Chemical composition and medicinal properties of stinging nettle. Stinging nettle: description, beneficial properties Nettle leaf

General information

Family: Nettles (Urticaceae)
Botanical name: Urtica dioica
Pharmacy: nettle herb (Urticae heiba), nettle seed (Urticae semen), nettle root (Urticae radix)
Generic name: Urtica
Common names: nettle, stinging, stinging, stinging, stinging, goad, strekava, kostyrka, kostrika, sporekusha, wind (Chuvash), seripalax (Mordovian), seizir, kirtken (Kyrgyz), eginj, tchintchari (Georgian, Armenian) , bachelor's kiss (Estonian)
In ancient manuscripts -

Planet: Mars.
Zodiac sign: Scorpio, Aries.
Element: Fire.
Aura: Warm.
Language of flowers: Slander.
Main properties: Protection from evil spirits, their expulsion.

Description:
Stinging nettle is a perennial herbaceous plant. Grows up to 170 cm in height.
The stem is densely covered with stinging and short hairs, the rhizome is long, creeping, branched. Stems are erect, not branched, tetrahedral.
The leaves are arranged oppositely, the shape is intermediate between ovate and lanceolate, the petioles are long. Nettle leaves are coarsely toothed, dark green with oblong stipules.
The flowers are greenish, small, collected in bunches in inflorescences. Inflorescences come in various types: branched, intermittent axillary, spicate. Flowers are unisexual. Nettle blooms from May to July.
The fruits are yellowish-gray ovoid nuts enclosed in the remaining perianths.

Places of growth:
Stinging nettle is widespread in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Eastern and Western Siberia, the Far East and Central Asia.
It grows, as a rule, along the banks of rivers and streams, in ravines, clearings, and forest edges. Found among bushes and shady forests. You can often see nettle growing as a weed near homes and roads, in gardens.

Parts used:
The leaves and roots are mainly used for medicinal purposes. For some diseases and prophylactically, the juice obtained from young stems and leaves is also used.

Collection and preparation

Nettle leaves are collected from May to July-August. When collecting, use mittens. The leaves are carefully torn from the stem and then dried.
Rhizomes are dug up in spring or autumn, cleaned and dried.
It is necessary to dry raw materials in well-ventilated areas, or in the open air, with heating (not higher than 40°C). Attention! Nettles cannot be dried in the sun - chlorophyll is destroyed from exposure to sunlight and some of the vitamins are lost.
You need to store finished raw materials in a dark, dry room, preferably in paper or fabric bags. Shelf life - up to two years.

For magical purposes:
For magical purposes, old nettles are collected during the young moon. They tear with their bare hands, having previously tuned in internally: there is no need to be afraid or angry at the burns, otherwise the nettle will burn with the most burning juice and will lose most of its magical properties.

Medicine:

Nettle has a lot of useful properties: it is used as a hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, and multivitamin preparation. Often used to improve immunity and normalize metabolism.
Tea mixtures, which include nettle, are prescribed for rheumatism, gout, prostatitis, diseases of the gallbladder, liver, and urinary tract. Nettle helps increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood and the number of red blood cells, increases blood clotting. However, only fresh leaves have the latter property - dry leaves, on the contrary, slow down the blood clotting process by almost 2 times. Nettle preparations are used externally for the treatment of varicose chronic ulcers and wound healing.
Nettle improves cell regeneration processes in the body, especially the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.
Due to the presence of large quantities of vitamins and iron in nettle, preparations from this plant are used to normalize lipid metabolism in the body. In addition to all of the above, nettle has a general stimulating and tonic effect, improves the activity of the cardiovascular system (in particular, it constricts blood vessels) and the respiratory center.

Active substances:
Nettle is rich in biologically active substances, such as the glycoside urticin, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. The roots contain up to 2% tannic acids. Nettle leaves contain formic and silicic acid, various vitamins, in particular ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin K, B vitamins, and pantothenic acid.

Traditional Medicine:

Stinging nettle is well known in folk medicine. Various water infusions and decoctions have long been used for a variety of diseases: diseases of the liver, kidneys, biliary tract, dysentery, dropsy, chronic constipation, respiratory tract diseases, articular and muscular rheumatism.
Nettle infusions were recommended to be drunk for gout, colds, and as a “blood purifier.” It was believed that nettle improved blood composition, so decoctions from it were used in the treatment of skin diseases. A decoction of the leaves with barley flour was drunk for chest pain. Nettle was included in various herbal mixtures for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Water infusions of leaves have long been used for various internal bleeding.
The roots have also been widely used in folk medicine. For example, decoctions of rhizomes and roots were drunk for swelling of the legs, and an infusion of the roots was used as a heart remedy. The sugared rhizomes were eaten for coughs.
Infusions of stinging nettle flowers were added to tea and drunk for choking, coughing, and to resolve phlegm.
In addition, nettle was also used externally as a hemostatic and wound healing agent. If the wound accidentally got infected, it was recommended to apply fresh leaves to the wound or sprinkle it with nettle powder. This helped remove the pus and promoted quick healing. For tumors, washes and compresses were made from a decoction of the whole plant. Dried, crushed leaves were used to treat nosebleeds, and fresh leaves were used to get rid of warts.
Nettle decoctions and infusions were also used as a sedative for hysteria and nervous disorders.
In France, a fairly common method of treating hair loss was rubbing nettle infusion into the scalp. After such procedures, hair not only fell out less, but also became stronger and healthier.
The main advantage of stinging nettle has always been its availability - it grows like a weed almost everywhere, instantly filling the unkempt corners of gardens and vegetable gardens. Another plus is that no sources mention cases of overdose of these drugs. Nettle can be consumed in almost any quantity.

Magic:

Nettle has quite a strong magical potential. The most powerful was the adult, but not yet old, nettle. This plant is used in protective magic and in potions, being part of many healing potions.
Its leaves were placed under the soles of shoes or boots so that evil spirits could not drag a person into their world. They used nettle brooms to sweep the floor in the house to drive away evil spirits and “sweep out” negative energy. Rugs for the hallway were woven from nettle stems.
It was believed that if a person came to a house with bad intentions, then standing on a nettle rug would cause him to lose all his strength.
The evil eye was removed by fumigating with a nettle sprig. If you mix dried nettle with salt, this amulet will protect you from dark magic. In addition, nettle was included in ancient elixirs of youth and beauty.
If you have a small child in your house, place a few nettle leaves in the corner of his room. It will drive away children's fears, and the baby will sleep better and get sick less often.
In addition, nettle can enhance certain qualities in a person: courage, courage, initiative, honesty. To do this, you need to carry a dried nettle leaf with you as an amulet. It was believed that this plant could protect a warrior in battle and bring him victory.
Nettle is at its greatest when the moon is waxing. However, for this plant to become your helper, you must pick it yourself, without fear or anger at the burns.

