Recent articles have focused on herbal curing and extraction. Today
we are going to continue the conversation with tinctures, Urtica dioica
(Stinging Nettle) tinctures in particular.
Those who know this plant revere it for its seemingly endless medicinal and even plant beneficial applications. Many organic gardeners
I’ve talked to incorporate nettle into their gardening practice in some
way. It is integral as part of their probiotic teas/brews. To understand
why Nettle is so well respected we must first understand its origins
and biologic profile.
I first started growing nettle last year after buying some seeds from
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. I’d heard about all the good things it
can do for both body and garden, so I went for it.
Although, it wasn’t until recently that I began to seriously look into
its various preparations and benefits. Much of the beginning of my
knowledge came, as one might expect in a digital age, from my social
media friends. As with most theory, though, it’s just that, until you find
someone within driving distance to help you apply these theories. It
was an old friend, Virginia Nellans, who actually took my ideas and
made something of them.
Virginia has studied Ethnobotany, or the scientific study of the relationship between people and plants. She has taken this knowledge
and applied it liberally to creating natural remedies such as salves,
ointments, decoctions, capsules, tinctures, infused cooking oils, and
even herb infused whiskey.
This passion wouldn’t have come about had she not changed
direction from primate studies to ethnobotany, a last minute decision.
Luckily, for me and you as a reader, we are able to benefit from the
nettle knowledge bomb she’s dropped.
“Nettle has been the center of herbal medicine for centuries. It
has several proven benefits including anti-inflammatory action,
anti-irritant, anti-asthmatic, adrenal supporting properties, and
when taken for 30 days or more, Nettle can help control allergic
reactions.
Nettle is a general body tonic, and a nutrient dense herb. It
contains a significant amount of plant protein (25%), chlorophyll,
vitamins A, C, and D, and minerals iron, calcium, potassium, and
manganese.
The calcium content makes it a wonderful herb for easing leg
cramps and muscle spasms. Nettle is one of the highest sources
of plant-digestible iron and can be used to treat mild anemia.
Nettle’s most popular use is as a cleansing and detoxifying
herb. It’s a natural diuretic and aids in the body’s elimination
of waste products. It can also be used topically for many skin
conditions and to stop bleeding.”
Nettle Facts:
• Grows in temperate regions around
the world as a perennial.
• Aerial parts of the plant are picked in
the summer before the plant blooms.
• Has the flavor of spinach, and has
replaced it in many cultures due to its
relative hardiness.
• In bloom the plant produces cystoliths, which can irritate the urinary trac.
• The plant also becomes bitter like
most greens when they bolt.
• In fall the roots and rhizomes can be
harvested and dried for teas which
have been proven effective in scientific trials in both Germany and Japan
as a treatment for benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH).
Recent studies done in Europe have
shown the active constituents of nettle
leaf have significant anti-inflammatory
properties.
Nettle’s key constituents include:
Aerial Parts
• Flavanoids (quercitin)
• Amines (histamine, choline, acetylcholine, serotonin)
• Glucoquinone
• Mineral (calcium, potassium, silicic
acid, iron)
Root
• Plant sterols (stigmast-4-enzone and
stigmasterol)
• Phenols
Key Actions
• Diuretic
• Tonic
• Astringent
• Prevents hemorrhaging
• Antiallergenic
• Reduces prostate enlargement (root)
• Anti-inflammatory
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