Category: Curiosities

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Magical Nettle

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has been used for many things by many cultures in history. Food, medicine, beer, paper, fabric…and even magic. Nettle can be used as an anti-aging tonic that can purify the blood. It is also thought to help break curses and spells.

The healing powers of stinging nettle are steeped in folklore. In the fairy tale of “The Wild Swans” by Hans Christian Andersen, the heroine must weave a coat of nettle to save her brothers from a curse that turned them into swans. It has been said that stings from the nettle can prevent sorcery. Nettle is a good protective plant that is considered good at breaking spells and jinxes.

According to the Anglo-Saxon “Nine Herbs Charm“, recorded in the 10th century, nettle was used as a protection against “elf-shot” (mysterious pains in humans or livestock caused by the arrows of the Elvin folk) and “flying venom” (believed at the time to be one of the four primary causes of illness). In Norse myth, nettle is associated with Thor, the God of Thunder; and with Loki, the trickster god, whose magical fishing net is made from this plant. In Celtic lore, thick stands of nettle indicate that there are fairy dwellings close by, and the sting of the nettle protects against fairy mischief, black magic, and other forms of sorcery.

Stinging nettle is used in potions designed to transition a difficult situation into a nurturing one. The leaves can be burned to drive out negative energies or break curses.

Even J. K. Rowling was inspired by this herb. According to the Harry Potter Wiki, nettle was used in Potion-making: dried nettle was used in the Boil-Cure Potion and nettle was presumably the main ingredient of beverages like nettle wine and nettle tea. Nettle could also be made into a soup and was rumored to improve the glossiness of one’s hair. Nettle was covered in the Herbology lessons at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone film was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom and the United States on 16 November 2001. Exactly 20 years ago!

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Harvesting nettle root for men’s health

Growing out one’s facial hair for 30 days is called “Movember” or “No-Shave November,” and it’s meant to raise awareness worldwide for men’s health: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Men are dying too young. Let’s bring a change!

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has been used as a medicinal plant for centuries. It is commonly used as a diuretic to rid the body of excess water and to treat painful muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia. The roots have different pharmacological effects than the leaves. Because nettle root can alter the menstrual cycle and may contribute to miscarriage, pregnant women should not use nettle root.

Nettle root is used widely to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and for reducing enlarged prostate, prostate cancer prevention, and helping urination in older men. For this use, the roots should be harvested in late fall.

How to harvest nettle roots sustainably?

The roots are found in two layers. Young roots that become next year’s crop will be on the soil surface. The thicker roots below are the ones that should be harvested. If you are lucky, the loose soil allows nettle roots to be pulled up easily. If not, use a spade to dig them out. Harvest no more than 1/3rd of the roots in any given area. This will ensure that next year’s harvest will be just as plentiful as this year’s. Settle the ground back after harvest to leave it undisturbed.

Shake your nettle roots to knock off most of the dirt. Using pruning shears or scissors, clip off the leaves and dead stems that remain attached to the roots. Fill a sink with cool water and swish the roots through the water to remove any additional dirt. Line a wicker basket with a towel, drain the cleaned roots in the basket for a few hours.

These freshly wilted roots can be used in nettle root extract. If you want to use the roots later, cut them into small pieces and dry them. The thicker the diameter of the root, the shorter the piece should be. It takes about 5 to 7 days to fully air dry. With a dehydrator, the roots will dry in approximately one day at 38-40 °C.

DO NOT self-treat with nettle root for BPH. It is important to work with a doctor and to make sure you have a proper diagnosis to rule out prostate cancer.

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Nettle for Animals

4th October World Animal Day

Today is World Animal Day when we celebrate animal life in all its forms as well as humankind’s relationship with the animal kingdom. 4th October was chosen because it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi – a saint well known for his love of animals -, however the day is not restricted to any particular religion.

Nettle as animal forage

The health benefits of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) are well known. It’s a traditionally used herb that contains tons of minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Nettle is one of the most studied herbs nowadays considered to be a superfood. But it is not only good for human healing and consumption.  Nettle is an amazing nutritious ingredient of animal forage.

No quadruped except the donkey can touch fresh nettle, on account of its stinging power, but if you cut the nettle and allow it to become wilted, it loses its sting and livestock love to eat it. It is well known that when dried and made into hay, the stinginess is gone, cows can relish it and give more milk than when fed on hay alone. In Sweden and Russia, nettle has sometimes been cultivated as a fodder plant, being mown several times a year, and given to dairy cows.