Myths and Legends:

Proverbs and sayings:
- The nettle seed is an evil seed, you cannot brew beer from it.
- It stings like a nettle and stings like a hedgehog.
- If there weren’t frost on the nettles, there wouldn’t be any problems with it.
- Stinging nettle will be born and boiled in the cabbage soup.
- The nettle is young, but it already bites.
- The one who gets up first will collect the mushrooms, but the sleepy and lazy ones go after the nettles.
- Dealing with someone else is like sitting in nettles.

Signs and beliefs:
- If you dream that you are walking along a thicket of nettles and are not burned by it, the dream promises prosperity.
- Getting burned by nettles in a dream means that you will be dissatisfied with yourself and will make others unhappy.
- For a young woman to see herself making her way through a thicket of nettles, predicts that many men will want to offer her their hand and heart, and she will have to worry a lot before she makes the right choice.
- Any dream about nettles foretells cramped circumstances, disobedience of children or disobedience of subordinates.
- If on the eve of Midsummer you put bunches of nettles on the windows, then the witches will not disturb the house.
- From May 18 to May 25, it is customary to plant cabbage. Nettles were planted next to it in the corners of the beds - “nettle for the worms, and cabbage for us.”
- If you squeeze the juice out of nettles, rub your palms with it, and pour the rest into the river, you can catch fish with your bare hands.
- Nettle leaves are placed in the urine of a seriously ill patient. If the leaves have not changed their color the next day, the patient will recover.

Myths and legends:
One of the most famous literary works where nettles are mentioned is the fairy tale “Wild Swans” by H.H. Andersen. The only way Elsa could save her enchanted brothers was to weave chain mail for them from nettle stalks...

There is a belief that nettle grows in places where damned or sinful people died.

In Ukraine, there was a legend that the devil himself sowed the nettles, and they were cursed by God.

There is such a legend:
A young guy, Pavko, got married, and his wife disliked Pavka’s younger sister, Olenushka. She decided to kill Olena from the world. First, the wife cut the throat of Pavka’s beloved falcon, then she killed the black horse, blaming Olenushka for everything. But Pavko forgave his beloved sister. Then the wife decided on a terrible thing - she killed her own little son. Pavka's mind became clouded, he tied his own sister to a horse's tail and ran it across the open field. Where Olenushka's heart fell, poppies grew, where blue eyes - there were cornflowers, where brown braids stretched - a golden rod grew, and where she fell - the church rose, as if it had grown out of the ground. After some time, the young wife fell ill and asked Pavka to take her to church. Only on the way did her body begin to fall apart. Where the body fell, a swamp lay there, and where blood was shed, nettles grew. Pavko then realized that he had ruined his sister in vain, but it was too late...

Recipes, infusions, decoctions:

To improve heart function.
Before flowering, the tops and leaves of young nettles are cut off, dried in the shade and ground into powder. 5 tbsp. This powder needs to be poured into 0.5 liters of water and boiled over low heat. Take half a glass of the decoction 4 times a day. You can add honey or sugar for better taste.

For cramps, stomach pain and vomiting.
1 tsp Boil dried nettle root in a glass of milk for 5 minutes. The fourth part of the decoction should be drunk immediately hot, the remaining decoction should be drunk 2 tbsp. every two hours.

For diseases of the liver, biliary tract, gastrointestinal tract.
The water infusion, which was discussed a lot above, is prepared according to the following recipe. 3 tbsp. crushed nettle, pour 2 cups of boiling water and leave for 4-6 hours. Take small portions throughout the day (the prepared infusion should be enough for one day).

For toothache.
1 tbsp. Boil chopped nettle root for 15 minutes in 250 ml of water. Infuse the decoction for 1 hour. Take 2 tbsp. during the day, at the same time rinse your mouth with the decoction.

To improve appetite.
1 tbsp. dry nettle leaves pour 200 ml of water and cook for 10 minutes, then leave for 1 hour and strain. The decoction is taken 3 times a day, 2 tbsp.

For rheumatism.
Nettle roots infused with vodka can be used for rubbing.

For prostatitis.
1 tsp Pour a glass of cold water over the nettle root, bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Then leave the broth for another 10 minutes and strain. Drink a glass in the morning and evening.

For bronchial asthma, colds, coughs and rheumatism.
Finely chop 25 g wild rosemary and 15 g nettle leaves, mix and pour a liter of boiling water. Leave for 3 hours, then strain. You need to take the infusion half a glass 5-6 times a day.

For cough.
Boil 20 g of crushed roots and rhizomes for 15 minutes in 200 ml of honey or sugar syrup. Take the drug 1 tbsp. 5-6 times a day.

For chronic bronchitis.
Mix crushed wild rosemary herb, birch buds, oregano and nettle leaves in a ratio of 4:1:2:1. 2 tbsp. Boil the mixture in 0.5 liters of water for 10 minutes, then leave for about half an hour. Take the product 1/3 cup 3 times a day after meals.

For oily, inflammation-prone skin.
Prepare a paste from the leaves of young nettle, horsetail and plantain, taken in equal proportions, add 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Soak a gauze pad with the resulting mixture and apply it to a previously cleansed face for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water.

Use in cooking:

Green cabbage soup made from young nettles.

Ingredients:
- 800 g nettles;
- 1-2 onions;
- 400 g carrots;
- 400 g celery;
- A bunch of greenery;
- 2-3 mushrooms;
- 100 g sorrel;
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil;

Preparation:
First, prepare a decoction of carrots, celery, mushrooms and herbs. From this quantity of products you will get approximately 5 plates of broth. Strain the broth. Sort out the nettles, wash them, put them in salted boiling water and boil. Then place the nettles in a sieve, rinse with cold water, sort again and finely chop. Next, fry finely chopped onion in vegetable oil, add chopped nettles and pre-cooked sorrel. You can put a spoonful of flour. Add the roast to the strained broth and boil again. The cabbage soup is ready, all that remains is to add a little parsley and dill. You can also add a hard-boiled egg to the soup.

Nettle juice cocktail.

