If you burn yourself with nettles, your skin will feel severely irritated by the injection of toxins in combination with remaining needles. It therefore sounds somewhat contradictory that nettles can remedy or support many physical ailments and conditions. What kind of plant is it, how can nettles purify and for which conditions are nettles a natural help?

Purifying nettles

• What is the nettle?
• How can nettles purify?
• Active ingredients nettles
• How to take internally?
• Internally positive results
• External effect

What is the nettle?

The nettle is a green rectangular wild grower with spines on the stems and hairs on the leaves. It often occurs in places where the soil is not properly monitored. Think of unkempt gardens, along roads, cycle lanes and forests. Characteristic of the nettle is that if you touch it the wrong way, stinging hairs will stick up everywhere in the skin, causing formic acid to be injected into the skin. This can cause itching and blisters, causing long-term irritated skin. If you have been stung by the nettle, you can reduce its effect by adding dead nettle (small white flower) or dandelion juice. But the nettle is more than this. It is also an important source of help with physical ailments.

How can nettles purify?

Nettle has a number of beneficial properties. Important properties are the following:

• It has a purifying effect on the entire body, both internally and externally;
• It stimulates diuretic properties. This can be beneficial for many conditions such as thrombosis, but also for built-up uric acid in arthritis or fluid retention in swelling. It is also good for the liver and kidneys;
• It ensures that wounds are healed more quickly;
• When taken internally, it can reduce the influence of allergies.

The root of the nettle and the leaves are also used for medicinal purposes due to their positive effect. The components of the roots respond positively to an enlarged prostate. Please note that internal use must be in doses. Get information about this from your GP or health food centre. Excessive use can actually have a less favorable effect.

Active ingredients nettles

The following positive components can be found in nettle:

• Flanvoids: this is a typical nitrogen compound found in several products such as grapes, blueberries, etc. and has an anti-cancer effect;
• Chlorogenic acid;
• Quercetin: this is an antioxidant and has the property of neutralizing harmful free radicals. It inhibits histamine, making it good against inflammation. It reduces the development of sorbitol in the body, making it beneficial for diabetics. It also ensures that cancer cells are less active;
• Camphor oil has a disinfectant effect;
• Isorhamnetin, isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidoside, ruthinoside: has an antifungal effect.

How to take internally?

Can you just take the nettle? What matters is that the nettle leaf, stems and/or roots have been heated. This neutralizes any toxins such as formic acid and makes any spines and hairs soft and supple. The beneficial effect of the active ingredients in the nettle can therefore be taken well. For example, you can:

• boil the root to create a root infusion. Take nettle tea twice a day up to two deciliters. This has a purifying effect and is good for many ailments;
• You can puree the relatively small tops of the nettle stem and use it in a soup so that you receive its beneficial effects.

Internally positive results

Because nettle is a green plant, it has high concentrations of iron and vitamin C. Therefore, the tea or extract can be used for indications of anemia, severe bleeding and wounds. It can be used well in controlling the consequences of menstruation. Even if there is general anemia, it has a very good effect due to the high vitamin C and iron content. Due to its diuretic effect, it is very suitable for swelling and inflammation in joints. Consider, for example, the expulsion of uric acid from the inflamed joint in rheumatism patients.

External effect

It can also be used externally. For example, consider the following positive effects:

• Take fresh nettle leaves and rub them on stiff joints or ankle. The stiffness will decrease;
• Use dried nettle and put it in water. Wrap the wet pack in a cloth and apply it to affected skin such as eczema or heated skin;
• Nettle oil works well for psoriasis;
• Take nettle water from the leaves and stems to get rid of hair lice. It reduces hair loss and prevents dry scalp.

If necessary, ask the health food store about nettle-based products.

read more

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