Nettle was much used as a substitute for fodder during the war, and instructions for its use were laid down by German military authorities. It was found that horses that had become thin and suffered from digestive troubles benefited from the use of nettle leaves. In the past, horse traders would feed nettle seed to horses a few weeks before selling them in Holland, and also in Egypt. Horse-dealers mixed the seeds of nettle with oats in order to give the animals a silky shiny coat. Victor Hugo in Les Miserables confirmed that “the seed of the nettle mingled with fodder imparts a gloss to the coats of animals” and the seeds were once used to fatten up fowl.

Nettle is also great for poultry. Dried and powdered finely and put into the food, it increases egg production and is healthy and fattening. Turkeys, as well as ordinary poultry, thrive on nettle chopped small and mixed with their food.

Nettle for pets

For your dog and cat, make a powder from dried herb and add to the pet’s food or make treats occasionally for boosted nutrition, shiny coat, kidney support and prevent rheumatic conditions. Make a nourishing herbal infusion of nettle leaf and leave it in the bowl for the pet to drink. Always supply an additional bowl of regular water for your friend as well. Animals will use their keen instincts to choose if they need the nettle.

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Eco-Textile Made Of Nettle

“In some parts of the world you can sleep between nettle sheets, eat off a nettle tablecloth, dine in nettle-enriched steaks and eggs ordered from a nettle-paper menu, in an emergency fish with a nettle line, and in the springtime especially revel with delectable nettle dishes washed down with nettle beer. In fact, this is only a portion of this wild edible’s capabilities”. ~ Angier

Nettle is among those plants – beside bamboo, eucalyptus, cedar and Indian lotus – in the world that has several areas of use. It is not only a common herb that you can make tea of, but nettle kept generations alive and healthy by providing food, drink, paper, clothes and other equipment for surviving in the wild (e.g. fishing net).

Prehistoric textiles were made of nettle, started to spread in the Bronze Age and were popular again during the World Wars, mostly because it was the only available material for clothes. It was widely presumed that production of plant fiber textiles in ancient Europe, especially woven textiles for clothing, was closely linked to the development of agriculture. Researchers discovered that ancient people were conscious users of wild plants too, they not only used cultivated flax and hemp to make clothes. They even trade nettle textiles in the continent. The nettle cloth found in Denmark – tells a surprising story about long-distance Bronze Age trade connections around 800 BC – was made in Austria.

The royals favoured the finest nettle in their clothes and home textiles, the use of which was forbidden from the rest of the citizens! The nettle fibres were a highly respected fibres among the people.

Today, the world population is on increase, but land doesn’t. The demand for sustainable textiles is increasing, which is great news. By converting nettle stalks into a linen-like fabric, some companies have started to create an eco-fabric out of natural rather than synthetic materials and employ thousands of artisans across the globe. Their project has benefits beyond the current generation. With the success in nettle eco-fiber production, they will reduce the need for conventional fiber and in turn the amount of greenhouse gases produced during conventional fiber production.

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World Nature Conservation Day

World Nature Conservation Day is observed on July 28 across the world to raise awareness about protecting the natural resources. Nature is facing huge problems like deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, conventional intensive farming, loss of biodiversity, pollution, etc. Everyone must promote environment-friendly activities in their daily life to lead a Green Lifestyle. Together, we can make an effective change for a cleaner, greener future where we help nature and nature helps us.

“Nature doesn’t need people – people need nature; nature would survive the extinction of the human being and go on just fine, but human culture, human beings, cannot survive without nature.” ~ Harrison Ford

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a very popular herbal ingredient in natural cosmetics. It contains a lot of minerals and vitamins (A and E) that are essential in the health of the skin, hair and nails. You can find nettle soap, nettle shampoo, nettle face mask, and even nettle nail oil in the natural cosmetic market. The internet is filled with homemade nettle product recipes if you want to make your own beauty care products. You can reduce your ecological footprint if you reduce your artificial, unhealthy chemicals that would harm the environment. With this, you lower your plastic waste too!

There is a complicated connection net between species – an ecological interdependence. Nettle supports over 100 species of insects, including butterflies and moths as a food source. Sir David Attenborough has called on gardeners to plant a wild flower meadow and cultivate a nettle patch to help butterflies struggling to survive the wet summer in the UK.

Nettle is among the major sources of green plant material consumed in the field by the snails. They all know that nettle is tasty and full of nutrients. The presence of stinging fibers on nettle acts as a defense against many grazing animals, creating a comfortable habitat for our beneficial friends, some of whom are pollinators. The community of organisms depending on nettle is very large. Just think of all the predatory insects, spiders, amphibians and birds which take advantage of this feast.

