Strong for the Ancestors, Strong for Ourselves, Strong for Those Yet to Come

How Nettle Transforms the Poison of Sting into Powerful Medicine

As you probably surmised, nettle is one of my favorite plants. I love misunderstood plants in all their forms and nettle packs a punch nutritionally, medicinally, and heck, even the sting is medicinal. I first bonded with nettle when I started making nettle tea to try to help with leg cramps. I had returned to running many months after giving birth. I was still breastfeeding, so I wasn’t able to keep up nutritionally. Regular doses of nettle infusion cured me quickly and I’ve been in love ever since. Nettle is a nutritional hero who nourishes depleted, worn down bodies, supporting with vitamins, minerals, protein, and adrenal support. Nettle also has many uses beyond food and medicine. It’s a real power plant.  

Identification

Describing plants in words is tricky for me, so here’s a description from the Department of Environmental Conservation in New York:

Nettle stems are quite slender, square and grow 6 to 8 feet tall, with occasional thin branches. Leaves are thin, dark green, 2 to 4 inches long, with a tapered tip. The edges of the leaves are toothed and the leaf surface is distinctly veined and rather rough looking. The leaves are opposite along the stem. Long clusters of tiny male or female flowers are produced at the base of each pair of leaves. They are usually light green or tan, and are apt to look rather messy and tangled.

Nettles have both ordinary and stinging hairs on stems, leaf petioles (stem part of a leaf) and undersides of the leaves. Stinging hairs are longer, about 1 millimeter long, and tend to stick out aggressively. Stinging hairs are most abundant on the stems, leaf petioles and undersides of the leaves, especially along the leaf veins.

How to Harvest

Greens can be harvested from when a nettle plant is 10-12 inches tall until it flowers. Harvesting them after that is not recommended because of increased concentrations of calcium that can cause kidney issues. I am not sure if they mean kidney stones or decreased kidney function (theoretically it could be both), but either way, you don’t want it. After that, you can still harvest roots and seeds. 

If you harvest just the top 3-4 leaf sets, you can harvest leaves from the same plant several times in a season. In fact, when you cut the top, two stems often grow back in its place. Steven Martyn, from the Sacred Gardener, recommends harvesting nettles used for medicine only once per year. He recommends harvesting for medicine during the waxing moon at the end of May. 

Most people recommend wearing gloves when harvesting nettles. I think that depends on how sensitive you are to the sting because it can be very beneficial. According to ethnobotanist Linda Black Elk, the traditional practice for the Dakota is to pick nettle by hand. This is both as an offering of reciprocity to the plant, and it can prevent arthritis in the hands. 

To harvest nettle seeds, cut the top third off the plant, then dry it. Once it is dry, rub the plant (this is a situation where I would recommend wearing gloves because it’s not just a quick pinch) over a bowl, then pour the seeds through a mesh strainer. 

Food Uses

The whole nettle plant is safe to eat: roots, stems, leaves (best avoided after they flower), and seeds. I use leaves very frequently. I don’t have experience using roots or stems.

Nettle seeds can be used similarly to poppy seeds and cooked into crackers or breads. They can also be mixed into smoothies, yogurt, and peanut butter. I’ve also enjoyed it mixed with sea salt as table salt. 

Nutritional Benefits

Nettles are one of the best plant sources of protein (in fact, they have as much protein as steak according to Steven Martyn). They also contain calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, a wide variety of B vitamins, and vitamin A. 

They’re not a fit for everyone. People who take warfarin to thin their blood will need to exercise caution and avoid nettles or consume a consistent amount each day, because nettles contain vitamin K, which can interfere with warfarin’s effectiveness. 

Fear not, you won’t get stung eating cooked nettles, and I have found that thoroughly blending nettles in smoothies can neutralize the sting of nettles too (though be sure it’s thoroughly blended—I would imagine stings of the mouth are even more unpleasant than those on the hands).

Favorite Recipes

Some light Googling will find recipes for nettle pesto, nettle pasta, nettle beer, and sauteed greens with nettles. My favorite uses for nettle greens are nettle infusion and a nettle frittata. I also use them in my bacon fried greens and wild greens smoothie found here. 