Ingredients:
- Young nettle leaves
- Carrot juice
- Lemon juice

Preparation:
Prepare juice from nettle leaves in a juicer. Mix nettle, carrot and lemon juice in the following proportion: for 1 cup of nettle juice - 1.5 cups of carrot juice and 4 teaspoons of lemon juice. Serve chilled.

Vitamin salad.

Ingredients:
- 100 g meadow clover
- 100 g stinging nettle
- 50 g onion
- 50 g sorrel
- Sour cream or mayonnaise
- Salt

Preparation:
Wash and sort all the greens, then finely chop and mix. The mixture needs to be lightly rubbed with a wooden spoon - and the salad is ready! All that remains is to add sour cream and mayonnaise, add salt, and it can be served.

Nettle stewed with feta cheese.

Ingredients:
- 150 g nettle
- 30 g ghee
- 20 g green onions
- 20 g millet flour
- 60 g grated cheese
- 150 g milk
- 1 egg
- Salt and spices

Preparation:
Chop nettles, green onions, grate cheese. Stew the nettles for about 5 minutes, then add onion, salt, pepper, cheese, flour and simmer for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the egg with warm milk and pour over the stew mixture. Place it all in the oven and bake until done.

Meat cutlets with nettles.

Ingredients:
- 500 g meat
- 200 g nettles
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. semolina
- 30 g dill
- 30 g garlic
- Salt to taste

Preparation:
Pour boiling water over washed and disassembled nettles and pass through a meat grinder along with meat and garlic. Add cereal, egg and finely chopped dill to the minced meat. Make cutlets from the resulting minced meat and cook them the way you like best: you can fry them in vegetable oil, or you can steam them.

Russian name

Nettle leaves

Latin name of the substance Nettle leaves

Folia Urticae ( genus. Foliorum Urticae)

Pharmacological group of the substance Nettle leaves

Typical clinical and pharmacological article 1

Characteristic. Contains vitamin K, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), ascorbic acid, carotenoids (including carotene), chlorophyll, tannins, organic acids (oxalic, succinic, fumaric, lactic, citric, quinic); nitrogen-containing and formic acids, acetylcholine, secretin.

Pharmaceutical action. Herbal product; has hemostatic, hematopoietic, vasoconstrictor, C-vitamin, K-vitamin, hypolipidemic, choleretic, diuretic, laxative, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anticonvulsant, expectorant and cholinomimetic effects. Chlorophyll has a general tonic effect, enhances metabolism, increases the tone of the respiratory center, the activity of the cardiovascular system, intestines, myometrium, stimulates regeneration and improves hair nutrition; increases the body's resistance to infections. Secretin stimulates the formation of insulin.

Indications. Bleeding (including metrorrhagia, pulmonary hemorrhage, hematuria, intestinal and hemorrhoidal bleeding); hypovitaminosis; atherosclerosis; cholecystitis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, constipation, enterocolitis; long-term non-healing purulent wounds, trophic ulcers, furunculosis, lichen, acne, bedsores; iron deficiency anemia; nephrourolithiasis; respiratory tract diseases (including bronchitis, tracheitis, tracheobronchitis, pneumonia); polymenorrhea; myalgia, gout; diabetes mellitus; angina; to strengthen gums and improve hair growth.

Contraindications. Hypersensitivity, hypercoagulation; bleeding (for diseases requiring surgery and tumors).

With caution. Kidney failure.

Dosing. Inside, in the form of an infusion. To prepare the infusion, 5 g (1 tablespoon) of the raw material is placed in a glass or enamel container, poured with 100 ml of boiling water, covered with a lid and heated in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. After cooling at room temperature for 45 minutes, filter and squeeze out the remaining mass. The volume of the resulting infusion is adjusted to 200 ml with boiled water. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day 30 minutes before meals. Extract - orally, 15-30 drops 2-3 times a day.

Side effect. Allergic reactions.

State register of medicines. Official publication: in 2 volumes - M.: Medical Council, 2009. - Volume 2, part 1 - 568 pp.; part 2 - 560 s.

Trade names

Name	The value of the Vyshkowski Index ®

Probably everyone has encountered nettles at some point in their lives; this weed grows wherever there are people. We mercilessly weed it out of our garden, we get burned by carelessly touching nettles while walking in the forest or on the river bank, even residents of large cities periodically encounter it. Meanwhile, nettle is an excellent healer, with the right approach it can give not only burns, but beauty and health.

Features of the species and territorial distribution

Stinging nettle is a perennial belonging to the nettle family, a very strong, large plant. Its straight stem has a tetrahedral shape and sometimes reaches human height (170 cm).

Nettle has a well-developed root system. The root is very long, creeping and branched with many adventitious roots.

The foliage is very beautiful, oblong, with jagged edges. The leaves are quite large to match the plant, their length ranges from 10 to 15 centimeters and width from 3 to 9 centimeters. The closer to the edge, the narrower the leaf becomes; at the base it can have a heart-shaped shape, sometimes round.

The foliage color, like most herbaceous plants, is dark green. All nettle leaves, both young and older, are covered with thin, scalding hairs. Similar hairs are also present on the stem of the plant. It is thanks to these hairs, containing a caustic, poisonous liquid, that acquaintance with nettles becomes unforgettable.

Nettle flowering continues from early summer until early autumn. Nettle flowers, despite their impressive size, are very small and inconspicuous. They have a greenish tint, collected in small bunches, which, in turn, form a kind of panicle at the top of the plant.

Nettle flowers are unisexual and, if desired, you can easily distinguish female flowers from male ones. The former have one pistil and perianthal ovary, and the latter have four stamens. Both types of flowers have a four-lobed perianth.

Beginning in August, nettle seeds begin to ripen. Its seeds are very small (about 1 millimeter), yellowish or gray, oblong-round.

Nettle is considered a weed and grows on almost every continent except Australia.

Stinging nettle has been known to Russian residents for a very long time and is very well known; of course, you will not find it in the Arctic, just as there is no such species in Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

Another type of nettle is widespread here - angustifolia nettle; in its properties it is no different from stinging nettle and has the same varied uses.

In addition to the described species, their related species, stinging nettle, is also often found. It is not used in folk or other medicine. This type of nettle is very similar to stinging nettle, but there is a difference - it is shorter, very stinging, and belongs to monoecious plants.

Preparation of nettles

Nettle has a lot of medicinal properties and in medicine, both folk and traditional, all its parts are used: leaves, seeds and even roots.

Nettle leaves are collected during flowering at the beginning of the summer (June-July). Leaf harvesting can be done in several ways.

