You probably know that if you touch the nettle, you get a burning sensation? This is because its leaves and stems have fine hairs that, when in contact with the skin, release irritating chemicals. However, you shouldn't avoid stinging nettle because of this. You will be surprised, but a cup of nettle tea can instantly give you freshness and energy!
The plant is also known as Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) in Latin and has a rich herbal heritage. It has been used as a diuretic since the Middle Ages in Europe and is an excellent tonic for women.
A cup of nettle tea contains vitamins A, B and K, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, carbohydrates (71.33%), fats (2.36%), and protein (25.8%). It is also rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, copper, and magnesium.
Nettles are widely appreciated for their nutritional and healing properties but let's find out what benefits nettle tea has.
1. Has a positive effect on digestion
2.Reduces blood cholesterol levels
Nettle contains beta-sitosterol, which helps reduce the absorption of cholesterol by the body and thus maintains heart and artery health.
3. Provides correct cellular structure
Nettle is rich in flavonoids like quercetin, which have antioxidant properties. Nettle tea helps protect DNA and cell membranes from free radical damage.
4. Helps prevent bladder problems and kidney stones
Nettle leaf tea is a natural diuretic that helps maintain the flow of water through the kidneys and bladder, thereby inhibiting the crystallization process (stone formation) in the kidneys. According to the Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, using nettle tea can flush out toxins from the urinary tract, as well as enhance the effects of medications used to treat urinary tract infections.
5. Acts as a natural pain reliever that relieves arthritis pain and muscle pain
Nettle has been used since time immemorial to treat arthritis. Research supports the conclusion that topical application of nettle leaf extract can help relieve joint pain. In addition, consuming nettle leaf tea and extracts along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) helps people reduce their dose.
6. May cure eczema and other skin conditions
Nettle tea helps flush out toxins from the body. This, in turn, promotes clear skin and helps heal eczema.
7. Used as a natural medicine for allergies
Nettle tea both prevents and treats seasonal allergies such as itching, allergic rhinitis and sneezing. Nettle helps reduce the amount of histamine produced in the body in response to an allergen, so doctors prescribe freeze-dried nettle to help prevent hay fever.
8. Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
According to the information Of the medical center University of Maryland, stinging nettle is used to treat BPH in Europe. Laboratory studies have shown that nettle can work like finasteride (a medicine used to treat prostatic hyperplasia) in slowing down the proliferation of prostate cells, although this does not decrease the size of the prostate. But scientists still need more research in this area to figure out how nettle reduces the symptoms of BPH.
9. A good tonic for women
Nettle tea is rich in iron and helps fight anemia. Pregnant women are advised to drink nettle tea to prevent bleeding and make the fetus strong. Nettle also functions as an agent that stimulates milk production in nursing mothers. Young women can also drink nettle tea to help prevent bloating and cramps that accompany the onset of their menstrual cycle. It also reduces fibroids, regulates the menstrual cycle, and prevents menopausal symptoms in women by producing estrogen.
10. Helps prevent diabetes and blood pressure problems
Drinking nettle tea helps to lower blood sugar levels. Natural diuretic properties also help maintain blood pressure.
11. An effective means for oral hygiene
Poor oral hygiene can have a very negative effect on your well-being. Gingivitis and plaque can lead to bad breath and mouth ulcers. You can prevent gingivitis by using nettle tea with a mouthwash.
12.Reduces internal bleeding
Nettle tea is known to be able to reduce bleeding from uterus, nose and intestines. But please, do not neglect to see a specialist doctor if you have any unexplained bleeding! Nettle tea can also be used to treat minor bruises.
Preparing the nettle
If you have access to fresh plants, you can simply dry the nettle leaves in the sun to make tea later. Or buy ready-made raw materials at the pharmacy.
To make tea, you just need to brew one or two teaspoons of dried nettle leaves with one glass of boiling water and let it brew for 5-10 minutes. Everything, your healing drink ready! For added benefit, you can add a tincture of nettle root. Add lemon and honey to enhance the taste and aroma, if desired.
You can also use pre-made nettle tea bags, which is great when you're out and about.
Possible side effects
Like any remedy, nettle tea can cause side effects... Therefore, pregnant women and nursing mothers should consult a doctor before trying nettle tea or introducing it into their diet.
Finally
Considering the benefits of nettle tea above, it can be said to be a one-stop solution to almost all health troubles! By making it your constant companion, you will ensure yourself a healthy future!
Nettle shoots are among the first to appear every spring. Nettle is the first gift of spring. Nettle tea will heal, restore strength, raise immunity and awaken the body in the spring.
