Nettle Tea

The Almost Magical Healing Properties of Nettle Tea

Nettles (also known as Urtica Dioica) may sting when you touch them but their healing properties far outweigh any short-term pain they might cause you. The proof of this is that there’s evidence pointing to nettles being used by people during the Bronze Age and earlier in human history – even thousands of years ago humans realized how useful this common plant is.

Nettles really are a cure-all in the plant kingdom and very few other plants come as close to being as useful to you in treating all types of health problems and issues (except maybe for chamomile). The reason for their potency is probably because of the makeup of the plant – it’s rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, chromium to just list the main ones.

So what can you use an infusion of nettle tea to treat?

Hay Fever
I know it seems ironic to be treating a problem caused by plant pollen with yet another plant but nettle tea is great for stopping and especially preventing hay fever. The anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties of the plant provide the perfect 1-2 punch for dealing with hay fever once it’s started and even stopping it from happening in the first place.

Skin Problems
Cold or lukewarm nettle tea on skin problems can have surprising results. This is due to the antiseptic and astringent properties that nettles have – astringent meaning that it causes the skin to tighten up and bond itself back together quickly. When you combine this with the antiseptic properties of nettles it makes a perfect solution for washing and cleaning minor wounds. It’s even useful in fighting more severe skin problems like eczema and ironically enough rubbing nettle tea into a nettle sting will help get rid of the pain, swelling and itching.

Scalp Problems
Do you suffer from an itchy and flaking scalp? Is dandruff making your life miserable? Most people will run out to get a medicated shampoo to deal with the problem once they notice it. But all you need to do is make a rinse from nettle tea with a few drops of rosemary essential oil and use that to rinse your hair instead. This will dramatically reduce or even cure the dandruff and scalp problems you’re having.

Urinary Tract Problems
Only somebody who has endured and suffered through the pain of kidney stones can ever really understand how painful they are. The same thing applies to most urinary tract infections – they’re painful, embarrassing and get in the way of you living your life. Drinking a few cups of nettle tea each day can help you dissolve kidney stones, cure bladder problems, prostate issues and pretty much any other urinary tract problem you can think of.

Joint Problems
Again because of the anti-inflammatory properties of the plant it can really help ease the pain of conditions like rheumatism and arthritis. You can either make a compress and apply it to the painful joint or area. Or you can just drink a few cups of nettle tea each day as part of your diet to help combat the pain in your joints.

So the plant that most people think of as a weed is an incredibly powerful treatment for a huge variety of problems. Everything from keeping your scalp free of dandruff, to treating hay fever to helping with your joint pain. It’s an absolute wonder of nature.