Wearing very thick gloves (nettles burn through ordinary household gloves), you can collect them manually. In this case, the nettle leaves are torn off at the very base.

There is a simpler method, it is suitable for those who know how to handle a Lithuanian (scythe). You can simply mow the nettle and let it dry a little, then it will lose its stinging properties and the leaves can be collected painlessly.

Like any medicinal plant, nettle is dried in the shade, under canopies or in rooms with good ventilation, by spreading paper or cloth and scattering the foliage in a thin layer. Under no circumstances should you dry the grass in direct sunlight, as the nettle will lose all its beneficial, medicinal properties.

The degree of readiness of the raw material is determined by the fragility of the leaves. Nettle foliage has dense central veins and petioles, and when they begin to break easily, it means the material is ready and can be collected for further storage.

Harvesting of nettle roots is done in the fall. During this period, a very large amount of useful substances is concentrated in them. The rhizomes are dug up, cleared of soil, washed in cold water, wiped off moisture and dried in dryers or ovens.

The finished product should be stored in a dry, ventilated area without direct sunlight. Canvas or matting bags are suitable as containers for storing large volumes of workpieces, since these materials allow air to pass through well, which means they will prevent the raw materials from becoming moldy. If there is not enough dry nettle, then paper bags are suitable for storage. The main thing is not to use polyethylene as a container under any circumstances.

The shelf life of the finished dry material is very long, the leaves retain their usefulness for two years, and the roots can be stored for up to three years.

Chemical composition of nettle

Stinging nettle has been well studied and it has been scientifically proven that it is extremely rich in trace elements, minerals and organic substances.

Among them are: nicotine, calcium and potassium, manganese, copper, silicon, iron salts, barium, nickel, boron, titanium, sulfur, coumarin, histamine and many other substances.

The stem and leaves of nettle contain essential oil, phytoncides, phenolcarboxylic acids, starch and porphyrins.

The stinging hairs that cover nettle leaves contain formic acid and other nitrogen-containing acids, as well as acetylcholine, the presence of which causes nettle burns.

Nettle seeds contain vitamin C and a fatty oil that includes linoleic acid. The roots are also full of vitamin C and nicotine derivatives.

Stinging nettle is an excellent fortified dietary supplement. The lycoside urticin contained in nettle is an excellent natural pacemaker. Nettle also contains a whole complex of vitamins, such as B1, B2, B6, K, E, C, PP, as well as carotenoids, chlorophyll and various acids.

The presence of proteins increases the nutritional value of nettle, and puts it on par with cultivated legumes. The fact that our ancestors used nettles for food is a long-known fact, and today soups and other dishes prepared with nettles have not lost their relevance.

Medicinal properties of nettle

Stinging nettle is an excellent antiseptic, choleretic and diuretic, hemostatic and tonic, expectorant and anti-inflammatory, wound healing and anticonvulsant.

Medical research has proven that chlorophyll, which is part of nettle, is an excellent stimulant that enhances metabolism, tones the respiratory center, cardiovascular system, intestines, and promotes wound healing.

Nettle helps restore hemoglobin levels and increase the total volume of red blood cells in the blood, and also affects the normalization of carbohydrate metabolism in the body.

The use of nettle in folk medicine is so widespread that it is probably easier to list the diseases for which it does not help.
It is used in the form of decoctions and tinctures, fresh and in powder form for bleeding, including pulmonary, uterine, intestinal and renal.

In folk recipes there are many nettle-based remedies aimed at treating atherosclerosis, dysentery, cholecystitis, and nephritis. Pulmonary diseases are also treated with nettle, including tuberculosis (here the decoction is used as an expectorant).

Healers use nettle as a tonic to treat epilepsy, constipation, uterine diseases, acute and chronic enterocolitis.

Nettle has also been used in the treatment of various skin diseases: acne, boils and abscesses, and even lichen.

Our ancestors considered nettle to be a female plant and this is not without reason, because it treats many other female diseases, in particular, the extract obtained from nettle helps to accelerate the process of uterine contraction during involution, and also during pubertal bleeding, it not only stops bleeding, but also normalizes menstrual flow cycle, has an anti-inflammatory effect.

In addition, medicines prepared from nettle have antidiabetic properties, since the secretin contained in nettle promotes the production of insulin.

Stomach diseases caused by ulcers, and diseases of the duodenum and many others, this is not a complete list of what the garden weed, nettle, can cure.

Medicinal recipes from nettles

As you know, decoctions, infusions, and teas are prepared from nettle, both exclusively from nettle alone and in combination with other herbs.

Medicinal recipes based on nettle (all decoctions, infusions and teas must be strained before use):

• Decoction of seeds for the treatment of cough and insomnia:

Nettle seeds - boil 5 teaspoons in 200 milliliters of water for 10 minutes. Leave to brew for an hour, then strain, add honey or sugar to taste.

• Root decoction for treating joints:

Mix a tablespoon of dried nettle roots with 100-150 ml of vegetable oil and boil in a water bath for about 30 minutes. Apply externally for rubbing.

• Infusion of leaves for vitamin deficiency:

Add 4 tablespoons of dry nettle leaves per liter of boiling water, cover the container with a towel and leave for two hours, then strain. At the reception, use 1/3 glass up to five times a day, half an hour before meals.

• Infusion of flowers for rashes (allergic), urticaria and eczema:

Pour 1/5 liter of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of nettle flowers (any - dry or fresh), cover the container with a lid, wrap and leave to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain and take warm half a glass up to six times a day or glass three times.

• Nettle infusion for headaches:

Stinging nettle - 3 tablespoons, boiling water - a couple of glasses. Boil over low heat for a couple of minutes and leave to steep for an hour.

• Infusion to improve the general condition of a stroke

Boil two tablespoons of nettle herb in a liter of water for ten minutes. Wrap up and leave overnight. Take half a glass three times a day.

• Lotion for blackheads and pimples

Freshly squeezed nettle juice - 1 tablespoon, mixed with 50 milliliters of vodka. Wipe your face with the resulting lotion morning and evening.

• Infusion for blood purification in case of poisoning:

Mix dry roots and foliage of stinging nettle and take ten grams, pour a glass of boiling water over the mixture, leave for an hour and take ½ -1/3 glass up to three times a day, preferably before meals.

• Infusion for the treatment of stomach and duodenal ulcers:

For every 200 ml of hot water there is a heaped teaspoon of dried nettle herb. Leave for half an hour and consume in small sips.

• Infusion for anemia and anemia:

Dry crushed nettle leaves (about 7 grams) pour a glass of boiling water and leave for half an hour, take a tablespoon three times a day.