Let’s plant nettle in our gardens to help nature!

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Picking and preserving nettle

We are fortunate to be gifted every spring with an abundance of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). While it’s sting can be unpleasant, it teaches us to pay attention to our surroundings and that’s a good thing.  It also offers food, medicine and fiber if one knows how to properly harvest it.

Don’t kill all the nettles out of your garden, because you might benefit from this weed-like herb! Not to mention, it is the perfect habitat for a lot of pollinator and predatory insects that will keep your other plants healthy.

If you would like to use nettle for food or drink (tea, beer, wine, kombucha), then harvest them before they flower. Picking the tender tops (usually 4-6 leaves) is the best for food. For fiber, harvest the entire stem, clip it near the ground. If you want to use the seeds, harvest them when they are still green and use them fresh or dry them for later use.

When harvesting nettle, use scissors and wear long sleeves, long pants and work gloves. When looking at your nettle, you can see little hairs on the stem and leaves. These hairs are hollow and when they get under your skin, the tips break off and allow the acidic juice under your skin. Even the lightest touch will get you stung, so don’t forget your gloves.

If you would like to dry your nettle for tea, there are many options. The simplest way is to make a bouquet of nettles and hang it to a dry place with a string and let the blowing air do the job. Once it’s dry, it’s much safer to handle since it loses the ability to sting. However, the hairs are still there and can be irritating to the skin or give you a sliver if you’re not careful. You can tell they are ready to store in a glass jar when the stems snap. Make sure not to dry the nettle to the point where it loses its green colour and turn brown or black. It’s just fine to use fresh plant material to make tea, but a lot of people prefer the taste of dried nettle.

Freezing your nettle for use throughout the year is also possible. Just toss them into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Then, put them into freezer-safe containers and store until you need them. The mechanical action of the food processor will break the hollow hairs so they are unable to sting you. Some people recommend blanching the nettles (adding them to boiling water, plunging into ice water, then using). Many of the nutrients are lost to the water and thrown out when blanching. Experiment and you will find a way that works best for you and your family.

Stinging nettle can substitute for spinach in any cooked recipe (they lose their sting when cooked). You can add them to lasagna, make pasta with them, throw them in soups or stews, etc. Online recipes abound.

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Nettle in Ayurveda

21 June International Day of Yoga

International Day of Yoga is celebrated annually on 21st June. It is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. This 5000-year practise was introduced to the West in the late 1800s, and has gained popularity over the last decade. Today, over 300 million people practice yoga across the globe, although studies show that 50% of all yoga practitioners are of Indian origin.

Yoga brings numerous mental and physical health benefits and promotes mindfulness. It is a holistic approach to health and well-being, it helps create harmony between man and nature. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice.

Yoga and Ayurveda are two interrelated branches of the same great tree of Vedic knowledge, a yogic system of medicine not simply in terms of asana or physical therapy, but also in regards to internal medicine or diet, herbs, and drugs. This holistic yogic system of medicine not simply for treating the physical body but also for treating the mind, emotions, and psychological disorders.

Ancient nettle knowledge

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is used in Ayurvedic treatment to cure various ailments. Nowadays, nettle has drawn a lot of attention, and plenty of research is being done on it. Due to its immense health potential, the popularity of stinging nettle is rising.

In Ayurvedic herbalism, nettle is considered cooling and pungent with an astringent taste. It is best aligned with Pitta energy, helping to gently cool and clear overheated conditions. From an Ayurvedic perspective, nettle is an excellent nourishing tonic and rejuvenative, particularly for the kidneys and adrenals. They increase ojas (the subtle essence of all vital fluids in your body), and are particularly good when run down from stress or illness or needing extra nourishment. 

Nettle tops have been used throughout history in food and drinks as a nourishing and detoxifying spring tonic. Nettle stimulates the action of the liver and the kidneys, thereby helping to clear aama (undigested food or other unmetabolized waste) from the body via the bowels and the urinary tract. According to Ayurveda, aama blocks the body’s channels and organs, preventing the body from absorbing essential nutrients. That’s why detoxification is so important to our health!

Milarepa is one of the most famous saints of Tibetan Buddhism. He is generally considered one of Tibet’s most famous yogis and poets. Traditionally depicted wearing white cotton, his skin was a said to be a slight greenish hue from a constant diet of nettle soup.

