People have been getting acquainted with nettle since childhood, it is especially remembered by those who were stung by it. Most often, the plant can be found on forest edges, in non-turfed hollows formed by temporary streams, as well as on the banks of rivers and streams. Nettle often grows on roadsides and in the area adjacent to the house, so people get rid of it, like other weeds. The burning plant is very common in Russia, Central Asia, Siberia, the Far East and the Caucasus. But in China, Canada, Japan, North America, Korea, Australia, Europe and Asia, nettles are also found. Properties, contraindications for use and advantages of the plant will be discussed in detail in this article.
Description
The height of the nettle ranges from 50 centimeters to 1.5 meters, the appearance differs slightly depending on the variety. If you notice a plant with dark greenjagged leaves and straight stems of a tetrahedral shape, do not rush to pluck it with your bare hands, otherwise you may be badly stung. On the territory of Russia, two species mainly grow - stinging nettle and stinging nettle. They also have contraindications, but before starting to talk about them, it is worth noting that the second one has the most pronounced healing properties.
Benefits and harms
Like any drug or medicinal substance, nettle has medicinal properties and contraindications (they will be discussed a little later). The plant contains a large number of chemical trace elements. So, for example, vitamin K contained in nettles improves blood clotting and has an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, this substance is involved in the process of hematopoiesis and promotes the formation of bone tissue.
The burning plant contains formic acid, flavonoids and tannins. Previously, it was even possible to save a person from death in case of severe frostbite. To do this, the affected areas of the body were simply wrapped in a nettle blanket.
Contained in the plant and protein, and it is twice as much as in legumes. Thanks to cellulose polysaccharides, lignins and vitamins B, C, E, K, which are also part of the nettle, there is a rapid removal of various toxins from the body.
Many of us know that the body needs beta-carotene to improve visual acuity. It turns out that it is contained not only in carrots, but also innettles.
To understand all the beneficial properties of a burning plant, you need to carefully read its chemical composition. 100 g of nettle contains 0.5 g of fat, 5.4 g of carbohydrates, all of the above vitamins, 3.1 g of fiber and 3.7 g of protein. It also contains calcium, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, iron, chlorine and copper.
Nettle has an anti-inflammatory and healing effect, improves blood clotting and relieves dark circles under the eyes. The plant is used for chronic diseases, atherosclerosis and tuberculosis. With weak immunity, nettle stimulates carbohydrate-protein metabolism in the body. Due to the healing properties of a burning plant, bleeding quickly stops. Nettle has not only a hemostatic effect, but also an antibacterial one. The plant helps a lot in the fight against abscesses, wounds and ulcers.
Miracle remedy for women
What do you need to know about a plant like nettle? Contraindications and beneficial properties - this is the first thing you should pay attention to before starting treatment. For women, nettle helps to cope with cramps and bloating during the premenstrual period. As mentioned earlier, the plant has a hemostatic effect, and this can be useful for heavy and prolonged periods.
Nettle helps ladies survive such a difficult period in life as menopause, because this herb contains active ingredients that have a beneficial effect on the female body. Reception of a burning plant with menopausealleviates unpleasant symptoms and improves he alth.
Nettle is also useful for nursing mothers, especially in cases where the baby is only breastfed. The plant stimulates milk production.
Sexual problems
Men who have problems in the intimate sphere are recommended to include salads in the diet, which contain nettle leaves scalded with boiling water (the medicinal properties and contraindications of the plant are discussed in detail in this article) or crushed seeds. A good addition to such dishes would be grape wine. No less useful is tea made from dried nettle leaves collected during the flowering period. It increases libido, prevents impotence and helps in the treatment of prostatitis.
How to harvest nettles?
The leaves of the plant are harvested when the maximum concentration of useful trace elements is observed in them, usually this period occurs at the beginning and middle of summer. Although many healers believe that the May nettle brings the most benefits. The medicinal properties and contraindications for the use of the plant collected at different times are identical. You need to dry the nettle in a shady place, spreading the leaves on clean paper or a cloth towel. Together with the stem, the grass is dried in a suspended state so that the top is at the bottom and also in the shade. If the nettle leaves are dried out, some of the beneficial properties will be lost. Drying can be considered complete when the petiole becomes brittle, but the leaves do not crumble into dust. So that the raw materials do not deteriorate, before storage, all spoiled anddarkened areas. According to folk healers, dried nettle leaves can be used for two years. Contraindications and medicinal properties of the plant are included in two unequal lists. True, the benefits of grass are still greater than the harm. Fresh nettle leaves can be chopped and frozen. You can also harvest the root, but you need to do this before flowering.
Nettle infusion
During heat treatment, some components of the plant tend to break down, so this use case is more beneficial. Making nettle tincture is the most effective way to extract beneficial properties. It can be used for external use, as well as for warming the limbs and eliminating pain. Due to the alcohol content, this product has a long shelf life. To prepare the tincture according to the classical method, you will need 200 g of young nettle (you will need a little more dry) and 0.5 liters of vodka. The leaves of the plant must be thoroughly washed and cut. Prepared raw materials are poured with vodka and infused for 8 days. The first day it is better to keep the mixture in the sun, and the next - in a dark place at room temperature. It is better to insist the drug in a bottle or a transparent glass vessel with a neck tied with gauze, but to store it in a dark container. Before taking herbs, you need to make sure that they are allowed for you. Nettle is no exception. Contraindications to its use primarily concern people with a high risk of thrombosis.
Nettle juice
For cooking, young shoots and fresh leaves are used, everything is passed through a juicer. Three meals a day of freshly prepared nettle juice (one teaspoon per dose) strengthens the body, improves blood composition and metabolism, and also has a hemostatic, diuretic, anti-febrile, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect. You can use it for rinsing the mouth and as lotions on wounds, burns, bedsores and trophic ulcers, and also bury your nose. The shelf life of juice in the refrigerator is no more than a day. A similar effect is produced by the nettle extract produced by pharmaceutical companies. Since it is a concentrated juice, it can only be used after dilution with water and no more than 30-40 drops at a time.
Nettle hair treatment
The substances contained in the plant are of great benefit to the scalp and hair follicles. Nettle decoctions and infusions will help normalize the condition of dry and oily hair. The main advantage of this treatment is that when cleansing and nourishing the hairline, natural oils are not removed from the skin. Medications prepared on the basis of nettle can be used both on separate parts of the head and along the entire length of the hair.
Silkiness, shine and strength to curls gives a decoction of a burning plant. For its preparation you will need: 150 g of nettle leaves,a liter of boiling water and 1 tablespoon of honey. All components are mixed and infused for an hour, after which they are filtered and divided into parts. Add 2 cups of the prepared decoction to a basin of warm water and wash your hair.
Nettle: contraindications for use
Enough said about the benefits of the plant, now it's time to talk about when it is better to stop using it. As mentioned above, nettle helps to improve blood clotting, so it should be used with extreme caution for thrombophlebitis and varicose veins. In such situations, the risk of blood clots increases, which can lead to blockage of blood vessels and undesirable consequences. May nettle, contraindications to the use of which are known in folk medicine, is not recommended for people with kidney disease and hypertension. It is strictly forbidden to use herbs during pregnancy, since such treatment can lead to involuntary contraction of the uterus and premature birth. With uterine bleeding, you will also have to abandon the use of this plant.
To bring maximum benefit to the body, and not harm, everyone should know what beneficial properties this or that plant has, in our case, nettle. Contraindications to its use should not be ignored, because your life will depend on the correctness of the chosen treatment.