• Tincture for treating wounds, cuts and abrasions:

Grind fresh stinging nettle, place tightly in a clean container (for example, a jar) and fill with vodka. The tincture will be ready in three weeks; until this time it should be in a dark place.

Medicinal recipes based on collections of various herbs using nettle (1 part equals 1 tablespoon):

• Decoction for the treatment of vitamin deficiency:

Prepare a mixture of equal parts of nettle, rose hips, black currants and burdock roots. One tablespoon of the prepared mixture requires a glass of hot water. Boil everything in a water bath for a quarter of an hour, cool, strain and take half a glass 3 times a day

• Infusion for the treatment of chronic bronchitis:

Prepare in advance a collection of equal parts of nettle leaves and birch buds, four parts of wild rosemary herb, mix everything and grind thoroughly. Pour a couple of tablespoons of the resulting mixture into 1/2 liter of hot water, boil for about ten minutes, then wrap and leave for half an hour. Take 1/3 cup after meals three times a day.

• Infusion for the treatment of vaginitis:

Pour equal parts of chamomile flowers and nettle herbs into 500 milliliters of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Cool and strain. For douching, use 60 milliliters of infusion, douching 2-3 times a day. Be sure to boil the syringe tip both before and after use.

• Lactogonic decoction:

Take a tablespoon of nettle and dill, add two glasses of water, bring the mixture to a boil, but do not boil. Drink half a glass a couple of times a day after eating.

• Infusion for the treatment of hepatitis:

Mix two parts of nettle leaves with one part of goat willow bark, cinquefoil herb, marsh cinquefoil and yarrow herb, add five parts of dandelion roots. Take two parts of the resulting mixture and pour a liter of boiling water. Wrap the container well and leave to infuse for forty minutes. As always, in the end, strain and take half a glass 4 times a day half an hour before meals and before bed. The course of treatment is half a month.

• Infusion for the treatment of obesity:

Stinging nettle - 2 tablespoons, dill seed - 3 tablespoons, burdock leaves - 1 tablespoon, peppermint - 2 tablespoons, chamomile flowers - 1 tablespoon, fragrant celery root - 1 tablespoon. All ingredients must be mixed and take 3 tablespoons per half liter of boiling water. Leave for half an hour, strain and take half a glass three times a day before meals.

• Infusion for the treatment of seborrhea and against hair loss:

Prepare a mixture of three parts nettle, two St. John's wort and chamomile, and one part knotweed root. From the resulting mixture, take two tablespoons of half a liter of boiling water, let it boil and leave for about twenty minutes. Strain and use as a rinse after each shampoo for two weeks.

Other uses of nettle

Young fresh shoots of nettle are used in cooking to prepare cabbage soup, pickles and other soups. Unfortunately, prolonged cooking destroys the vitamins contained in nettles.

To get the maximum benefit from nettles, it is best to use them fresh, for example in salads. However, do not forget that nettle burns with its stinging cells.

In order to get rid of the hotness, the nettle is doused with boiling water before slicing; the nettle also loses its burning properties when dried.

Dry nettle powder serves as a seasoning. This seasoning will not only add an unusual taste to food, but also saturate it with vitamins.
In ancient times, nettles were used to make ropes, fishing nets and coarse fabrics. In addition, the tradition of taking a steam bath with a broom with the addition of nettle has been preserved to this day.

Nettle has found application in pharmaceuticals. Nettle is used as a natural dye, the stems and leaves produce a green dye, and the roots produce yellow and brown.

According to popular beliefs, evil spirits cannot tolerate nettles; bunches of them were hung in the corners of the house and at the entrance. On the day of Ivan Kupala, to protect against witches and mermaids, bunches of nettles were hung not only in the house, but also in the barns.

Contraindications to the use of nettle

Preparations based on nettle should not be used by people with increased blood clotting and in the treatment of diseases that require surgical intervention and are accompanied by bleeding (bleeding due to polyps, cysts, tumors of the uterus and appendages, post-abortion bleeding, when there is a possibility of the remains of the fetal place being in the uterine cavity) .

Nettle is contraindicated for pregnant women and those suffering from hypertension, as well as for those with individual intolerance to nettle.

People with kidney disease should use nettle with caution.

Urtica) is a numerous genus of annual or perennial herbaceous plants that belong to the dicotyledonous class, order Rosaceae, nettle family.

When creating botanical nomenclature, Carl Linnaeus left a generic name for this plant, received from Pliny the Elder. The etymology of the name is associated with the Latin words “uro” and “ussi”, meaning “to burn” or “to be burned”, eloquently speaking about the ability of the plant to cause noticeable painful burns to a person when its stems or leaves are touched. The Russian definition comes from two Old Slavonic words: “krapat” - meaning “to splash” and “okrop” - corresponding to the concept of “boiling water”. Thus, it turns out that nettle is a plant that burns like boiling water and leaves burns in the form of drops or splashes.

Nettle - description and characteristics

Depending on the species, nettle can be either a monoecious or dioecious erect plant with one stem and several lateral shoots. The height of nettle varies from 0.55 m to 2 m. The edges of nettle leaves, located opposite each other, are solid, with light or deep serrations, and also deeply dissected into 3-5 parts. The stipules located at the base of the petiole are paired and quite often fused together.

The stems and leaves of nettle are colored in various shades of green, and their surface is in most cases covered with a huge number of stinging hairs. Each of them is a kind of ampoule containing acetylcholine, serotonin, histamine, as well as formic acid, tartaric and oxalic acid. When it comes into contact with the body of a person or animal, the siliceous tip of the hair breaks off and penetrates under the skin, and along with it the contents of the “ampoule,” causing a chemical burn at the point of contact. Histamine, serotonin and acetylcholine cause pain and redness, while tartaric and oxalic acids, found in some types of nettles, are responsible for the duration of pain.

The branching inflorescences of nettle of the false-spike-shaped or paniculate type consist of small unisexual, less often bisexual, flowers.

