How to Use Nettle to Treat Allergies

Nettle is one of the most effective natural treatments for allergies. Stinging nettle grows wild in the Midwestern United States. It is commonly referred to as "itch-weed" due to small amounts irritants released into the skin by very small needles covering the underside of the leaves and stem. Despite it's irritating nature, nettle is a historic treatment for allergies and also happens to be high in nutrients. Wild stinging nettle was used as a food source during times of famine in Ireland. If you have access to wild stinging nettle you can easily make your own allergy treatment.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
    
   Stinging Nettle a.k.a.

   Locating nettle for allergy treatment. Nettle is widely available at health food stores in the form of a capsule. If you wish to forage for wild nettle in your area, please do so with caution. Enlist the help of plant identification books, or better yet consult experts in your area for proper identification of the plant. Once you have located wild nettle, you can cultivate it in your own garden.

2. 
    
   Dried Nettle

   If you have chosen to use a nettle plant, your next step will be to dry it. Simply hang the plant upside down in your kitchen or outside during dry weather for one week. When working with a nettle plant, be sure to wear gloves to prevent the stinging needles from irritating your skin.

3. Once the leaves are dry, you can consume the leaves of the nettle plant. You can crush the leaves and use them to fill gelatin capsules to create your own nettle allergy capsules similar to those found at the health food store. Alternatively, you can use the dried leaves to make nettle tea. Simply boil several large nettle leaves in 1 to 2 cups of water. Allow the tea to cool and steep. Nettle tea is not particularly tasty, but it is unsurpassed for treating allergies. To improve the flavor of nettle tea, you can add a few peppermint leaves to the tea also.

Tips & Warnings

• Did you know nettle is a favorite allergy treatment of naturopathic doctor Andrew Weil?

Resources

• Buy Wildcrafted Nettle at my Etsy Store

[NaturalRemedies]

on 2/16/2009 Nettle is a wonderful natural way to treat seasonal allergies!

[heatherschulte]

on 9/25/2008 Redhoss: I have to admit there are days that I am lazy and simply swallow a dried leaf in my kitchen instead of making tea or crushing it. Some days I find this tolerable, but other days I have to disguise the nettle. :) I'm impressed you are able to eat it straight from the yard. The needles of raw nettle leave me very itchy!

[redhoss]

on 9/24/2008 You are very right. We have plenty of nettle growing in our yard. I eat it raw and it works just as you say.

[kaseysviewblog]

on 9/7/2008 Very interesting, I think that my allergy medication has nettle in it.

[MidniteWriter]

on 9/4/2008 This is great, we all suffer from allergies, especially in Summer. I will have to look into this more.