Nettle Infusion

1. Add about ¼ cup of nettle leaves to a 1 qt. jar

2. Pour 1 quart of boiling water into jar

3. Let this steep for 4 to 8 hours

4. (Optional) Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice and/or 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Nettle Frittata

This recipe is from the book Wild Remedies by Rosalee de la Foret and Emily Han, which I highly recommend. The original recipe calls for 1 ½ tsp of salt, but I am a salt fiend and I think it is way too salty (this may be due to the mineral content of the greens, I’m not sure), so I cut it back to ½ tsp for this and you can use a salt shaker if I cut out too much. 

Ingredients: 

6 Tbsp olive oil, divided

7 large scallions, sliced (including the green parts)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried mustard powder

6 large eggs

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

3 cups nettle leaves, finely chopped (use gloves when chopping)

1 cup dill leaves (I’m not a dill fan, so I usually substitute cilantro or a cilantro/basil mix) 

1 ½ cups finely chopped parsley (I often substitute cilantro or basil here too)

Instructions: 

1. Preheat broiler on high

2. Heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil in 8 inch broiler safe skillet on medium-high heat 

3. Add scallions and saute for 3-5 minutes until the white parts are becoming translucent

4. Add minced garlic, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, and mustard, saute for 1 minute more. Remove from heat

5. Mix eggs, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl. Whisk until well combined and a bit frothy. 

6. Stir in the greens (nettle, scallions, dill, and parsley, or greens of choice)

7. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp of olive oil in the skillet

8. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and spread evenly

9. Cook on medium heat, covered, for 8-10 minutes until the bottom is set

10. Uncover skillet and place it under broiler for 1-2 minutes until it is cooked through (It can burn quickly, so watch closely)

Medicinal Uses

Heather Mashuga and Steven Martyn taught me most of these medicinal uses for nettle:

1. General: 

• Nettle seeds are an adaptogen (plant that helps the body adapt to stress) that supports the adrenals and endocrine system. They contain serotonin, acetylcholine, choline, and histamine. Why are those helpful? Here’s a nice description: 

Acetylcholine binds to the mood receptors in our brains. It stimulates the autonomic nervous system, improves mood and heightens sensory perception, attention span, vigilance and intuition. Acetylcholine disruption may be a primary cause of depression. Serotonin acts on the central nervous system. It regulates mood, appetite and sleep, influences memory and learning. It is serotonin, along with histamine and formic acid, in nettle spines that causes the pain when you pick them! Incidentally, acetylcholine in nettle venom may well explain why the ancient practice of urtification for pain relief actually works! Nettle seeds also raise dopamine levels, creating pleasurable feelings.

However, nettle seeds can be quite stimulating and can interfere with sleep if taken in high quantities (more than 20-30 g per day). This is one reason it can be helpful to mix it with salt, because if you use too much your food will be unpalatably salty. 

• Rich in iron and other trace minerals, which can treat anemia

• Nettle root increases production of T cells, a key component of the immune system

• Helps nursing mothers produce more milk

2. Skin: 

• Helps clear infection and abscess

• Poultice can soothe burns

• Antihistamine effects can relieve hives and eczema

• Relieves chickenpox

• Stimulates hair growth

• Nourishes and restores skin

3. Ear, Nose, and Throat:

• Relieves hayfever

4. Cardiovascular: 

• Helps with poor circulation

• Relieves varicose veins

5. Kidney and Bladder:

• Acts as a diuretic, but effect is variable

• Can convert uric acid (the crystals that cause joint pain and kidney stones in gout) into usable protein

6. Genitourinary: 

• Relieves enlargement of the prostate

• Relieves PMS symptoms

• Relieves herpes

7. Gastrointestinal:

• Helps with poor digestion

• High in prebiotics which can increase nutrient digestion and absorption

• Relieves hemorrhoids

8. Endocrine: 

• Nettles lowers blood sugaer

9. Lung: 

• Nettle can help soothe pneumonia, pleurisy, and bronchitis and help cough up mucus

• Traditional remedy for asthma

10. Orthopedic: 

• Topical use with sting or poultice can help arthritis, muscle strains, and joint sprains

• Intentional stinging, or urtication, puts formic acid into the blood stream, which increases circulation and decreases inflammation to soothe arthritis and achy joints

• Addresses osteopenia and osteoporosis in combination with oatstraw

I can personally attest to the benefit of stinging nettle tincture (stinging nettle leaves soaked in alcohol for weeks to extract their medicinal compounds) for seasonal allergies (and there is medical evidence to back this up). After a car accident last summer, the most effective anti-inflammatory for my neck pain was stinging my neck with stinging nettle, by picking fresh nettle and rubbing it on my neck. The sting contains formic acid, acetylcholine, serotonin, and histamine.

