Nettle Root

Nettle Root

Nettle root comes from the flowering herbaceous stinging nettle plant, also known as Urtica dioica. The plant is so-called “stinging nettle” because it is covered with specialized hollow hairs, which inject a number of irritating chemicals into objects that come into contact with them. While stinging nettle may look like an ordinary backyard weed, the nettle root is actually loaded with vitamins A, B2, C, D, and K, and it’s also a good source of essential minerals like calcium, iron, iodine, potassium and manganese. Because of its high nutritional value and potent medicinal properties, nettle root has been used by herbalists for many centuries in the treatment of a broad range of medical maladies. Nettle root can be taken as supplements in the form of capsule, tablet, tea, or tincture.

Benefits of Nettle Root

Nettle root provides a wide array of extraordinary health benefits that are backed by strong scientific evidence. Among them are the following:

Allergy Relief

Nettle root can help combat allergies and alleviate associated symptoms. In one study assessing the effects of a freeze-dried preparation of nettle root or placebo on allergic rhinitis, researchers observed that after 1 week of therapy, the patients treated with nettle root had reduced allergic symptoms compared to placebo-treated group.[1] The results of the study strongly suggest that nettle root was better than placebo at treating allergic response to whatever subjects were allergic to.

Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Impairment in the delicate balance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body can increase one’s risk of cardiovascular disease. According to a 2012 study, consuming 100 mg per kg of nettle root extract for 8 weeks can help increase the levels of antioxidants in the body, thus lowering cardiovascular risk.[2] The study included diabetic men who were given nettle root extract. After the treatment period, study participants had increased levels of Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) and Superoxidant Dismutase (SOD).

Relief from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

BPH is a common problem experienced by older men. This condition is characterized by prostate enlargement leading to problems with urinating. A 2005 study investigated the effects of nettle root or placebo in men with BPH.[3] After using nettle root for 6 months at a thrice daily dose of 120 mg, 81% of the study participants treated with nettle root reported significant improvement in symptoms of BPH compared to only 14% in the placebo-treated group. All of the study participants reported no side effects of nettle root.

Relief from Arthritis

An overwhelming number of clinical studies show that applying nettle leaf and root topically at the site of pain, and taking nettle root extract orally can decrease joint pain in people with arthritis.[4-7] Another study published in the Journal of Rheumatology found that nettle root contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds that can help alleviate symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.[8]

Prevention of Bleeding

Certain products containing stinging nettle can help reduce the incidence of bleeding during surgery. A 2010 study investigated the effects of Ankaferd blood stopper, a product containing stinging nettle, in patients with bleeding tendencies due to different presurgical conditions.[9] Interestingly, Ankaferd blood stopper was found to be effective within 10 to 20 minutes in controlling and reducing bleeding in most of the patients after tooth extraction.

Improved Sexual Function

A 2017 study published in the Translational Andrology and Urology included nettle root in the list of Asian herbals and natural aphrodisiacs used for managing erectile dysfunction.[10] The specific mechanism by which nettle root boosts libido and improve sexual function is by inhibiting 5 alpha reductase activity, an important enzyme that breaks testosterone to dihydrotestosterone.[11] Inhibition of this enzyme results in high levels of testosterone in the blood. Since the hormone testosterone fuels a man’s sex drive, boosting its levels will certainly ramp up sexual power.

Cancer Prevention

Nettle root has been shown to possess strong anti-cancer properties. One study investigated the effects of nettle root extract on human prostate cancer cells.[12] When exposed to nettle root extract, researchers observed that low dose of the extract was able to suppress the growth and reproduction of human prostate cancer cells.

References:

1. Mittman P. Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta medica. 1990; 56(1):44-7.
2. Namazi N, Tarighat A, Bahrami A. The effect of hydro alcoholic nettle (Urtica dioica) extract on oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS. 2012; 15(2):98-102.
3. Safarinejad MR. Urtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Journal of herbal pharmacotherapy. 2005; 5(4):1-11.
4. Randall C, Meethan K, Randall H, Dobbs F. Nettle sting of Urtica dioica for joint pain–an exploratory study of this complementary therapy. Complementary therapies in medicine. 1999; 7(3):126-31.
5. Rayburn K, Fleischbein E, Song J. Stinging nettle cream for osteoarthritis. Alternative therapies in health and medicine. 2009; 15(4):60-1.
6. Randall C, Dickens A, White A, Sanders H, Fox M, Campbell J. Nettle sting for chronic knee pain: a randomised controlled pilot study. Complementary therapies in medicine. 2008; 16(2):66-72.
7. Randall C, Randall H, Dobbs F, Hutton C, Sanders H. Randomized controlled trial of nettle sting for treatment of base-of-thumb pain. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 2000; 93(6):305-9.
8. Klingelhoefer S, Obertreis B, Quast S, Behnke B. Antirheumatic effect of IDS 23, a stinging nettle leaf extract, on in vitro expression of T helper cytokines. The Journal of rheumatology. 1999; 26(12):2517-22.
9. Baykul T, Alanoglu EG, Kocer G. Use of Ankaferd Blood Stopper as a hemostatic agent: a clinical experience. The journal of contemporary dental practice. 2010; 11(1):E088-94.
10. Lim PHC. Asian herbals and aphrodisiacs used for managing ED. Translational Andrology and Urology. 2017;6(2):167-175. doi:10.21037/tau.2017.04.04.
11. Nahata A, Dixit VK. Evaluation of 5α-reductase inhibitory activity of certain herbs useful as antiandrogens. Andrologia. 2014; 46(6):592-601.
12. Konrad L, Müller HH, Lenz C, Laubinger H, Aumüller G, Lichius JJ. Antiproliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells by a stinging nettle root (Urtica dioica) extract. Planta medica. 2000; 66(1):44-7.