Stinging Nettleby Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger 30 Mar 2009 10:24 AM With a name like "stinging nettle" it doesn't sound like a good idea to use this plant internally or externally... does it? But stinging nettle has a long history in medicine. One of the earliest uses of stinging nettle was in attempts to stimulate paralyzed limbs. A paralyzed limb would be slapped with a bunch of stinging nettles -- this was known as urtication. Nettle was also made into fabric; archaeologists have uncovered nettle cloth in Bronze Age burial sites. During the fifteen hundreds, stinging nettle was suggested as an antidote for some poisons. Colonists brought stinging nettle to the new world, and used the plant to treat poisons and fevers. Nettle tea was used as an expectorant, a treatment for gastrointestinal problems, and even as a spring tonic. So why does stinging nettle sting? The stems and undersides of the leaves are covered with small, hollow hairs. The hairs break off on contact -- like when a person or animal brushes against the plant -- and inject stinging venom. The hollow hairs act like needles! The venom contains formic acid (which contributes to the pain) and histamine (which causes redness), among other things. These days, stinging nettle is still popular in some therapies. The plant can be made into tea and used to treat asthma. Stinging nettle is very high in vitamin C, which may explain why it was popular as a "spring tonic". Fresh nettle juice was popular in hair growth products for a while -- you'd think a hairy plant would help stimulate hair growth, right? But while it sure can make your scalp tingle, there isn't any evidence that nettle juice works to increase hair growth. Stinging nettle can be used in herbal baths to stimulate the skin. The roots create yellow dye; the leaves and stems make green dye. Stinging nettle also makes a good home for beneficial garden insects -- the kind that eat harmful bugs. These plants flourish in fertile soil, so if you find nettles growing wild, that might be a good place to put your own garden. Learn more about Aimee Amodio  Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover... Relevanthealth tags User Comments doctoralexa (5) 08 Apr 2009 06:24 PMAimee, Stinging nettle is my favorite herb. In Europe, it is considered the most useful medicinal herb of all! It is used as a boost for the immune system, and cleansing agent (via the kidneys). Here it is mostly used for its anti-allergic effects (asthma and hay fever). Most people consider stinging nettle a weed; I planted it in my garden - it tis hat valuable! Thank you for your thoughts about this neglected plant! Alexa Fleckenstein M.D., physician, author. Community Tags herbs, herbal remedies, nettle, stinging nettle Discuss this article
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