What is Stinging Nettle?
Stinging Nettle goes by a couple of different names, which may be a touch confusing initially . Urtica dioica is additionally referred to as Nettle Leaf, Nettle Tea, Nettles, & Nettle Extract, which comes within the sort of tinctures, loose-leaf teas, and capsules of the dry herb. i used to be first introduced to the present absolutely amazing herb from the owner of Earthwise Beauty, Ava, whom now offers the foremost exquisite line of hand-selected, pristine teas that provide various health benefits. I had NO idea what I had been missing all of those years until I started drinking two cups of Nettle Tea every day . On days that I can’t consume the tea, I supplement with the capsule sort of the dry herb.
After first looking into it, I discovered that Nettle Leaf is widely popular as a home remedy in Europe and is really a household staple, but not such a lot in America, as our healthcare system doesn’t specialise in natural remedies. Unless we do research on our own or are recommended to undertake a natural approach, we frequently overlook what Nature has future for us and what Nature can provide!
Stinging Nettle has been used throughout past and after I offer you the list of Health Benefits and the way this amazing herb can enhance the standard of your life during a myriad of the way , you’ll understand WHY and the way it’s withstood the test of time! Ancient Egyptians historically used stinging nettle to treat arthritis and lower back pain, while Roman troops were alleged to have rubbed the herb on their skin to stay warm in weather . After doing tons of research on Urtica dioica , it makes tons of sense that this plant would be used for arthritis and back pain, thanks to its impressive anti-inflammatory properties! Nettle is really still recommended as a natural remedy in medicine for chronic joint pain for this very reason.
You might wonder why it’s called “Stinging Nettle“, which sounds quite scary! Its scientific name, Urtica dioica, comes from the Latin word uro, which suggests “to burn,” because its leaves can cause a short lived burning sensation upon contact, hence the term “stinging” within the name. The leaves have hair-like structures that sting and also produce itching, redness and swelling upon contact with the skin. Don’t get too freaked out by this!
Don’t worry! Once Nettle is dried/freeze-dried & processed into a supplement, or cooked/steeped in boiling water to form a tea, Urtica dioica are often safely consumed with none sort of burning/itching mentioned above
. Scientific studies link it to variety of potential health benefits and I’m getting to paraphrase these benefits for you beat one place
Health Benefits of Stinging Nettle:
IMMUNE BOOSTING PROPERTIES:
Stinging Nettle is chock-full of nutrients that break down as antioxidants within the body to kickstart one’s immune system! The word “antioxidants” gets thrown around quite lot and that i think many of us don’t really understand how antioxidants add the body and why they're SO powerful/vital to a balanced, thriving system . Antioxidants are so important to our overall health because they're molecules that defend the body’s cells against oxidative stress from free radicals. Free radicals are liable for premature aging, cancer, and a plethora of other diseases.
Where do free radicals come from? Free radicals wreak havoc & flourish where oxidative stress is present: in environmental pollution, processed foods, toxic/conventional makeup & Skincare/bodycare items, cleaning products with harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances, medications, cigarettes, recreational drugs, etc. Free radicals are produced within the body from consuming or being exposed to chemicals. Combating free radicals is important to overall health and wellness, so as to stay widespread inflammation cornered . Scientific studies have proven that Urtica dioica can raise levels of antioxidants within the blood! the upper levels of antioxidants you've got in your body, the more equipped your body is to repel free radicals and overall oxidative stress.
To aid in immune boosting properties, nettle tea contains a fantastic lineup of vitamins and minerals that I’ll enter a touch more detail below. a number of these immune boosting compounds include flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamins A & C. These antioxidants help protect immune cells against damage which will weaken immune function by strengthening the immune reaction and inspiring healthy immune cell formation. Scientists have found that this plant especially , stimulates the T-cells of the system , which help to fight infection and other pathogens that cause diseases within the body.
NUTRIENTS IN STINGING NETTLE:
Additionally, Nettle Leaf/Extract is high in Vitamins A, C, K, & several B vitamins. Nettle is high within the following minerals: iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, & sodium. Nettle also contains healthy fats: linolic acid , omega-6 fatty acid , hexadecanoic acid , octadecanoic acid , & monounsaturated fatty acid . Nettle contains all of the essential amino acids and polyphenols such as: quercetin, caffeic acid, coumarins, kaempferol, & other flavonoids. Lastly, Nettle contains carotenoids, Beta-carotene, lutein, & luteoxanthin.
All of the above nutrients are vital to maintaining balance within the body to stop oxidative stress, to stop free radicals from proliferating within the body and wreaking havoc on one’s system , which causes widespread inflammation; the underlying root of ALL diseases. medicine strives to deal with the basis explanation for dis-ease and stress on the general body. Nettle is simply one among many amazing examples for instance how keeping our bodies healthy on the within will keep disease and physical distress at bay!
CURBING INFLAMMATION:
Inflammation is that the body’s initial way of defending itself against harmful disturbances, viruses it comes into contact with, diseases, and trying to take care of its overall homeostasis. the difficulty is when this inflammation becomes chronic because the initial trigger that caused the inflammation wasn't addressed, therefore the body maintains a chronic, ongoing state of inflammation, which weakens the system , thus leaving an individual more susceptible to colds, viruses, auto-immune diseases, and ongoing diseases like cancer. An example of an initial trigger could be consuming a food group that your body doesn’t accept as true with , referred to as a food intolerance, which may be tricky to actually pinpoint (as against a allergy , which has immediate negative reactions). A trigger also can be chronic stress, lack of physical activity, smoking, drinking alcohol, an unhealthy gut lining/acid ratio, etc.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES:
Stinging Nettle has strong anti-inflammatory properties because it contains a spread of anti-inflammatory compounds and studies have found this to be true in both animal and human studies with results that confirmed Urtica dioica reduced levels of multiple inflammatory hormones by interfering with their production. Applying a topical cream and/or consuming nettle was also found to scale back symptoms of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions that cause pain. this is often why Nettle Leaf is strongly recommended for the relief of chronic joint pain in naturopathic medicine, however, more human studies are needed to verify this in Western medicine.
