daily for three months (11). Nettle extract: 30-150 drops daily for six months (29).

 Topical:

 Osteoarthritis: The underside of a leaf cut from fresh nettle plant has been applied to the painful area with gentle pressure for 30 seconds, moving the leaf twice, and applied twice daily for one week (23).

 Pediatric Dosing (age less than 18):Insufficient available evidence.

 More taken method:

 Eating nettles:Eating stinging nettles? Yes, eating! Just ten minutes of cooking removes the sting, although I prefer to cook them "southern style," for forty minutes or more, which breaks down the cell walls to make the nutrients more available.

 Prepare nettle greens by steaming or sauteing as you would any other leafy green such as kale or spinach. The heat entices all those marvelous minerals from the leaves and tames nettle's sting so you can dine with confidence. My favorite way to eat nettles is Stinging Nettle Soup (see the Healthy Eating Guide in this issue of New Life Journal)

 The first tender shoots push through in early spring, so from April into early June nettle can be harvested for eating. Reap only the top two to four inches, since the lower leaves tend to be tough. And don't consume nettle after flowering, which begins around June in the mountains of North Carolina and in northern Georgia.

 This doesn't mean that you need to spend the summer without nettles. Careful harvesting of the tops of your favorite stand can prevent flowering and extend the bounty into the autumn.

 Nettle vinegar:Vinegars are also an excellent way to bring nettle's benefits to your table. Harvest the nettles for vinegar any time before it flowers. The stalk has at least as much medicinal value as the leaves, so cut as far down the stem as you can-while still getting the fresh, green leaves rather than the holey, brown ones at the base of the plant.

 Tightly pack a jar full of plant material and fill the jar to the top with raw, organic apple cider vinegar. Line the top with waxed paper or plastic wrap to prevent rust if your jar has a metal lid. Let it brew on your countertop, out of direct sun, and add vinegar as needed to keep the plants covered. After six weeks, strain out the plant material and use your nettle vinegar on your salads and in marinades for an extra boost of minerals.

 Nettle infusion:Probably the most effective method of receiving the nourishing, medicinal properties of nettles year-round is in an infusion. Harvest the nettles in late May through June, when they are tall and vigorous, down to one to two feet off the ground. Bunch the nettles in groups of three and dry by hanging, or in your oven using only the pilot light.

 When the plant snaps easily at the thickest part of the stem, it is fully dry. Immerse one cup of dried nettle in a quart of boiling water and allow the infusion to sit for at least four hours. Strain the liquid and store in the refrigerator for several days. A standard dose is two cups Of nettle infusion per day. If it's been in the fridge for a few days, a quick sniff will let you know if the infusion has turned sour. If it has soured, it makes an excellent fertilizer for your plants, or a hair rinse that adds shine and texture.

 A cup of this rich, green, velvety nettle infusion per day is deeply nourishing for ,women at any stage of life, for men, for the young and for the old. Yes, nettles are good for just about everyone.

 Combinations:Urtica combines well with Arctium root in any detoxifying regime.

 Caution: In a few individuals, exposure to the histamine in fresh nettles can be extremely dangerous. However, in the dried or cooked state nettles are completely non-toxic and may be eaten freely as a vegetable or drunk as an infusion.

 Additional Comments: The Romans treated rheumatic conditions by flaying their joints with fresh nettles so as to stimulate blood circulation. Nettles are a good source of chlorophyll, and are a traditional spring tonic. In spring, the fresh green leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach or made into a soup. Urtica urens (L), the small, or annual nettle, is also used medicinally, and has similar actions to Urtica dioica. U. urens is prescribed in homoeopathic medicine for rheumatic pain, burns and nettle rash.

 How much is usually taken? During the allergy season, two to three 300 mg nettle leaf capsules or tablets or 2~4 ml tincture can be taken three times per day. For BPH, 120 mg of a concentrated root extract in capsules can be taken two times per day. Many products for BPH will combine nettle root with saw palmetto or pygeum extracts. Intentional stinging with nettles should only be undertaken after consultation with a physician knowledgeable in botanical medicine.

