5 reasons why you should be drinking stinging nettle leaf tea... every day

[Pat Robinson]

[Guest Blog Post from Cara of The Randazzo's.]

My morning coffee has recently been replaced by my new love: a hot cup of stinging nettle leaf tea. Although I wouldn't recommend getting anywhere near a stinging nettle leaf with bare hands (unless you know what you're doing!), this prickly little plant boasts an enormous amount of health benefits... which is why I've been drinking at LEAST one cup a day for the past few weeks.

• If there is one new herbal supplement you try this month, it should definitely be stinging nettle (also known as Urtica dioica). 

As a tea, stinging nettle is mild and just slightly bitter. I like it plain, or with a splash of almond milk and raw honey (or pure maple syrup. Mmm!) It can also be taken in capsule form, as a tincture, or applied topically. Here are just a few of the many advantages to drinking stinging nettle leaf tea.

 

 

 

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Drinking Stinging Nettle Leaf Tea:

 

1. It can help to relieve your seasonal allergies.

Taking stinging nettle internally has been shown to help relieve hay fever and seasonal allergies. This is likely due to nettle's ability to reduce the amount of histamine in the body (histamine is the substance that is produced in response to a foreign invader, or allergen).

Taking stinging nettle along with local bee pollen and raw honey can help to alleviate allergies and the unpleasant side effects that often are a result of histamine production.

2. It is high in antioxidants.

The nettle plant is high in antioxidants, meaning that it can help to eliminate disease causing free radicals in your body.

Many things cause free-radical formation in our bodies (from what we eat, to what we do) and antioxidants "eat" these up, reducing our chance for developing cancer and heart disease. Stinging nettle is anti-tumor and anti-cancer!

3. It is high in iron. 

Stinging nettle is naturally high in iron and also Vitamin C, which helps your body to absorb the iron.

This can be helpful in the treatment of anemia and chronic fatigue caused by low iron levels. Drinking stinging nettle tea daily and incorporating more leafy green vegetables into your diet can lead to healthy iron levels and eliminate your fatigue!

4. It can help to soothe your intestinal tract. 

The nettle plant has been used to treat diarrhea, relieve gas and bloating, and even help people with Celiac disease and IBS. It soothes the mucosal lining of the intestines and helps to promote healthy digestion.

5. It can help to alleviate pain associated with chronic illness. 

Taken internally or applied topically, stinging nettle can be a powerful pain reliever. People with arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, or MS could benefit from drinking a few cups of nettle tea daily, or applying it directly to joints or sore muscles.

Studies have shown that taking stinging nettle along with NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have helped people to lower the dosage of NSAID usually needed to relieve pain. 


Other nettle benefits include its ability to break down kidney and urinary stones, ease the symptoms of neurological conditions such as MS, offer relief from BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) in men, and stop minor bleeding. 

Note: Stinging nettle may interfere with certain medications and supplements, including anticoagulants, blood pressure pills, and diuretics. If you take any prescribed medications, or are pregnant, ask your care provider before taking any new supplements. 

So, what do you say? Are you going to give stinging nettle tea a try?

 

Bio: The Randazzo's: Modern-Day Urban Homesteaders... no farm required! Join Cara: a registered nurse by day, urban homesteader, DIYer, crafter, holistic health fanatic, re-purposer, recipe creator, and prepper by night.)

 

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