Nettles (Urtica dioica)/ Allergies

Herb Of The Week / Nettles / Allergies

Today is my first day back from evacuee status. What normally is a 4-5
hour drive to Dallas from Houston took TWENTY-NINE HOURS!! After
about 19 hours on the road I turned around and drove on the grass,
against the contra-flow traffic, and headed back to an exit I had
passed about a mile back.... took the exit and followed small two-lane
country roads all the way, thus saving myself untold additional hours
on the road. That was one heck of a drive. Something to remember as
an act I hope to not repeat. Also an affirmation of my desire to NOT
settle along the gulf coast. Anyway on to .......


The Herb-Of-the-Week is Nettles (Urtica dioica), also known as
stinging nettles.

The name "stinging" nettles derives from the fact that nettles
ruthlessly attack any creature that has the misfortune of rubbing up
against them, but the chemicals in the stingers break down easily when
heated or dried. Cooked nettles and those that have been dried for hay
lose all of their ability to sting. Besides being a useful herb, it is
an extremely rich source of minerals, especially calcium and iron.
Besides being found successful in reducing allergies and in relieving
the symptoms of hay fever, it has healing and nourishing effects on
the kidneys and adrenal glands. The diuretic properties of nettles
are well recognized, and several pharmaceutical preparations
incorporating Nettles are marketed in Europe for this purpose. In
addition, an extract of nettle root has become quite popular in recent
years for the treatment of urinary retention brought on by benign
prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) or enlargement of the prostate. Throughout
Europe it is used as a spring tonic and general detoxifying remedy.


The Lowdown:

"...More recent research show impressive results in treating
rheumatoid arthritis. According to one study, "A post marketing
surveillance on 8955 patients documenting the analgesic efficacy of
0.77 g of Urtica dioica eaten twice daily provided evidence that in
60% of the patients who took non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) before the beginning of treatment, NSAID consumption could be
reduced or entirely eliminated. Adverse effects occurred in only about
1% of patients" (Chrubasik and Eisenberg, 1999)...."

"..Another important area of investigation has been treatment of
benign prostate hyperplasia. A study from the University of Marburg
found that, "The antiproliferative effect of stinging nettle roots
observed in both an in vivo model and in an in vitro system clearly
indicates a biologically relevant effect of compounds present in the
extract" (Konrad, et al, 2000). Yet another study found that nettles
have significant antimutagenic effects, so consumption of nettles may
also be beneficial for people at risk for prostate cancer and other
types of cancer as well (Karakaya and Kavas, 1999)...."


"...The substances in the stingers have medicinal uses: In the late
1980s, scientists studying the differences between dried and
freeze-dried herbs accidentally discovered that freeze-dried nettles
cured one of the researcher's hay-fever. Subsequently, a randomized
double-blind study at the National College of naturopathic Medicine in
Portland, Oregon showed that 58 percent of hay-fever sufferers given
freeze-dried nettles rated it moderately to highly effective...."


The nettle has been used medicinally by the Greeks and later the
Romans. In fact, it has been alleged to cure almost everything.


But.....

Until next time remember .... most illness (upwards of 80% according
to experts) can be attributed to FOUR important factors that can
weaken your immune system and your ability to fight off disease:


By good utilization of search engine technology, we can look up
information as in depth as we desire in our own free time. As we
mention all the time, with every post, that you can research anything
mentioned in this newsletter on your own. Some good search engines are
www.mamma.com or www.google.com. or www.dogpile.com or
www.askjeeves.com ...etc. By entering one or more keywords you can do
your own research.


1. Anxiety, depression, anger, resentment, guilt and other STRESS
factors
2. Improper and/or inadequate NUTRITION habits
3. A sedentary lifestyle that does not include enough EXERCISE
4. Not enough rest and quality SLEEP time

The United States Surgeon General warned Americans in a landmark 1988
report on Nutrition and Health that "diet related diseases account for
68% of U.S. deaths"


Remember, we ALWAYS recommend that you ALWAYS consult a professional
herbalist, naturopathologist or physician. We are just passing along
what we hope to be useful information.


Bye-Bye,

Q