Description
Nettle has been used worldwide for centuries in a variety of countries and cultures. It has been eaten as a wild food plant, applied topically to the skin, and drunk as a mineral rich tea for its diuretic and soothing effects on the urinary tract. It was used extensively for its fibers, similar to flax and hemp, and was woven into cloth. Nettle fibers were considered to be high quality and comparable to flax or hemp in Northern Europe. Herbal Actions astringent, antiseptic, diuretic, alterative, tonic, trophorestorive (bringing balance to a system, in this case nettle seed is a trophorestorative to the kidney and adrenal glands) Uses And Preparations Commonly the dried leaf and/or dried root is used as a tea, tincture or powdered and encapsulated. A fresh plant tincture may be made as well (just be careful!!). Additionally, the young tender shoots of the fresh plant may be eaten or made into juice. Constituents The leaves contain a multitude of vitamins and minerals including: A, B complex, C, E, K 1 , folic acid, histamine, acetylcholine, formic acid, acetic acid, and butyric acid. The hairs are made of silica and inject neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, histamine, 5HTP (serotonin), moroidin, leukotrienes into the skin. The root contains various anti-inflammatory compounds including: phytosterols, pentacyclic triterpenes, lignans, coumarin, ceramides and hydroxy fatty acids polysaccharides and lectins, tannins, alcohols, monoterpenes and triterpenes. The seed contains volatile oils and formic acid.