Classification of nettles

The genus Urtica consists of more than 50 species of nettle, some of which are recognized by modern science as subspecies and synonyms. Below are the types of nettles with an indication of their growing area according to data from the website (www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=urtica):

• Urtica andicola
• Urtica angustifolia– Angustifolia nettle. Russia, China, Japan, Korea
• Urtica aquatica
• Urtica ardens. China.
• Urtica atrichocaulis. Himalayas, southwest China
• Urtica atrovirens. Western Mediterranean
• Urtica ballotifolia
• Urtica berteroana
• Urtica cannabina- Hemp nettle. Russia and Western Asia from Siberia to Iran
• Urtica chamaedryoides. Southeast North America
• Urtica circularis
• Urtica dioica- . Europe, Russia, Asia, North America
• Urtica echinata
• Urtica ferox– Ongaonga nettle tree. New Zealand
• Urtica fissa. China.
• Urtica flabellata
• Urtica galeopsifolia– Stinging nettle. Central and Eastern Europe, Russia
• Urtica glomeruliflora
• Urtica gracilenta. USA (Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas), northern Mexico
• Urtica haussknechtii
• Urtica hyperborea. Himalayas from Pakistan to Bhutan, Mongolia and Tibet
• Urtica kioviensis- Kyiv nettle. East Europe
• Urtica laetevirens– Nettle is light green. Russia, Japan, Manchuria, Korea
• Urtica leptophylla
• Urtica lilloi
• Urtica longispica
• Urtica macbridei
• Urtica magellanica
• Urtica mairei. Himalayas, southwest China, northeast India, Myanmar
• Urtica masafuerae
• Urtica massaica
• Urtica membranacea. Mediterranean, Azores
• Urtica Mexicana
• Urtica minutifolia
• Urtica mollis
• Urtica morifolia. Canary Islands (endemic)
• Urtica orizabae
• Urtica parviflora. Himalayas
• Urtica pilulifera– Ball nettle. Southern Europe, Russia
• Urtica platyphylla– Flat-leaved nettle. China, Japan, Russia
• Urtica praetermissa
• Urtica pseudomagellanica. Bolivia
• Urtica pubescens– Nettle pubescent. Northern Russia, central Asia
• Urtica purpurascens
• Urtica rupestris. Sicily (endemic)
• Urtica sondenii– Sonden nettle. Northeastern Europe, northern Asia
• Urtica spiralis
• Urtica stachyoides
• Urtica subincisa
• Urtica taiwaniana. Taiwan
• Urtica thunbergiana- Thunberg's nettle. Japan, Taiwan
• Urtica triangularis

• • Urtica triangularis subsp. pinnatifida

• Urtica trichantha
• Urtica urens- Stinging nettle. Europe, Russia, North America

Types of nettles that grow in Russia:

• Urtica angustifolia– Nettle angustifolia
• Urtica cannabina
• Urtica dioica- Stinging nettle
• Urtica galeopsifolia
• Urtica kioviensis- Nettle Kyiv
• Urtica laetevirens– Light green nettle
• Urtica pilulifera
• Urtica platyphylla– Nettle
• Urtica sondenii– Nettle Sonden
• Urtica urens- Stinging nettle

Types of nettles, names and photos

Below is a description of several varieties of nettles:

• Stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica)

This is a perennial herbaceous plant with a well-developed creeping root system. The erect, hollow inside stem, having a tetrahedral cross-section, is abundantly covered with simple and stinging hairs. There is an abundant amount of burning hairs in the nodes. The height of the stem ranges from 0.6 to 2 m. At the beginning of the growing season, the nettle stem has a simple structure, however, starting from mid-summer, numerous axillary shoots form on it. The leaves of stinging nettle, painted dark green, have an elongated ovate-lanceolate or oval-heart-shaped shape. Their length can reach 5-17 cm, while the width of the leaves is 3-7 cm. The edges of the leaf blade are cut with rather deep teeth. The length of the petiole is 1-6 cm. Paniculate inflorescences consist of small unisexual flowers of pale green color. Nettle fruits are elliptical or ovoid in shape, their length is 1-1.3 mm, width - 0.8-1 mm. The flowering period of this type of nettle begins in the first ten days of May and ends in late autumn. widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Eurasia, as well as in most countries of North Africa, China, South-West and Central Asia. Also introduced to the North American continent and Australia. In Russia, nettle grows in forest and forest-steppe zones, ranging from the European part to the Caucasus, Eastern Siberia and the Far East. Thanks to its horizontal branching root system, dioecious nettle is capable of forming extensive thickets in damp meadows, along the banks of rivers and reservoirs, on deserted abandoned lands, along roads and fences.

• Stinging nettle ( Urtica urens)

widespread in the Russian Federation, Germany, Poland, Romania, France and other European countries, as well as in North America. This is an annual plant with a powerful but rather short vertical root and a tetrahedral erect stem 15-50 cm high, the surface of which is covered with shallow vertical grooves. The small leaves of stinging nettle are dark green in color, reaching 1-6 cm in length and 1-4 cm in width, with a serrated edge, like the trunk, covered with numerous stinging hairs and a small number of simple hairs. The shape of the leaf blade can be oval or ovoid with a pointed nose. Unisexual small greenish nettle flowers can be either solitary or collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. The length of the petiole is 0.5-4 cm. Nettle fruits are ovoid in shape, their length is 1.5-2 mm, width - 1.1-1.3 mm. Ripe fruits usually have red-brown glands. Stinging nettle blooms from mid-May to late autumn.

• Nettle Kyiv ( Urtica kioviensis)

grows in Germany, Poland, France, Spain, Italy, in other European countries, as well as in Palestine. It is listed in the Red Book and is distributed in the European part of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. This is a perennial monoecious plant with numerous lodging herbaceous stems no more than 1.2 m high. The leaf blades are dark green in color and have an oblong-ovate shape with a jagged edge. The surface of nettle leaves and stems is covered with sparse, stinging hairs. The paniculate inflorescence bears male and female flowers. The growing season of this type of nettle continues until the onset of stable frosts, down to -5 o C. Kiev nettle grows on swampy soils, in deciduous forests, along the banks of lakes, rivers and streams. Flowering lasts from early June to late July.

• Flat-leaved nettle ( Urtica platyphylla)

grows in East Asian countries, China and Japan, in the Russian Far East, the Commander and Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. It is a perennial plant with a short vertical root and a rather tall, erect stem and numerous thin side shoots. The height of the stem varies from 50 cm to 1.5 meters. The shape of the leaf blades can be ovoid or elongated-ovoid, their length varies from 4 to 20 cm, the width reaches 12 cm. The surface of the leaves, stem and side shoots of nettle is covered with stinging hairs. Paniculate or spike-shaped inflorescences, appearing in July-August, consist of very small flowers of a grayish-green color. Flat-leaved nettle blooms from July to October.