 Are there any side effects or interactions? Nettle may cause mild gastrointestinal upset in some people. Although allergic reactions to nettle are rare, when contact is made with the skin, fresh nettle can cause a rash secondary to the noted stings. Nettle leaf is considered safe for use in pregnancy and breast-feeding.

 Common Case:Many people use two to three 300 mg nettle leaf capsules or tablets, or a 2-4 ml tincture three times per day during allergy season to help prevent and treat hay fever. For BPH, many people use 240 mg per day of the root extract in capsules or tablets. Many products for BPH will combine nettle root with saw palmetto or pygeum extracts.

 For the aerial parts of nettle, dose recommendations differ according to the product being used. Many dose forms such as capsules, extracts, tablets, and tinctures are available commercially. Individuals who decide to take the aerial parts of nettle should follow the directions on the package that is bought.

 A tea may be made by soaking 3 or 4 teaspoons of dried aerial parts of nettle in about 5 ounces of boiling water for 10 minutes. The solid particles should be strained out before drinking two or three cups of the tea per day. Up to 3 tablespoons of juice from fresh nettle leaves and stems may also be taken by mouth up to three times a day. Either the cooled and strained tea or the juice may be applied to the skin as often as needed. Applying it should be stopped if irritation occurs at the site of application.

 Traditional Preparation:Both the root and the leaves are traditionally prepared as infusions. Dosages depend on what one is taking it for. In herbal medicine systems, as a healthy prevention to prostate difficulties or to maintain prostate health, one-half cup of a root infusion 2-3 times weekly is recommended (2-3 ml of a root tincture or 2-3 g of powdered root in capsules or tablets can be substituted if desired). The natural remedy for BPH is one-half cup of a root infusion 2-3 times daily for 30-90 days. (2-3 ml of a root tincture or 2-3 g in capsules or tablets 2-3 times daily can be substituted if desired.) For allergies, inflammation, and hypertension: one cup of a leaf infusion is taken twice daily in traditional medicine systems. This also can be substituted by taking 3-4 g of leaf tablets/capsules twice daily.

 How to Boil Nettle Soup:

 Only the young tops of nettle plants are used in cooking. These should be collected in early spring (old leaves are too tough), washed thoroughly, and cooked in boiling, salted water in the same manner as spinach. The stinging element of the nettle is destroyed in cooking, and young leaves can be added to soups or used in omelettes.

 The nettle is a common weed and will grow in almost any nitrogen-rich soil. The rich minerals, nitrogen and chlorophyll stored in the plant make it valuable in the compost heap, or as a mulch around other plants. An excellent plant fertiliser can be made by soaking armfuls of nettles for several weeks in a 40-gallon drum of water. When this solution is sprinkled onto plants, it is said to protect them against fungus diseases and aphids.

 Nettle Soup Contents:1 pound potatoes,8 ounces young nettles,2 ounces butter,1.5 pints chicken stock,4 tablespoons sour cream,salt,pepper.

 Method:Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick slices. Wash the nettles and coarsely chop. Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes in salted water, then drain. Melt the butter in a pan, add the nettles and gently stew for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, add the potatoes, and gently simmer for a further 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then pour in a blender, or pass through a sieve. Return the soup to a clean pan, season to taste, heat, and stir in the sour cream.

 Note: Nettle soup is traditionally served with halved hard-boiled eggs, but the eggs can be whole or sliced as well.

 Properties:Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, anti-anaphylactic,anti-rheumatic, anti-asthmatic, anti-convulsant, anti-dandruff, anti-histamine, astringent, decongestant, depurative, diuretic, haemostatic, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, galactagogue, immunomodulator,prostate tonic, stimulating tonic.

 Herbal Action:nutritive,alternative,antirheumatic,antiallergenic,hemostatic,uterine tonic(leaf);prostatic decongestant,pelvic decongestant(root); kidney trophorestorative (seed).

