Nettle - useful properties and contraindications

Most homeowners perceive nettles as weeds. And this is not surprising - accidental contact with its burning leaves will provoke irritation or even a burn on the skin. And it’s not particularly different in taste. But in folk medicine, nettle is considered a storehouse of useful components. This allows you to use it as a source of vitamins and an effective assistant in the fight against chronic ailments.

Nettle Specific Features

This unpretentious plant can be found on the banks of small rivers, in gardens and gardens, on country roads. In height, it can reach one and a half meters, growing whole bushes. Nettle blooms from May to July, but the highest concentration of trace elements in its composition occurs in May. Therefore, it is best to harvest and eat spring nettles. But you need to collect it in protective gloves. This is due to the fact that on its leaves and stem there are tiny hairs with histamine and formic acid that burn the skin.

It is because of its prevalence that it is not particularly valued by housewives. But herbalists and naturopaths insist that nettle is a valuable product that is not inferior to the usual vegetables and fruits.

For medicinal purposes, 2 subspecies of nettle are used: stinging and dioecious. These are its most famous varieties, found almost throughout the territory of the post-Soviet space. Stinging nettle is slightly smaller than dioecious nettle, but the latter is more popular in folk medicine.

Useful properties of nettle

Nettle is an incredibly useful plant and undeservedly forgotten, because:

1. It contains exactly 2 times more ascorbic acid than in lemon, so it serves as an excellent stimulator of immunity. Regular addition of it to food protects the body from seasonal colds, viral infections and provides a tonic effect.
2. 20 small nettle leaves compensate the body's daily requirement for vitamin A. Retinol, being a powerful antioxidant, prevents cancer and neutralizes dangerous free radicals. It is an important addition to the treatment of certain gastrointestinal diseases (mucosal and gastritis injuries).
3. In addition to the main group of vitamins, nettle includes vitamin E, which is necessary for protein synthesis and optimal cellular metabolism. It gives the skin firmness, pleasant elasticity and reduces facial wrinkles.
4. The record amount in nettle and calcium is 481 mg per 100 grams. This makes it a worthy alternative to dairy products. Its regular use in food is useful for the prevention of osteoporosis, as well as for protecting the heart.
5. As with all green plants, there is a huge amount of chlorophyll in nettles. But its unique feature is that in it, unlike other herbs, there are no pigments. Therefore, it is considered an excellent prophylactic for intestinal disorders. It strengthens it and allows you to gently but effectively deal with constipation.
6. 100 grams of nettle marked a high concentration of manganese - 779 mg. This mineral improves the functioning of the nervous system, it is necessary for the regulation of fat and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as for the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin. Without it, the normal functioning of muscle tissue is impossible.

Nettle has been proven to be effective in treating seasonal allergies and digestive problems, manifested in the form of increased gas formation and nausea. It also favorably affects the work of the genitourinary system, relieves inflammation. Its use is especially relevant for men aged, since its systematic use can reduce the risks of prostatitis.

Nettle compresses can be applied to wounds to stop bleeding. An infusion based on it for the same purpose can be used by women during painful menstruation. It will relieve pain and reduce the amount of discharge. Nettle perfectly enhances lactation, improving the quality and composition of milk.

Nettle contraindications

An overdose of nettle is hardly possible, but in some cases its use, even in small quantities, can lead to a negative result. It is forbidden to a woman in early pregnancy, as it can provoke cramping pain, which can lead to a miscarriage. Nettle should also be abandoned for people suffering from varicose veins, arthritis, hypertension and thrombophlebitis. It should be used in limited quantities and for elderly people with chronic kidney diseases.

Use of nettle

Noting the many beneficial properties of this plant, it is necessary to dwell on how to eat it properly. The easiest and at the same time the best way is to eat it raw. To do this, you need to use only young nettle leaves, since they are more juicy, they do not bite and do not accumulate nitrates. So that they do not burn the tongue and oral cavity, they can first be dipped in boiling water for 1-2 seconds or doused with them. If you plan to add nettles to a salad, then it is quite simple to chop finely. If it is used as a filling for a pie, then it must first be boiled a little or slightly extinguished.

Today, nettle is actively used as a raw material for the production of fabrics. From it, a high-quality and beautiful fabric is obtained, which by its uniqueness of appearance does not concede to silk. Many modern manufacturers producing clothes on an industrial scale, add nettles to woolen products. As a result, they are durable, do not stretch and do not fade. Plus it is an environmentally friendly material that does not cause skin irritation.