• Nettle angustifolia ( Urtica angustifolia)

found in mixed mountain and riverine forests, along roads and in populated areas of China, Korea, Japan, and Mongolia. On the territory of Russia it grows in the Chita and Irkutsk regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Altai, Buryatia and the Far East. This is a perennial herbaceous plant with a height of 15 cm to 1.2 meters with creeping rhizomes and an erect stem with sparse side shoots. The leaf blades are elongated-lanceolate or lanceolate (sometimes ovate-lanceolate), 4-12 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, with a serrate edge, painted in various shades of green. Inflorescences are paniculate, strongly branched. The whole plant is covered with many simple hairs, among which there are a few stinging ones. Nettle fruits are elliptical, ovoid or round-ovoid, fruit length 0.8-1 mm, fruit width 0.7-1 mm. Flowering of angustifolia nettle begins in June and, depending on the place of growth, can last until October. Can form hybrids with stinging nettle and flat-leaved nettle.

• Urtica cannabina)

grows almost throughout the Russian Federation, Central Asia, Mongolia and China. It is mainly found along roads, in vacant lots, railway embankments, and in populated areas. This is a perennial plant with a powerful, horizontal, non-creeping root system and an erect tetrahedral stem with vertical ribs. The height of the nettle stem can reach 70-150 cm. Quite large leaves are dark green, up to 15 cm long, three-dissected or tripartite (with pinnately dissected segments). The stems and leaves are densely covered with clusters of fine stinging hairs and a small number of simple hairs. Inflorescences consist of many small unisexual flowers. The length of the petiole is 3-8 cm, which is 2-3 times shorter than the blade. Nettle fruits are ovoid or elliptical in shape, fruit length is 1.9-2.5 mm, fruit width is 1.2-2.8 mm. The flowering period of this type of nettle lasts from early June to mid-August.

• Urtica galeopsifolia)

grows in European countries, in the south of Russia (in the Caucasus). This is a perennial plant with a creeping root system. The height of the tetrahedral erect stem, densely pubescent with simple hairs and a few stinging hairs, can reach 2 meters. Nettle leaves are arranged oppositely and have an elliptical or oblong-ovate shape. The leaf length is 6-14 cm with a width of 2.5 to 5 cm. The nettle leaf has a round or heart-shaped base, as well as a pointed tip. There are usually no burning hairs on the leaf blade. The length of the petiole is 1.5-5 cm. Nettle fruits are ovoid or elliptical in shape, their length varies from 1 to 1.3 mm, and their width is 0.7-1 mm. This type of nettle can be found in damp marshy areas, in lowlands and near rivers, in forests and bushes.

• Nettle Sonden ( Urtica sondenii)

perennial plant with a creeping root system, grows up to 1 meter in height. The nodes usually contain both burning and simple hairs. There are no hairs in the internodes. Nettle leaves have a narrow-ovate or oblong-ovate shape. The length of the leaf varies between 4 and 12 cm with a width of 1.5 to 4.5 cm. The apex of the leaf is pointed, the base is rounded, wedge-shaped. The leaf has 12-25 pairs of teeth. On the leaf blade only occasionally there are a few simple and stinging hairs, mainly located in large veins. The length of the petiole is from 1 to 6 cm. The nettle fruit has the shape of an ellipse or egg, the length of the fruit is 1-1.3 mm, the width is 0.6-1 mm. Sonden nettle grows in northern Europe, eastern Central Asia, and Russia. Usually this plant grows in forests and floodplains, meadows and near water bodies. It is very rare to find this type of nettle in cities or near roads.

• Nettle light green (Urtica laetevirens )

perennial herbaceous plant that blooms from June to August. The stem, whose height is 40-100 cm, has stinging hairs. The pointed nettle leaves, serrated along the edges, have a broadly ovate shape. The upper inflorescences are long, staminate, the lower ones are short and intermittent pistillate. The fruit of nettle is an egg-shaped nut. Light green nettle grows in the Russian Far East, found at the foot of cliffs and in the shade of forests. Prefers broad-leaved, coniferous-deciduous and poplar forests.

• nettle tree or ongaonga ( Urtica ferox- "fierce nettle")

grows exclusively in New Zealand. This is perhaps the only nettle with a woody stem, the height of which can reach 5 meters and a thickness of 12 cm. The stem with numerous branched side shoots and large leaves, 8-12 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, is densely covered with stinging hairs up to 6 mm long. The light green leaves have an elongated triangular shape.

• Urtica mairei

grows in southwest China, northeast India, the Himalayas, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, where it is found in partially shaded moist forests, along the banks of streams, on roadsides and mountain slopes, and also near human habitation. It is a perennial herbaceous monoecious plant with a stolon-like root system and an erect stem with sparse lateral branches. The height of individual specimens rarely exceeds 1 m. The leaf blades, painted dark green, have a heart-shaped, ovoid, sometimes oblong shape. The length of nettle leaves is 10-15 cm, width - 3-6 cm. Petiole length is 3-8 mm. The inflorescences are unisexual, paniculate, 4-10 cm long, with small flowers of a grayish-green color. The fruits are light brown in color and have an oblong-spherical or spherical shape. The flowering period of nettle lasts from May to August.

• Urtica pilulifera)

a perennial plant with a straight or ascending stem covered with a bluish coating, height from 20 to 75 cm. The leaves of ball-bearing nettle are quite wide (up to 9 cm), ovoid in shape, with a rounded base and a pointed apex. The inflorescences are collected in a spherical head. The fruit is a heart-shaped nut, no more than 3 mm long. This type of nettle is widespread in Crimea and the East Transcaucasian region. The plant loves landfills, roadsides, and is often found as a weed in cultivated crops.

The medicinal properties of stinging nettle have a wide range of applications. Urtica dioica is a wild herbaceous plant belonging to the nettle family (Urticaceae).

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a wild herbaceous plant.

Stinging nettle as a medicinal plant is included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR, XI edition. The medicinal raw materials are the leaves, which are a source of vitamin K and have hemostatic properties.

The grass is widespread everywhere, except in the Far North. Grows luxuriantly in fertile soils rich in nitrogen. Solid thickets of nettle can be found in shady places, on the edges of forests, near housing and livestock farms, as well as in places where groundwater flows. It is a typical ruderal or weed plant that prefers landfills and cluttered areas. It is extremely rare in perennial grass crops.

Urtica dioica is a perennial dioecious plant up to 1.5-2 m high, with a straight, unbranched, tetrahedral stem. Male and female flowers are located on different plants. The leaves are petiolate, ovate-broadly lanceolate with a simple coarsely toothed edge. The leaf venation is pinnate. The upper and lower parts of the leaf blade are differently pubescent.