The ability of nettles to cure diseases is known from antiquity. Nettle improves cardiac activity, relieves headaches, stops any internal bleeding. The diuretic properties of nettle help cleanse the blood of toxins. It is believed that nettle can dissolve gallstones and kidney stones. Nettle completely cleanses the gastrointestinal system and activates the internal reserves of the body. It is used as a general tonic, as well as for the treatment of hypertension, anemia, dermatitis ...
How to find nettles
My first encounter with nettles was not very pleasant. While clearing weeds along the fence, I smelled mint. I raised my palm with the leaves of a nearby plant to my face and, instead of a pleasant mint scent, I felt a strong burning sensation. I had to dip my face into the ode trough.
Stinging nettle or common nettle is a perennial flowering plant. Nettles love moist, fertile soil. Look for nettles in shaded, abandoned places, in forests, in thickets along rivers, as well as along the fences.
In spring, nettle shoots are several rows of leaves close to the ground. The plant grows rapidly and can grow up to 2 meters in height over the summer. In the fall, the plant dies off, but reappears in the same place in the spring of next year. You can harvest nettles in one place from year to year.
How to collect nettles
The stinging of the nettle is painful and may persist for several hours. Therefore, wear gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, and trousers when harvesting nettles. Use a garden shears to cut the top four nettle leaves.
How to make nettle tea
For 1 cup of nettle leaves, add 2 cups of water (preferably spring water). Heat without boiling. When the water is almost boiling, reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Tea is ready. Some people prefer to add a sugar cube to their tea, but I find that nettle tea is incredibly tasty without any additives.
Cooked leaves can be eaten seasoned with oil, added to soup, or stews. If you're going to eat the leaves, try a little first to make sure the nettles aren't biting anymore.
Warning
For recovery, 1-2 cups of nettle tea a day is enough. But those who are trying this remedy for the first time should start with small portions.
So, if you want to shake off the winter gloom and awaken your body for spring, the revitalizing elixir is found in the nearest thicket of weeds.
Nettle is a valuable and very common herb. On the plots, it is seen as a weed that needs to be removed. However, it should be noted that nettles are highly prized in folk medicine and today it is still used to treat many diseases.
Today, nettle is increasingly used in cosmetology and home body treatments. It is gaining more and more popularity thanks to beauty blogs and portals that encourage the infusion of this herb as a remedy for hair loss and skin problems. However, this is just one of the few uses for this inconspicuous plant. Why include nettle tea in your diet?
Valuable properties of nettle
Interestingly, Hippocrates recommended the use of nettles to reduce hemorrhage. As it turns out today, this was not unfounded. Nettle contains a lot of vitamin K1, which ensures proper blood clotting. Therefore, by consuming nettles, you prevent excessive bleeding in the event of possible damage to the body.
The Latin name for nettle is Urtica, which means "burning." This comes from the effect that nettles have on our skin; touching a live plant causes burns and blisters on the skin. Previously, this property was especially often used in folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatism. Nettle contains, inter alia, formic acid, which causes the aforementioned burn sensation. However, this acid increases circulation and has an analgesic effect, so unpleasant blisters stop itching after a few hours and the affected area becomes more resistant to pain. Nettle accelerates the flow of lymph and blood, thereby relieving inflammation.
Daily consumption of nettle tea helps to cleanse the blood and remove toxins (therefore it also has a diuretic effect) and additionally supports the functioning of the digestive organs (especially the liver).
The healing properties of nettle tea for anemia
Eating a lot of meat is usually recommended for people suffering from anemia. Meanwhile, based on research, it turned out that anemia can be treated with nettle. This herb contains a large amount of iron and vitamin C. Plant-based iron is much better absorbed when combined with vitamin C. With a decrease in iron levels, it is worth remembering nettle, in which case the juice will be more useful than tea. But if we don't have access to fresh nettles, we can make tea.
Nettle for people with insulin resistance and hypertension
Nettle tea lowers blood glucose levels, so it works well to combine it with a diet rich in carbohydrates. Nettle tea is especially beneficial for those who have problems with high fasting blood sugar. In addition, nettle also lowers blood pressure - this is due to the fact that it dilates blood vessels.
Nettle tea for hair
Nettle tea can accelerate hair growth and prevent hair loss. Nettle also has a beneficial effect on the skin - it reduces acne and speeds up the relief of inflammation. All this is thanks to the vitamins and minerals contained in this plant: vitamins A, C, E, silicon, magnesium and calcium. Interestingly, nettle tea can also be used topically as a hair rinse.
