Nettle Leaf Helps Deal with BPH And More

February 13th, 2010 by author

Nettle has been called the masochist’s herb. This is because, in the past the sharp leaves were used in urtication, a self-flagellation, driving the beneficial chemicals in the leaf into the skin painfully! It was a treatment for arthritis and skin disease. Apparently it worked because of the antihistamines and anti-inflammatories in the leaf that were beaten into the body. Aren’t you glad you can gain the benefits of nettle without beating yourself with it?

Stinging nettle is a perennial plant that grows from 2 to 7 feet high and bears serrated, pointed leaves. From July to September small, greenish flowers appear in clusters.

Nettle is rich in helpful chemicals: vitamins A and C, bio-available minerals, including potassium chloride, calcium, and silicon, chlorophyll, protein, and dietary fiber.

The antihistamines in nettle make it effective in treating hay fever. Nettle also loosens congestion and opens the bronchial airways for asthma or allergy sufferers. In addition, nettle helps people with inflammatory skin conditions.

Nettle may help people with arthritis to reduce their dosage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Nettle also contains large amounts of boron and silicon, two minerals that help ease symptoms of arthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis. Nettle is able to increase the production of urine and treat urinary tract infections. It has a mild laxative effect and has the ability to increase the efficiency of liver and kidney function. Like many bitter herbs, nettle is a blood purifier used to treat asthma, ulcers, bronchitis, jaundice, nephritis, hemorrhoids and spasmodic dysmenorrhea.

Nettle’s impressive success list includes treatment of febrile affections, diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhages, chronic diseases of the colon, gravel, nephritic complaints, eczema of the face, neck and ears, eczematous affections, and chronic cystitis. When applied externally, it has helped with nettle rash (yes, you can use nettle to treat nettle pain), bleeding wounds, nosebleed, burns, scalds, and urticaria.

Nettle is a standard herbal treatment of symptoms in men with BPH. The prostate becomes enlarged and causes men to develop problems with urination. Nettle helps both in urination during the day and in not as frequent visits during the night. How does this work? Nettle keeps the body from converting testosterone into 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that makes the prostate gland begin to grow again after 40. However nettle does not decrease the enlargement of the prostate. In combination with either pygeum bark extract or saw palmetto, nettle has been, in some, as effective as the drug finasteride. Some believe it can even stimulate hair growth.

Nettle is one of nature’s diuretics. It aids the body in eliminating uric acid and bacteria both of which cause urinary tract infections and kidney stones. This diuretic action of nettle may also help relieve premenstrual bloating and lower blood pressure. Should pregnant or nursing women take nettle? This is a debated issue. One side says it might cause the uterus to contract. Others say this is not a problem when taken in moderation. Perhaps the safety of this practice is related to when the nettle is harvested. If it is cut before it flowers, it seems to be safe in this regard.

The dried leaf used as tea, capsules, tablets, and tinctures are available. Dried root products, often combined with saw palmetto, are also available in prostate mixtures. Some enjoy using its strong taste to flavor food. A note about storage: nettle should be stored in a dark, dry, and cool place.

Due to its diuretic action, prolonged use of nettle can cause an electrolyte imbalance. Also, people who take nettle on a regular basis should make sure they get enough potassium in their diet. For more on nettle leaf benefits, visit More Than Alive, a website dedicated to promoting bulk herbs and their benefits to human health.