Medical Literature

As usual, I do my level best to “de-jargon” my writing about the medical literature. If you don’t understand my “translation”, please ask!

Medicinally, nettles are proven to lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of cancer, fight infection, reduce pain, reduce cholesterol, and prevent Alzheimer’s.

General: Nettles have been found to treat pain in mice and rats.  Nettles are a more effective antioxidant than industrially produced antioxidants that are used as preservatives in food and cosmetics. Nettles have anti-inflammatory properties. They inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 pathways, like indomethacin and celecoxib, respectively (both of these are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines or NSAIDs). 

Infectious Diseases: Nettles also have potent antiviral effects, including on HIV, RSV (respiratory synctial virus), and CMV (cytomegalovirus). Various extracts of nettle were effective at inhibiting the growth of over 30 types of common, clinically important bacteria including E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA. Aqueous extract of nettle (tea) is effective at inhibiting the growth of several species of bacteria. In some trials they were not as effective as antibiotics like amoxicillin-clauvulanic acid (Augmentin) and ofloxacin, but the studies used significantly different concentrations of nettle and the effectiveness of nettles varied an improbably large amount between the studies, so its difficult to know the exactly how effective they are yet. That said, bacteria like MRSA and Pseuodomonas can be quite difficult to treat, so nettles like some other plants may be part of future treatment.   

Ear, Nose, and Throat: Several different formulations of nettle (extract and freeze-dried) have been shown to relieve seasonal allergy symptoms, particularly itchy and runny nose. 

Cardiovascular: Regularly drinking nettle tea lowers blood pressure. Studies in rats found that a low concentration extract of nettles lowered blood pressure about 15%, high concentration lowered blood pressure about 38%, and furosemide (a common diuretic medication) lowered blood pressure 28%. The blood vessel relaxing properties in ethyl acetate extract of nettles was similar to the blood pressure medication verapamil. 

Gastrointestinal: Nettles are effective at decreasing the size of injury in ulcers. Nettle water extracts (tea) were more effective than famotidine (a common antacid medication) in reducing the size of ulcers (34% in the famotidine treated group, 60-80% in the nettle-treated group)

Endocrine: Nettles stimulate insulin secretion resulting in decreased blood sugar. In fact, animal studies on rats found that nettle aqueous extract (fancy word for tea), lowered blood sugar by about 33%. Studies in the lab (rather than a living organism) showed that nettle extract significantly increased insulin secretion proportional to the dose of nettle extract. Studies in humans showed decreased fasting blood sugar, after meal blood sugar, and average blood sugar over three months (hemoglobin A1C) when using a capsule of nettle versus placebo.  

Urologic: Stinging nettle has been shown to slow prostate growth associated with prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. In a human study, nettle root extract tablets had intermediate effect on symptoms of prostate enlargement without any side effects. This is noteworthy because tamulosin, the most common prostate medication can drop blood pressure and cause dizziness. Alcoholic extracts of nettle root have been shown to prevent the spread of prostate cancer cells. 

Gynecologic: Nettles reduce cramps and bloating during menstruation, and can act as a restorative for women approaching menopause. 

Orthopedics: Nettles are useful for arthritis (both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) and chronic muscle pains. Nettle tea has also been shown to effectively treat gout, in fact, an extract from the root behaves very similarly to a medication called indomethacin, which is one of the most common medications used to treat acute gout flares. 

Neurology: Nettles modify the antioxidant system and relieved damage caused by pro-inflammatory chemicals in Parkinson’s disease. In rats who had brain lesions, which is analagous to Alzheimer’s disease, NF-kβ, which activates pro-inflammatory chemicals, was inactivated both by exercise and by nettle supplementation, suggesting that both exercise and nettles have a role to play in preventing and/or slowing Alzheimer’s disease. 

Pregnancy and Postpartum: Provides nutritional support during pregnancy, reduces risk of bleeding during labor, and nettle leaf tea improves breast milk supply. 

Adverse Effects

There have been rare reports of allergic reaction (hives) to nettle tea or stomach upset with use of nettle tincture. These type of reactions are present with nearly all medications. Despite widespread use, there is no evidence of liver injury from stinging nettle use. 