The inflorescence is represented by a simple axillary spike with small green flowers. Male inflorescences are erect on short peduncles, female inflorescences are drooping.

The leaves and stems are covered with many hairs - long, stinging and short, simple. Stinging hairs, similar to hollow capillaries, have a unicellular structure and contain stinging cells filled with a stinging liquid. The stinging mixture contains formic acid, acetylcholine, and histamine. When a stinging hair damages the skin, the contents of the stinging cells enter the puncture, and a nettle burn occurs. In this way the plant protects itself from enemies.

The main location of stinging hairs is the underside of the leaf blade, large leaf veins, petiole and stem.

The fruits are ovoid nuts with a high fatty oil content.

Stinging nettle as a medicinal plant is included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR, XI edition

Gallery: stinging nettle (25 photos)

Medicinal properties

There are historical facts that nettle was used for medicinal purposes back in the Bronze Age.

In folk medicine, the plant's stimulating abilities, medicinal properties and contraindications, such as use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, have long been known. For diabetes mellitus, varicose veins and thrombophlebitis, treatment with nettle preparations is also contraindicated.

In Europe, positive experience has been accumulated in the use of plant rhizomes as a source for drugs with antitumor activity. Such drugs are used in the treatment of prostatic hyperplasia using conservative treatment methods.

In Russia, rhizomes are not represented as medicinal raw materials in pharmacopoeias.

Stinging nettle leaves are part of the drug Allochol, a choleretic agent.

Medicines based on nettle leaves have hemostatic, hypotensive, analgesic, choleretic and diuretic properties. They are used in official and folk medicine in the treatment of skin, bronchopulmonary, neurological and gynecological diseases.

Enhances blood clotting. Helps increase hemoglobin content and the formation of red blood cells.

The leaves are part of herbal mixtures or single-component preparations.

In folk medicine, the plant's stimulating abilities, medicinal properties and contraindications, such as use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, have long been known.

Stinging nettle (video)

Chemical composition

Systematic study of the properties of stinging nettle began in the 20th century.

Aboveground and underground organs of the plant are rich in various useful substances:

1. Ascorbic acid - fresh leaves contain from 177 to 600 mg%, dry leaves up to 48 mg%.
2. Vitamin K in an amount of 1.5-4 mg%, which is involved in the synthesis of prothrombin, necessary for blood clotting.
3. Carotenoids (betacarotene and xanthophyll) - 50 mg%, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Carotenoids influence the formation of bones and teeth, especially in childhood. Their important role in stimulating the immune system and in the prevention of cancer has been noted.
4. Carotene - 10-20 mg%.
5. Chlorophyll - 5-8 mg%.
6. Tannins (tannins) have pronounced astringent, antioxidant, radioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. Strengthens capillaries.
7. Flavonoids are plant aromatic phenolic compounds that have a wide spectrum of action: hemostatic, choleretic, diuretic, bactericidal, hypotensive.
8. Steroids were found in the rhizomes - sitosterol and ergosterol, which are part of the extracts used abroad for the treatment of prostate adenoma.
9. Isoprenoids are natural hydrocarbons that stimulate digestion and have a sedative effect.
10. Coumarins are phenolic compounds that exhibit antitumor and antimicrobial activity.
11. Organic acids (caffeic, malic, formic, oxalic, succinic) stimulate the secretory function of the stomach.
12. Lignans have stimulating, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective effects.
13. Phytoestrogens have a hormone-regulating effect. Nettle preparations can be used for the prevention and treatment of pathological menopause due to estrogen deficiency.
14. The seeds contain fatty oil - up to 33%.

• proteins - 20%;
• fat - 3-7%;
• sugars - 25%;

The inclusion of nettle in the diet of animals increases their productivity and resistance to infectious diseases. To treat hypovitaminosis and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, calves are given nettle infusions. Eating nettle seed increases egg production in chickens.

Nettle for prostatitis (video)

Herbal medicines from nettle

The procurement of raw materials is carried out during the period of greatest accumulation of biologically active substances:

• leaves are collected shortly before flowering or at the beginning of flowering: when up to 45% of plants bloom;
• shoots are cut to a height of 8 cm from the ground at the beginning of flowering;
• rhizomes are dug up in early spring or autumn;
• The fruits are harvested at full ripening.

The collection of leaves continues throughout the flowering period.

The raw materials are laid out loosely in a thin layer and dried with good ventilation. Store dried herbs in paper or fabric bags or cardboard boxes in cool, dry rooms. The shelf life of grass and leaves is up to 2 years, roots and rhizomes - up to 4 years.

The color of the leaf powder is dark green.

The aqueous extract of the leaves has antiulcer, antibacterial, and analgesic effects.

Juice and infusion of leaves reduce alcohol intoxication, stimulate performance, and increase immunity.

Preparing and drinking juice:

• Grind fresh leaves and squeeze out the juice;
• take 20 drops per 100 ml of water three times a day before meals.

The decoction is prepared in a water bath for 30 minutes. Pour hot water (250 ml) into 20 g of dry leaves or 300 g of fresh leaves. Take 3 times a day before meals.

Infusion of 2 tbsp. l. fresh herbs and 400 ml of boiling water are cooked in a water bath for 15 minutes. Consume as a drink or apply externally to treat skin diseases.

Making nettle oil for hair at home:

• immerse dry or fresh leaves in vegetable oil;
• leave for 10 days in a dark place at room temperature;
• filter through cheesecloth and rub into hair roots.

Oil extracts or hydroalcoholic infusions from nettle leaves are used in cosmetic products. They are added to care products for oily and normal skin: shampoos, lotions, bath foams, tonics.

Young nettles are used for food: they are made into salads or added to green cabbage soup. Peasants mixed dry powder from nettle leaves with flour when baking bread in lean years at the rate of 4 parts cereal to 1 part nettle.

Fishermen store their catch in fresh nettle leaves: the fish does not spoil within a few hours.

Nettle fibers (bast) are located between the epidermis and the pith, forming bundles connected by pectin. Elastic and durable, they have natural antimicrobial and fire retardant properties. In the old days, ropes, yarn, and fishing gear were made from nettle fibers. Currently, stinging nettle is used as a raw material for the production of highly effective dressings.

An organic dye is obtained: yellow from the roots, and green from the leaves.

Nettle is a popular medicinal plant that has long been used in folk medicine. Plant raw materials, freshly collected or dried, are promising for use in medicine, the cosmetic industry, veterinary medicine and for animal feeding.