Nettle in folk medicine

The area in which the nettle is most often used by women is hair care. Her infusion strengthens the hair bulb and reduces sensitivity from the scalp. As a result, the hair looks well-groomed and has a natural, natural shine. Nettle is also effective in combating dandruff and increased secretion of the sebaceous glands. Therefore, trichologists recommend shampoos based on it to people suffering from oily hair.

How to remove a nettle burn

You can remove redness and pain from accidental contact with nettles by folk remedies:

1. Sorrel or plantain juice. Under natural conditions, sorrel often grows near nettles. It is necessary to use clean and young leaves, grinding them to such a state that juice begins to emerge from them. They need to lubricate the burn site.
2. Wash affected skin with ice water. Of fundamental importance is precisely the low temperature of the water. It will slightly reduce swelling and relieve acute pain.
3. Wipe the burn with apple cider vinegar. It does not need to be diluted with water - just apply a small amount on cotton wool and apply to the skin.
4. Use regular baking soda. It is very effective for plant burns. It must be diluted in a very small amount of water to obtain the so-called gruel and treated with it a damaged area on the body.

Nettle “bite” is an unpleasant thing, but in some cases it can even be useful. The effectiveness of formic acid in the treatment of rheumatism and arthritis has been proven.The danger of burns occurs only in the case of a large lesion and an allergic reaction to nettle juice. Then the appearance of blisters is possible, which must be shown to the doctor.

How to harvest nettles

In folk medicine, the leaves, stem and nettle root are in demand. But most often - only leaves. To do this, they must be carefully collected, separated from the stems, and laid out to dry in a well-ventilated area. But not in the open sun, as ultraviolet rays destroy the chlorophyll present in the plant. Accordingly, it loses its beneficial properties. Leaves are considered completely dried if the cuttings and veins become hard and brittle. But at the same time, they should not be overdried (it crumbles even from minimal pressure on them), since there are practically no healing properties in them.

Store nettles in clothes or paper bags in a dry, dark, and possibly cool place. But before that, you need to sort it out, removing the blackened leaves. Subject to the rules of the procurement, it does not lose its healing properties for two years.

Nettle leaves can also be stored in the freezer. To do this, they are pre-washed, dried, crushed, tamped in bags and put into the refrigerator. Some people prefer to preserve them by placing leaves in sterilized jars and ramming them tightly (this way they let the juice). Completely clogged jar must be closed with a lid and put in the refrigerator.

Nettle-based infusion recipes

To enrich the body with valuable minerals, nettle should be brewed according to this scheme:

1. 2 tbsp clean, dried nettle leaves pour half a liter of boiling water. Cover with a lid, leave to infuse for 120 minutes, then filter. The resulting infusion is drunk in one fourth cup 20 minutes before eating 2 to 4 times a day.
2. For the same purpose, you can use juice from young nettle leaves. The best tool for this is considered a screw juicer. It will not only extract maximum fluid from the leaves, but also retain all the valuable components. For lack of such a technique, you can use a blender or a meat grinder. Squeezed juice must be drunk 1 tsp. before each meal. It can be safely mixed with other natural infusions and drunk as a tonic.
3. For the prevention of colds and bacterial infections, you need 2 tbsp. nettle roots and the same amount of chopped garlic. Mix them with 300 ml of vodka or alcohol. Leave the product to infuse for two weeks. We use 1 tsp. several times a day.
4. To dissolve old stones in the bladder, nettle roots are used. They need to be thoroughly ground in a mortar to a powder state and eat 1 tsp. a day, washed down with warm water or a rosehip broth.
5. Nettle is also used in case of stomach cramps accompanied by nausea. To eliminate the symptoms you need to brew 1 tsp. dried nettle roots with one glass of hot milk and keep on low heat for several minutes. Immediately drink 250 ml of the resulting drink, slightly cooling it. Until complete relief from pain, you need to drink 1 tbsp. funds half an hour before meals.

Nettle is an affordable plant to combat numerous ailments: from vitamin deficiency to chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Its addition to food will not only make the taste of familiar dishes bright and interesting, but also diversify the diet with useful microelements and antioxidants.

Video: the healing properties of nettle juice