 Indications:anemia,bronchitis,bursitis,gingivitis,weakness,nutrient deficiency,chronic urticaria,eczema,psoriasis,respiratory catarrh,bronchitis,asthma,excessive menstruation,hayfever,arthritis,osteoarthritis,inflammatory joint disease,muscle and joint injuries,menorrhagia,bladder irritability,bladder infections,urolithiasis,nephritis,chronic renal failure,Seasonal allergies,laryngitis, prostatitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, tendinitis, BPH, rheumatism and other inflammatory conditions,High blood pressure,hair loss, haemorrhoids, eczema, gout, sciatica, neuralgia, haemorrhoids. Alzheimer's disease,hives,kidney stones, multiple sclerosis, PMS, prostate enlargement and sciatica,dried plant ointments and salves topically in wounds and burns,fresh plant topically in arthritis.
 Nettle Extract INCI Name Urtica Dioica Extract EINECS ELINCS No 281-685-5 CAS 84012-40-8 Urticae radix Extracts Nettle Root Extract photo picture image

 Safety and Toxicity

 The LD50 of a Nettle leaf infusion in rats by gavage was determined to be 1.31 gram/kg.

 There are reports in the literature of gastric irritation and skin irritation associated with a Nettle infusion.An extract of the root is reported to have promoted mild digestive upset in one clinical trial.The stinging hairs are well known to promote a characteristic urticaria in exposed skin(Mills and Bone 2000,496;Newall et al 1996,201).

 Acute toxicity:The LD50 of an intravenous infusion of U. dioica in rats was 1929mg dry weight/kg while the LD50 of an aqueous extract was 1721mg dry weight/kg (4; 30). The infusion was 1.12 times less toxic than the extract

 Chronic toxicity:Nettle infusion was administered to Wistar rats via an intra-gastric probe. The LD50 was 1310mg/kg (4; 30). The rats exhibited nasal, oral and orbital bleeding. Upon autopsy, pulmonary edema and blood in the intestinal lumen were found. Coagulation time was delayed for seven days in the rats and was also determined to be the cause of death. The product responsible for the toxic effects of nettle is suspected to have a pyran-coumarin structure.

 An aqueous extract of the aerial parts of nettle administered by continuous intravenous perfusion at a dose of 24mg/kg/h exerted a hypotensive action that was persistent during recovery periods indicating a possible toxic effect.

 Extracts of nettle induced DNA strand breaks in human lymphocytes on an alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis assay.
 Reference:Baraibar CB, Broncano FJ, Lazaro-Carrasco MJ, and et al. [Toxicity study of Urtica dioica L. nettle's] . Anales de Bromatologia 1983;35(1):99-104.
 Basaran, A. A., Yu, T. W., Plewa, M. J., and Anderson, D. An investigation of some Turkish herbal medicines in Salmonella typhimurium and in the COMET assay in human lymphocytes. Teratog.Carcinog.Mutagen. 1996;16(2):125-138.
 Tahri, A., Yamani, S., Legssyer, A., Aziz, M., Mekhfi, H., Bnouham, M., and Ziyyat, A. Acute diuretic, natriuretic and hypotensive effects of a continuous perfusion of aqueous extract of Urtica dioica in the rat. J Ethnopharmacol 2000;73(1-2):95-100.

 Brief Safety Summary:

 Likely Safe: When used in recommended doses for treatment of mild to moderate BPH for up to two years for allergic rhinitis for one week, for arthritis for two weeks and for pain (topically) for one week.

 Possibly Unsafe: When used in patients with diabetes, as nettle may aggravate the condition by increasing blood sugar level. Also, use with caution in conjunction with anticoagulants, antihypertensives and diuretics as constituents in the nettle plant may potentiate or attenuate the effects of these medications.

 Likely Unsafe: When used during pregnancy. In a study conducted in mice, nettle caused uterine contractions.

Last PageNext Page

Reference:

citations1.Nettle.Stinging nettle,Nettle leaf,Nettle root,Common Stinging Nettle?Therapeutics and Pharmacology,Historical or traditional use of Nettle.

last edit date:22th,May.2009.