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What are the Best Tips for Buying Nettle?

Brandon May
Brandon May

There are many forms of nettle and many uses of nettle, and one should know the best tips for buying this health promoting herb in order to receive all of its benefits. Nettle can be helpful as a diuretic, as an allergy remedy and as a topical treatment for acne. Nettle can be purchased as whole nettle leaves, as nettle leaf tea, as a tincture and in capsule form. Not only is nettle easy to use, it can provide innumerable health benefits if used properly under the direction of a trained medical practitioner.

Nettle can be made into a tincture, which is a powerful concentration of the herb in an alcohol solution. Only six to nine drops of tincture is needed a day, underneath the tongue or dropped into a drink. Many people require more or less, depending on what their doctor advises them is right for their particular condition. Buying nettle can be done easily over the Internet or at health food stores or herbal stores.

Studies have shown that nettle might help people who have an enlarged prostate.
Studies have shown that nettle might help people who have an enlarged prostate.

One might also find whole nettle leaves in an herbal store, and they can be used for brewing nettle tea. Drinking nettle tea allows another way to receive the health benefits of nettle. Many people prefer buying nettle that is organic in order to avoid consuming pesticide residue in the leaves. Buying nettle that is not organic will not interfere with its potent health benefits.

Nettle supplements should be taken with food.
Nettle supplements should be taken with food.

Nettle can also be found in capsule form at most health food stores. With many supplements, it is recommend that the capsule should be taken with food. Lotions or creams that contain nettle can be a topical treatment for acne. These lotions can be purchased at health food stores or online. Another name for nettle is stinging nettle, which might be important when one is buying nettle supplements or lotions.

Lotions containing nettle may be used topically to treat acne.
Lotions containing nettle may be used topically to treat acne.

Many studies have shown a very strong relationship between nettle and relieving sufferers from allergies, particularly hay fever. Other studies have shown that nettle might naturally help people who have an enlarged prostate relieve various symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Nettle also has been shown to be a diuretic.

Nettle side effects are rare, but adverse reactions do happen. Some side effects include skin irritation and stomach upset. Nettle might interfere with diabetic drugs and prescriptions, so it is imperative that one speaks with a trusted medical practitioner in order to determine how nettle might affect him or her.

Discussion Comments

Talentryto

@spotiche5- Nettle can be easy to grow when you follow some simple tips.

To begin with, don't plant nettle until the threat of frost has passed for the planting season. A frost can significantly damage or kill young nettle plants.

As the season progresses, make sure that you keep your nettle plants watered and fertilized. This will help the plants grow strong and tall, also promote leaf growth.

It is also important to let you nettle plants grow until they have full leaves before you harvest them for making tea. Otherwise, the leaves will not make rich-tasting nettle tea.

Spotiche5

I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts about how easy or difficult it is to grow your own nettle. I like stinging nettle leaf tea, but it can be expensive. So I have been playing with the idea of growing my own.

Raynbow

If you want to take nettle for all of the herbal benefits it provides, you should try the capsule form. It is easiest to take, because you don't have to taste the herb, which can be bitter, when you swallow the capsules.

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    • Studies have shown that nettle might help people who have an enlarged prostate.
      By: peterjunaidy
      Studies have shown that nettle might help people who have an enlarged prostate.
    • Nettle supplements should be taken with food.
      By: kostrez
      Nettle supplements should be taken with food.
    • Lotions containing nettle may be used topically to treat acne.
      By: phasinphoto
      Lotions containing nettle may be used topically to treat acne.
    • Side effects of nettle leaf tea may include stomach upset.
      By: ryanking999
      Side effects of nettle leaf tea may include stomach upset.