How to make nettle tea
Nettles should be picked in the spring, when there are no flowers yet - then all the minerals accumulate in the leaves. It is important to remember that nettles should be collected in places far from civilization; the one that grows near the road will certainly lose all its nutrients.
You can make tea from the leaves, or you can eat them raw. If you want to drink tea throughout the year, rinse the picked nettles (then they will not burn) and dry in the shade. Ready leaves can be stored in a bank. It is enough to put the dried leaves in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes under the lid.
Can you overdo it with nettles?
Because nettle tea is diuretic, it should be consumed in moderation. Eating too often can promote the leaching of valuable minerals from the body. It is recommended to consume a maximum of 1 cup of tea a day.
As known, nettle grows in the forest, in vegetable gardens and wastelands, like a weed. And, probably, everyone who was in the forest more than once complained about nettle leaves ... The fact is that its leaves are covered with stinging hairs that sting the skin when touched. But also, almost everyone knows that nettle is not just a weed, it has medicinal properties and has long been used in medicine, cooking and cosmetology.
Useful properties of nettle
The chemical composition of nettle includes a number of trace elements (iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, etc.), vitamins (in particular vitamin C), tannins and protein. Therefore, its benefits for the body are invaluable.
For the treatment of many diseases, tea is prescribed from nettles. Nettle tea has a diuretic effect, improves metabolism, is indicated for diseases of the liver and gallbladder. It is also recommended for rheumatism and gout.
The use of nettle helps to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, purify the blood. Normalizes the female cycle, and in nursing mothers it helps to increase milk.
It is important to know that in case of renal and heart failure, tea nettle contraindicated, like many herbs that have a diuretic effect.
How to make nettle tea
You can use fresh or dried nettle leaves to make tea. Place the leaves in a saucepan, add water and cover. Bring to a boil over low heat and turn off heat immediately. Let it brew for 30 minutes, drink 15 minutes before meals 3 times a day.
Nettle is very often used in various herbal teas. They can be bought ready-made or prepared at home. Nettle goes well with rose hips. You can take 2 tbsp. tablespoons of nettle leaves and a handful of rose hips, pour boiling water over the collection (about 2 liters) and leave for 2-3 hours in a thermos. You will get a very tasty, and most importantly, healthy tea.
Useful video about nettle
It is well known that cleansing the body of harmful substances is of paramount importance for human health and preservation of his youth. But are all methods so successful as to apply them over and over again - this question is asked by many who have decided to get rid of toxins once and for all. Definitely not.
But the most useful are those that were used to cleanse our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers. Unfortunately, today many of them are undeservedly forgotten. So let's remember them together. In this article, we will talk about the beneficial cleansing properties of ordinary nettle, which grows in abundance on wastelands outside the city.
Nettle is not a weed, as many believe, but an effective medicine. The Nettle Blood Purification Course is useful in treating a wide variety of disorders in the body. Nettle tea quickly relieves fatigue, "turns on" the bladder and kidneys, stimulates activity digestive system... In addition, nettles are a treasure useful vitamins and nutrients. But keep in mind that if you are undergoing the "nettle course" to treat disorders in the body, be prepared for the fact that, just like with homeopathy, the first period may worsen: soon after the start of the course, the pain may spread to other organs and areas of the body. But this is a good sign: don't be discouraged! On the contrary, your body signals that you are on the right track.
The lunar phases will help to enhance the cleansing effect of nettle. With a flawed moon (best between 3 pm and 7 pm), drink as much nettle tea as possible. Interrupt the course on the new moon, wait two weeks, and repeat it again on the next full moon. And so on until the pains subside or disappear. A healthy person needs two times fourteen days with a defective Moon. But to cleanse a sick body or skin diseases it is better to conduct the course three times for fourteen days.
Nettles are best harvested also during the waning moon. Remember, for the greatest benefit, only young leaves should be selected, which must be dried and placed in a dry place. Do not wash the leaves before drying! If you want to use fresh nettles, for example, in a salad, go over it several times with a rolling pin or any other wooden stick (but not from the fence, of course): then it will not burn.
If you are harvesting nettles on one of the Earth days (that is, when the Moon is in Virgo, Taurus and Capricorn), pick up a little more "stinging grass" than you need and dry the leaves for winter. In winter, they have a particularly good effect on blood composition, although healthy people do not need to repeat the course in winter. Nettle tea, drunk after a hearty dinner or a rich feast (especially on New Year's and Christmas holidays) is not bad at all, and even on "mezima" will save you money.