Nettle leaf also has muscle pain-relieving properties thanks to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain reducing) properties, which are used throughout history to treat sore muscles also as sore, stiff joints. A study in Germany found that taking nettles additionally to an NSAID medication (ie: ibuprofen or aspirin), the mixture boosted the general effectiveness of the NSAID medication, presumably thanks to enhancing the anti-inflammatory properties. a special study for osteoarthritis found that taking a supplement of nettle leaf reduced the participants’ pain symptoms enough to not need their usual anti-inflammatory pain medication!
BONE HEALTH:
Due to the high concentration of present calcium, which fortifies the bones in our bodies, additionally to magnesium, vitamins D, K, & iron, nettle tea has everything you would like to guard bone density and support overall bone health also as bone strength. All of those elements and vitamins work together to stay bones from weakening and interfering with daily tasks. Magnesium is really stored within the bones, so its necessary to fuel our bodies with enough magnesium to assist within the absorption of calcium, which is important for bone strength. this is often why low magnesium has been linked to osteoporosis, which may be a chronic condition of weak/fragile bones. Iron deficiency is additionally related to bone loss and is one more reason why nettle can help fortify the body with vital iron.
PROSTATE HEALTH:
Stinging Nettle may help reduce prostate size and treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate in men with BPH (An enlarged prostate is usually called benign prostatic hyperplasia–BPH for short). this is often why Urtica dioica is suggested for men to help with short and long-term urination problems associated with an enlarged prostate .
SKIN HEALTH:
Due to all of the vitamins and minerals mentioned throughout this post thus far , also because the anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory properties, nettle leaf also contains anti-microbial properties! Nettle leaf features a long history of treating chronic skin conditions like eczema & acne. It reduces redness and swelling, while reducing pain, itchiness, reducing scarring, and speeding up wound healing. Studies say that you simply can either drink the tea for these effects or brew the tea and apply topically to affected areas once the tea has cooled. i might personally try both! Brew the tea, pour alittle amount bent apply topically, as needed, and drink the remainder that’s been untouched! this manner you’re not wasting any leftovers, because you'd need to brew it each night to use it this manner . I wouldn’t store it within the fridge for extended than 24 hours since there's no preservative.
SEASONAL ALLERGY RELIEF:
Stinging Nettle has some promising pre-liminary research stating that it's going to be beneficial at reducing seasonal allergies by blocking histamine receptors and stopping immune cells from releasing chemicals that trigger allergy symptoms & pollinosis . In its wild , Urtica dioica can cause an allergy , BUT, when brewed as a tea, nettles may help soothe allergies because the plant extract inhibits inflammatory reactions that cause the symptoms of seasonal allergies. during a randomized trial, 48% of participants during a double-blind procedure stated that nettles were simpler for his or her allergy symptoms and overall relief than their standard allergy medications that are available on the market today!
LOWERING HIGH VITAL SIGN & INCREASING HEART HEALTH:
Stinging nettle may help lower vital sign by allowing your blood vessels to relax and reducing the force of your heart’s contractions. Yet, more human studies are needed to verify these effects. A striking amount of 1/3rd of usa citizens have high vital sign , which may be a major health concern because high vital sign is linked to heart condition & strokes, which are the leading major causes of death within the us . Nettle may stimulate gas production, which acts as a vasodilator, which serve to relax the muscles of your blood vessels, helping them widen. Additionally, Urtica dioica has compounds which will act as calcium channel blockers, which relax one’s heart by reducing the force of contractions. In several animal studies, Urtica dioica has been shown to lower vital sign levels while raising the heart’s antioxidant defenses, which provides promise to an equivalent effects occurring in humans, as well.
LOWER BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS:
Nettle has been found in both animal and human studies to lower blood glucose levels thanks to the plant’s compounds which will mimic the consequences of insulin. In one study, the participants took 500mg of Urtica dioica extract in capsule form, 3 times daily for 3 months, and therefore the participants who took the herb had significantly lowered blood glucose levels as compared to the placebo group. More research is important , however, these results are very promising!
LIVER HEALTH:
Lastly, thanks to the high antioxidants & antioxidant properties found in Urtica dioica , this herb has been found to contribute to overall Liver Health by supporting the liver’s ability to flush toxins & heavy metals within the body, thus reducing overall inflammation. Liver health is crucial in enabling our bodies to rid itself of disease and keep our hormones balanced, while maintaining overall homeostasis within our bodies. Anything we will do to support the liver is significant in giving our immune systems a serious boost!
REGULATES DIGESTION:
Remember we talked about how widespread inflammation wreaks havoc on the body and therefore the body’s immune response? Well, here’s another important link concerning inflammation and gut health that's VITAL to a person’s overall wellbeing! Excessive and chronic inflammation can interfere with healthy digestion, which creates an environment for the expansion of harmful bacteria within the alimentary canal . Regularly consuming nettle tea with its immense anti-inflammatory properties, can significantly help regulate your digestion, help reduce constipation, diarrhea, and an indigestion . When our gut is furnished with a healthy balance of bacteria and other microbes, referred to as the stomach’s microbiome, you'll get the foremost widespread protection against other diseases. In fact, in medicine , the gut’s microbiome is taken into account to be related to every major disease from cancer to autism! I decide to dedicate an entire blog post to the present important topic!
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