Mild astringency and general nourishing action of nettle, tightens and strengthens blood vessels, helps maintain arterial elasticity and improves venous resilience. By reducing excess Pitta in the blood, nettle helps clear inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne. The herb also helps keep Kapha levels in check, improving overall vitality. Its carminative properties relieve intestinal gas, and its capacity to promote peristalsis is helpful for some common Vata-related intestinal problems. But taken in high doses can cause excess Vata. Ayurvedic practitioners also recommend taking nettle to stop diarrhea.

But the short and long for it is, yoga and nettle can help us find balance in our body, mind and soul.

Namaste!

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Nettle for Biodiversity

22 May International Day for Biological Diversity

Every single creature on our planet is connected to another one. Or more. It’s a complicated connection net between species, as an ecological interdependence. Nettle supports over 100 species of insects, including butterflies and moths as a food source (see the list here).   Sir David Attenborough has called on gardeners to plant a wild flower meadow and cultivate a nettle patch to help butterflies struggling to survive the wet summer in the UK.

Nettle is among the major sources of green plant material consumed in the field by the snails. They all know that nettle is tasty and full of nutrients. The presence of stinging fibers on nettle act as a defense against many grazing animals, creating a comfortable habitat for our beneficial friends, some of whom are pollinators. The community of organisms depending on nettle is very large. Just think of all the predatory insects, spiders, amphibians and birds which take advantage of this feast. Luckily, thanks to our predators, there are no notable pest problems on nettle – neither in the wild nor in cultivated nettle. Everyone does their job in the right way. That’s biodiversity.

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Evolution of Nettle

Charles Darwin

12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882 

Today is the anniversary of the death of Charles Darwin, English naturalist, geologist and biologist. Darwin’s scientific theory of evolution by natural selection became the foundation of modern evolutionary studies.  A pleasant country gentleman, Darwin at first shocked religious Victorian society by suggesting that animals and humans shared a common ancestry.  His theory contradicted the Book of Genesis. He realised that species adapt to their environments.

By the stinging hairs, nettle protects itself from grazing animals. Scientists discovered the changed morphological characteristics of the Japanese nettle (Urtica thunbergiana), due to heavy browsing by sika deer. In Nara Park, Japan, where a large population of sika deer has been maintained for more than 1,200 years, wild nettles exhibited smaller leaf area, 11–223 times more stinging hairs per leaf, and 58–630-times higher stinging hair densities than those of other areas where there was no evidence of sika deer browsing. 

Nettle adapts to the environment and grazing damage by growing more stinging weapons as a protection. It just takes a “little” time.

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An Underrated Superfood: Nettle Seed

Most people have tried nettle soup – a foraging classic – and nettle leaf tea is widely available. However, the use of nettle seed is still fairly uncommon, though it is the king of superfoods!

As the days lengthen, the female nettle produces little flowers quickly followed by green seeds, from the upper third of the plant. Over the summer the seeds ripen and thicken. They are harvested when still green before they start to dry out and turn brown. Nettle seed is crunchy and full of oil high in polyunsaturated fatty acids – linolenic, palmitic, oleic and stearic acids. Our bodies use linoleic and linolenic acids to make the important essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6.

A component of lecithin vital to liver function is found in nettle seed called choline. Choline is sometimes used to treat liver cirrhosis and hepatitis. Studies have also shown that it is indeed anti-inflammatory and will soothe colitis (inflammation of the colon).

Nettle seed tastes delicious. You can substitute poppy seed in crackers, oatcakes, bread with nettle seeds or you can sprinkle them with chopped nuts into salads. Mixing them into yoghurt, a smoothie or adding them to overnight oats is also worth trying. Don’t put nettle seeds into juices because they float and are hard to drink. Instead, mix with honey and make into protein snack bars. This is another delicious way of eating nettle seeds. Try seasoning your soup with nettle seeds by adding them on the top. 

Crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar, then infuse them in sunflower or olive oil at room temperature for a week. This green oil makes a nice healthy salad oil or can be used with essential oils as an anti-inflammatory liniment for arthritic joints.

They will give you an energy boost and help to put you in a cheerful mood. Nettle seeds also raise dopamine levels, which is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward system and pleasure center. Dopamine facilitates learning, motivation and movement. 

For stimulating health benefits, take 1 to 2 spoons of fresh green or dried nettle seed a day (a standard heaped tablespoon is about 5 grams). Great help for invigoration of the body!

You can learn more about nettle seed here.