People have been familiar with nettles since childhood, it is especially remembered by those who were stung by it. Most often, the plant can be found on the forest edges, in non-deserted hollows formed by temporary watercourses, as well as on the banks of streams and streams. Often, nettle grows on roadsides and in the area adjacent to the house, so people get rid of it, as well as other weed grass. Hot plants are very common in Russia, Central Asia, Siberia, the Far East and the Caucasus. But also in China, Canada, Japan, North America, Korea, Australia, Europe and Asia, nettle also occurs. The properties, contraindications for use and the 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 slightly differs depending on the variety. If you notice a plant with dark green serrated leaves and straight stems of a tetrahedral shape, do not rush to rip it off with your bare hands, otherwise you can be stung too much. Two species mainly grow on the territory of Russia - stinging nettle and dioica nettle. They also have contraindications for use, however, before you start talking about them, it is worth noting that the second has the most pronounced healing properties.
Benefit and harm
Like any drug or medicinal substance, nettle has medicinal properties and contraindications (they will be discussed a bit later). The plant contains a large number of chemical trace elements. So, for example, vitamin K, contained in nettles, improves blood coagulation 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 composition of the burning plant contains formic acid, flavonoids and tannins. Previously, it was even possible to save a person from death in the event of severe frostbite. For this, the affected parts of the body were simply wrapped in a nettle blanket.
Protein is also contained in the plant, 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 nettles, a rapid elimination of various toxins from the body is observed.
Many of us know that to increase visual acuity, the body needs beta-carotene. It turns out that it is found not only in carrots, but also in nettles.
To understand all the useful properties of a burning plant, you need to carefully familiarize yourself with 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. Also included is calcium, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, iron, chlorine and copper.
Nettle has anti-inflammatory and healing effects, improves blood coagulation and eliminates 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 inherent not only a hemostatic effect, but also antibacterial. The plant helps a lot in the fight against ulcers, wounds and ulcers.
Miracle remedy for women
What 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. Nettle helps women cope with cramping and bloating in the premenstrual period. As mentioned earlier, the plant has a hemostatic effect, and this can be useful for heavy and long periods.
Nettle helps ladies survive such a difficult period in life as menopause, because this herb contains active components that have a beneficial effect on the female body. Reception of a burning plant with menopause smoothes out unpleasant symptoms and strengthens health.
Nettle is also useful to nursing mothers, especially in cases where the baby is only breast-fed. The plant stimulates milk production.
Sexual problems
Men who have problems in the intimate sphere, it is 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 is grape wine. Tea from dried nettle leaves collected during the flowering period is no less useful. It increases libido, prevents the onset of 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 falls on the beginning and middle of summer. Although many healers believe that May nettle is most beneficial. The healing properties and contraindications to the use of plants collected at different times are identical. You need to dry the nettle in a shaded place, spreading the leaves on a clean paper or cloth towel. Together with the stem, the grass is dried in limbo so that the top is below and also in the shade. If the nettle leaves are overdried, some of the beneficial properties are 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, all damaged and darkened areas must be removed before storage. According to traditional healers, for two years you can use dried nettle leaves. Contraindications and medicinal properties of the plant are included in two unequal lists. True, the benefits of grass are still more than harm. Fresh nettle foliage can be cut and frozen. You can prepare the root, but you need to do this before flowering.
Nettle infusion
During heat treatment, some components of the plant tend to collapse, so this use case brings more benefits. 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. For the preparation of tinctures according to the classical method, 200 g of young nettle will be required (dry will need a little more) 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 is better to keep the mixture in the sun, and the next day - in a dark place at room temperature. It is better to insist a drug in a bottle or a transparent glass vessel with a gauze tied up with a neck, but store it in a dark container. Before being treated with herbs, you need to make sure that they are allowed to you. Nettle is no exception. Contraindications to its use relate primarily to people with a high risk of thrombosis.
Nettle juice
Young shoots and fresh leaves are used for cooking, everything is passed through a juicer. Three meals a day of freshly made nettle juice (one teaspoon per reception) strengthens the body, improves blood composition and metabolism, also providing hemostatic, diuretic, anti-febrile, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effects. You can use it to rinse your mouth and as lotions on wounds, burns, pressure sores and trophic ulcers, and even bury your nose. Shelf life of juice in the refrigerator - no more than a day. Nettle extract produced by pharmaceutical companies has a similar effect. Since it is a concentrated juice, it can be used only after dilution with water and not more than 30-40 drops in one go.
Nettle hair treatment
The substances contained in the plant are of great benefit to the scalp and hair follicles. Normalize dry and oily hair will help decoctions and infusions of nettles. The main advantage of this treatment is that when cleansing and nourishing the hair, natural oils are not removed from the skin. Medicines prepared on the basis of nettle can be used both on separate parts of the head and along the entire length of the hair.
Silk, shine and strength of 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 insisted for an hour, after which they are filtered and divided into parts. In a basin with warm water, you need to add 2 cups of the prepared broth and wash your hair.
Nettle: contraindications
Enough has been said about the benefits of the plant, now it's time to talk about when it is better to abandon its use. As mentioned above, nettle helps to improve blood coagulability, so it should be used with extreme caution in thrombophlebitis and varicose veins. In such situations, the risk of blood clots increases, which can lead to vascular blockage and undesirable consequences. May nettle, contraindications for use of which are known in traditional medicine, is not recommended for people with kidney diseases and hypertension. The use of herbs during pregnancy is strictly prohibited, 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.
In order to bring maximum benefits to the body, and not harm, everyone should know what useful 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.