Nettle

The stinging nettle, Latin name Urtica dioica, has been used medicinally since at least 3 B.C. The plant can be eaten in a salad or cooked into soup, extracted with alcohol to make a tincture, or dried and taken in capsules or made into a tea. Traditional herbalism recognizes several uses of nettle tea. The plant has few known side effects, but as with any medicinal preparation, consult a health care practitioner before adding nettles to your diet or treatment plan. Nettle Tea is a great tonic and the leaves can be sprinkled into soups and broths to increase their dietary fibre and mineral content. Nettle tea can also be made as an infusion to flavour beer, wine and soup. In the 19th century, nettle seeds were taken to relieve goiter and treat thyroid symptoms. Today the main use of nettle seed tea is to relieve itching and swelling in skin infections and rejuvenate dry skin. The tea is brewed, cooled and applied topically as a rinse to the affected area. Or used to make a natural insecticide and mineral rich plant food for the garden. When used as a hair rinse it can be beneficial to dandruff prone hair and for strengthening weak and brittle hair. Nettles are

• a blood tonic
• hypoglycaemic
• antiseptic
• diuretic
• expectorant
• ypotensive
• circulatory stimulant
• anti-rheumatic
• strengthens natural resistance
• anti-haemorrhagic
• and eliminates uric acid from the body.