Stinging Nettle: A Herb For Everyone

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) , a perennial plant, is by far my favorite medicinal herb. ‘An emerald queen who proudly reigns over her realms’, as Juliet Blankespoor beautifully described it. You only realize she’s a queen when you find out about and experience her offerings. Otherwise it’s just a plant that grows all over the place, stings pretty bad and you don’t want to go anywhere near it. Or even worse, it ends up getting mowed.

Stinging Nettle alongside Blue Mallow – if you ever get stung by stinging nettle and there happens to be mallow nearby, try rubbing the mallow leaves on the area.

Stinging Nettle is a blood-builder and a mineral-rich plant. It contains vitamins A & C, as well as chlorophyll which is why a strong nettle infusion turns dark green. Its high iron content that’s easily assimilable by the body helps combat anemia. It is considered one of the best herbs to take daily especially if one is feeling tired or depleted. It helps ease allergic reactions and arthritic conditions. It is safe during pregnancy, it increases breastmilk and it helps rebuild blood reserves postpartum after heavy bleeding. A nice combination for a healthy pregnancy is nettle, oat straw and red raspberry leaf. Some herbalists consider red raspberry leaf safe during early pregnancy while others suggest its better not to take it until after the second trimester. I personally resorted to taking red raspberry leaf after my second trimester when I was pregnant.

I buy my nettle from Mountain Rose Herbs in bulk. If I were in Cyprus right now, I’d be harvesting nettles from the wild and making some infusion with the fresh herb, or a delicious soup, or some pesto. The potential stinging disappears when nettles are cooked. You can add nettles, dry or fresh, into your bone broth or vegetable stock. You can also infuse nettles, preferably dry, with some good quality balsamic vinegar in a glass jar for 4 weeks in a cool dark place and use that in salad dressings after straining it using a cheese cloth or a fine mesh. Another great way of adding some nettles into your diet is adding them to your omelette or quiche. There’s many ways to incorporate this wonderful herb into your diet for improved health. Make it a habit to have one cup of nettle infusion every morning.

Trust me, there’s so many beneficial favors around you.

Medical Disclaimer: This content is not intended to substitute medical advice. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to apply this information. This information is only intended for educational purposes.