Ecosystem Services

Nettles accumulate sodium, sulfur, nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, and copper from the soil, which helps plants surrounding nettles avoid pests and diseases. An old German horticultural remedy is to plant nettles around unproductive fruit trees and bushes. I suspect this may be effective because of nettle’s ability as a nutrient accumulator. They provide food and shelter for 40 species of insects. Those insects provide food for ladybugs and aphids. Those insects and the nettle seeds provide food for birds. Several butterflies lay their eggs on nettles. Nettles remove heavy metal contamination from soil and have also been found to remove polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs are a group of chemicals that were used in a wide range of industrial uses, but have been found to increase the risk of cancer, nervous system, endocrine, reproductive, and immune system problems.  

Cultural Uses

In addition to its food and medicinal uses, nettles are also used to make fiber and rope, and play a role in food production and pest control. Where I live, the Dakota have traditionally used nettle fibers to craft fishing nets. This is not unique to North America, in fact, nettle is native to Europe and Asia. There, people have used nettles to weave fibers for more than 2,000 years. Nettle cloth is known to be extremely durable. To make these fibers, people harvest nettle stalks in late autumn (usually in November, in Minnesota and Wisconsin) after several freezes because the sting is no longer present and the plant is dormant for the winter. According to Margaret Baker in Discovering the Folklore of Plants, "Nettle oil preceded paraffin; the juice curdled milk and helped to make Cheshire cheese; nettle juice seals leaky barrels; nettles drive frogs from beehives and flies from larders; nettle compost encourages ailing plants; and fruits packed in nettle leaves retain their bloom and freshness.” 

Folklore

Nettle plays an important role in stories both in Europe and in North America. In the Pacific Northwest, there is a indigenous story of using nettle tea and nettle stings to become “strong for the ancestors, strong for the people, and strong for those yet to come.” (Check out this video for more.)

In Hans Christian Anderson’s literary fairy tale “The Wild Swans,” the heroine’s brothers have been turned into swans by their stepmother. She must weave shirts for her brothers out of nettles to turn them back to humans, but if she utters a word, they will all die. She completes all but the final sleeve for the final brother before she runs out of time, so they all return to human form, except that the youngest brother has a swan’s wing instead of one arm. In Norse mythology, Thor’s fishing nets are made from nettle fiber. For the Celts, stands of nettle indicate that fairies are nearby and the nettle sting protects against fairy mischief and black magic. Similarly, Romani gypsies believe that nettles signal where there are underground passages to the earth fairies. Nettles have also been associated with lightning and serpents because of their sting. 

Folk tales around the world show nettles in use in women’s domestic magic for strength, protection, and healing—for people and the earth. That resonates with my experience with the spirit of this plant too. 

Plant Spirit Medicine

If you are not familiar with Plant Spirit Medicine and Flower Essences, I talk a bit about what they are and how they work here. Nettle teaches us to transform challenging life circumstances into personal growth. It can help us call on our inner warrior to move past victim mindsets. Nettle can also help those who are spread too thin regain the strength and clarity to prioritize what to continue and what to let go. 

Last summer, I reached out to nettle more formally (this involves a sort of imaginative meditation/visualization), they gave me a warm welcome along the lines of, “Welcome, we’ve been expecting for you”, but also almost teasing me, like “We’ve been screaming at you, it’s about time you’re here.”  Within those meditations a clear, fully formed idea of how to conduct an important ritual arrived in my mind along with the inspiration to write a prayer song. Oftentimes, in my meditations with plants I have more of a feeling than a clear idea. Nettle offered a deep reassurance that I am on the right path and operating with right timing and encouraged me to be patient and not rush things (Nothing extraordinary, or is it? Don’t we all need that reassurance from time to time). 

Flower Essences

Those who work with flower essences use nettle flower essence to bolster their ability to stand tall and speak our truth in heated situations without holding onto resentment. They also use it to aid transformation as they remember who they truly are and the connection to all of life. 

Blessing

Sacred Nettle we thank you for helping us transform poison into healing
For helping us to pause, notice, and proceed with presence and attention
Thank you for generously healing our bodies and the earth
Thank you for providing shelter and nutrition for so many creatures
Please help us to transform the suffering of others
To tend to the bodies of those we love and the earth, who sustains us all
Please guide our hands and hearts as we provide shelter for others

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Author’s note: Reviewing the medical literature for these plants is great fun AND takes quite a bit of time. Because the knowledge I’m sharing here has a bit more practical use and takes more time than me talking about my feelings I have opened The Nettle Witch, MD up for paid subscriptions. I won’t be putting anything behind the paywall because I want all of this information to be available to anyone who will use it, but if you find it valuable and are willing to support my work, I’d be honored. Thank you so much!