Unleashing the Power of Nettles – April’s Herbal Ally for Allergy Season
- Jeannine Love
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Welcome to allergy season! As spring arrives, the snow melts, and plants start to bloom. Our bodies also transition from winter to spring, shedding extra weight in preparation for warmer weather. However, seasonal allergies can pose a problem for many. While flowers also release pollen in summer, springtime pollen tends to affect us more. This is because, during spring, the body sheds winter fats, enriching the blood with sweetness. When the blood becomes rich and sweet, even a tiny grain of pollen can trigger a mucus response. Nettles are an ideal herb to support us during this transition, making them April's herbal ally.
Nettles - April's Herbal Ally for Allergies
Botanical Information
Nettles, aka Stinging Nettles, (Urtica dioica) are a perennial herb known for its stinging hairs (trichomes) that inject irritants like formic acid, causing a burning sensation. However, nettles are highly nutritious, and edible when cooked. They grow in moist, disturbed areas globally. Botanically, they feature opposite, toothed leaves, square stems, inconspicuous flowers, and reproduce via seeds and rhizomes, forming dense colonies.
Nettles’ History
Nettles have a rich and interesting history with its uses spanning from ancient Egypt and Rome to Indigenous North American people.
As a food, nettle was used in soups because it’s nutrient-rich and therefore makes a good general tonic. Nettles are a natural coagulant, so it was used in cheese-making. It was also used as fodder for livestock.
As an herbal remedy, it’s a diuretic, so it was used for kidney issues, as well as to cleanse the blood. The ancient Egyptians used nettles to treat arthritis and lumbago (or lower back pain) by making nettle infusions. Its roots were used for asthma and epilepsy. The Egyptians, Romans and American indigenous people used nettles for pain relief. They would whip the leaves on the skin (urtication) as a remedy for arthritis and muscle/joint pain. The natives would also bathe in a decoction of nettle roots to soothe rheumatic pains and joint stiffness.
In folklore, nettles were believed to help ward off magic and elf-shot (where elves shoot invisible arrows).
Nettles were used in the textile industry. Its stalks made strong fibers and were used to make fishing nets, bowstrings, and cloth. In fact, it has been used for clothing since the Bronze Age. The German army in WWI and WWII used the fiber for their uniforms due to cotton shortages. In WWII, nettle infusions were also used by the British as a dye for camouflage material. The leaves were used for dyeing, because they impart a yellow-green color ideal for camouflage.
Nettles’ Health Benefits
Nettles leaves are rich in iron, calcium, potassium, silicon, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and chromium and other vitamins and minerals. Nettles are anti-inflammatory and an antihistamine. They strengthen and support the whole body and are particularly useful for allergies and hay fever. Nettles are also beneficial for eczema, especially nervous eczema. According to research, Nettles contains both hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic constituents. Caution: Internal use may decrease the efficacy of anticoagulant drugs.
Nettle Recipes
Nettles are nutritious and so are great for cooking. The young leaves when cooked lose their sting. They’re a good replacement for spinach in recipes. Nettles are higher in protein and contain four times more calcium than spinach. So, toss some young nettle leaves into soups and other dishes, like stir-fries.
When my garden is bursting with basil, I make a batch of Nettle-Basil Pesto and serve it with pasta or use it as a dip for veggies.
If you suffer from allergies in the spring, try this Allergy Tea. In fact, you may want to start taking it before allergy season begins to give your body a head start. You’ll make a batch of the dried herbs, and store it in a mason jar to have on hand when you need it.
Allergy Tea
Ingredients
1 cup dried Nettle leaves
1/2 cup dried Yarrow leaves/flowers
1/4 cup dried Peppermint leaves
Directions
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix.
Store formula in a mason jar with a tight lid and labeled “Allergy Tea”.
When you’re ready to make your tea, add a tablespoon of herbal blend to a mug or put it into a tea ball. Add a cup of boiling water, cover mug, and let steep for 10-20 minutes. Strain or remove tea ball; add sweetener of your choice, such as honey, and sip.
Happy Spring!
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