Stinging Nettle Leaf Powder

Overall Health Benefits of Stinging Nettle Leaf Powder

• Treats symptoms of diabetes and improves blood sugar levels [1-6]
• Lowers blood pressure [7-9]
• Speeds up wound healing [10-12]
• Treats kidney disease [13-16]
• Prevents cancer [17-20]
• Promotes weight loss [21]
• Prevents bone abnormalities [22]
• Treats enlarged prostate [23-25]

How Stinging Nettle Leaf Powder Exerts its Benefits

Stinging nettle is used to treat diabetes, osteoarthritis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), enlarged prostate, kidney stones, and other muscle conditions. It contains ingredients that can reduce inflammation and increase urine output. The medicinal properties of stinging nettle can be attributed to its chlorophyll and iron contents.

Proven Health Benefits of Stinging Nettle Leaf Powder

Treats Symptoms of Diabetes and Improves Blood Sugar Levels

Studies show that this ancient medicinal plant has anti-diabetic properties:

1. A study showed that stinging nettle can safely improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetic patients needing insulin therapy. [1]
2. In insulin resistance rats, consumption of stinging nettle extract decreased blood glucose levels. [2]
3. In people with type 2 diabetes, consumption of nettle extract for 8 weeks reduced diabetic symptoms and blood sugar levels. [3]
4. In diabetic patients and animal models of diabetes, consumption of stinging nettle notably decreased blood sugar and complications of diabetes. [4]
5. In people with diabetes, consumption of stinging nettle decreased blood sugar levels by improving insulin release. [5]
6. In diabetic patients, consumption of stinging nettle achieved a normal blood sugar level of 120 mg/dL. [6]

Lowers Blood Pressure

Evidence suggests that stinging nettle leaf has blood pressure-lowering effects:

1. In normotensive and hypertensive rats, administration of crude methanolic extract of stinging nettle lowered blood pressure by widening the blood vessels. [7]
2. In hypertensive rats, consumption of stinging nettle leaf extract reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure by decreasing systemic oxidative stress. [8]
3. In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), stinging nettle leaf lowered blood pressure by improving antioxidant enzyme activity. [9]

Speeds up Wound Healing

There’s also a good deal of scientific evidence supporting the wound healing effects of stinging nettle leaf:

1. In rats with second degree burns, treatment with stinging nettle leaf extract for 42 days was associated with maximal rate of healing. [10]
2. In rats with full thickness wounds, treatment with stinging nettle leaf extract resulted in fast wound closure and full epidermal regeneration and improvement. [11]
3. A study found that stinging nettle leaf can speed up the wound healing process through its antimicrobial properties. [12]

Treats Kidney Disease

Studies show that stinging nettle leaf can help protect the kidney against various diseases:

1. In rats, treatment with methanolic extract of stinging nettle leaf notably decreased the deposition of calcium and oxalate in the kidneys. [13]
2. A study showed that stinging nettle leaf can help protect against kidney damage. [14]
3. A study found that stinging nettle leaf improved kidney function by reducing blood creatinine levels. [15]
4. A study showed that stinging nettle leaf can help prevent the formation of kidney stones. [16]

Prevents Cancer

The anti-cancer properties of stinging nettle leaf are also backed by several studies:

1. A study showed that stinging nettle leaf may be used as a chemotherapeutic agent because it has no side effects. [17]
2. A study found that stinging nettle leaf can be a useful agent in the treatment of colorectal cancer. [18]
3. In a mouse model of breast cancer, treatment with stinging nettle leaf extract for 28 days decreased the tumor significantly. [19]
4. A study showed that stinging nettle leaf induced programmed cell death of prostate cancer cells. [20]

Promotes Weight Loss

Evidence also suggests that stinging nettle leaf can help improve body composition by reducing fat mass:

1. In a mouse model of diabetes, stinging nettle leaf protected against diet-induced obesity by improving lipid accumulation and blood sugar metabolism in the skeletal muscle, liver, and fat tissues. [21]

Prevents Bone Abnormalities

Evidence also found that stinging nettle leaf is vital for bone health:

1. In male Wistar albino rats, stinging nettle leaf extract accelerated new bone formation. [22]

Treats Enlarged Prostate

Studies demonstrate the effectiveness of stinging nettle leaf in the treatment of enlarged prostate:

1. In patients with enlarged prostate, administration of stinging nettle leaf for 6 months was associated with symptom relief without any side effects. [23]
2. In elderly men with moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms caused by enlarged prostate, treatment with stinging nettle leaf increased urinary flow. [24]
3. In rats with enlarged prostate, administration of stinging nettle leaf reduced prostate size and weight. [25]

References:

1. Kianbakht S, Khalighi-Sigaroodi F, Dabaghian FH. Improved glycemic control in patients with advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus taking Urtica dioica leaf extract: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clin Lab. 2013;59(9-10):1071-1076. doi:10.7754/clin.lab.2012.121019.
2. Ahangarpour A, Mohammadian M, Dianat M. Antidiabetic effect of hydroalcholic urticadioica leaf extract in male rats with fructose-induced insulin resistance. Iran J Med Sci. 2012;37(3):181-186.
3. Namazi, A. Tarighat Esfanjani, M. Asghari and A. Bahrami, 2011. The Effect of Hydroalcholic Nettle (Urtica dioica) Extracts on Some Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Medical Sciences, 11: 138-144.
4. Avin Mehri, Shirin Hasani-Ranjbar, Bagher Larijani and Mohammad Abdollahi, 2011. A Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety of Urtica dioica in the Treatment of Diabetes. International Journal of Pharmacology, 7: 161-170.
5. Korani B, Mirzapour A, Moghadamnia A A, Khafri S, Neamati N, et al. The Effect of Urtica dioica Hydro-Alcoholic Extract on Glycemic Index and AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Levels in Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Single-Blind Clinical Trial, Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2017 ; 19(3):e40572. doi: 10.5812/ircmj.40572.
6. Available from https://openventio.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Use-of-Urtica-dioica-Stinging-Nettle-as-a-Blood-Sugar-Lowering-Herb-A-Case-Report-and-a-Review-of-the-Literature-DROJ-1-119.pdf.
7. Qayyum R, Qamar HM, Khan S, Salma U, Khan T, Shah AJ. Mechanisms underlying the antihypertensive properties of Urtica dioica. J Transl Med. 2016;14(1):254. Published 2016 Sep 1. doi:10.1186/s12967-016-1017-3.
8. Vajic UJ, Grujic-Milanovic J, Miloradovic Z, et al. Urtica dioica L. leaf extract modulates blood pressure and oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Phytomedicine. 2018;46:39-45. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2018.04.037.
9. Vajic, U.; Grujic-Milanovic, J.; Miloradovic, Z.; Jovovic, D.; Ivanov, M.; Karanovic, D.; Mihailovic-Stanojevic, N. [PP.31.09] Urtica dioica l. leaf extract reduces blood pressure and improves antioxidative defence in spontaneously hypertensive rats, Journal of Hypertension: September 2016 – Volume 34 – Issue – p e316 doi: 10.1097/01.hjh.0000492266.90200.03.
10. Akbari H, Fatemi MJ, Iranpour M, et al. The healing effect of nettle extract on second degree burn wounds. World J Plast Surg. 2015;4(1):23-28.
11. Zouari Bouassida, Karama & Bardaa, Sana & Khimiri, Meriem & Rebai, Tarek & Tounsi, Slim & Jlaiel, Lobna & Trigui, Mohamed. (2017). Exploring the Urtica dioica Leaves Hemostatic and Wound-Healing Potential. BioMed Research International. 2017. 1-10. 10.1155/2017/1047523.
12. Available from https://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080%2F13880209.2016.1275025.
13. Zhang, H., Li, N., Li, K., & Li, P. (2014). Protective effect of Urtica dioica methanol extract against experimentally induced urinary calculi in rats. Molecular Medicine Reports, 10, 3157-3162. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2610.
14. Vamenta-Morris H, Dreisbach A, Shoemaker-Moyle M, Abdel-Rahman EM. Internet claims on dietary and herbal supplements in advanced nephropathy: truth or myth. Am J Nephrol. 2014;40(5):393-398. doi:10.1159/000368724.
15. Available from http://jonathantreasure.com/evidence-research-testimonials-case-history/case-histories/nettle-seed-kidney-function/.
16. Available from https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/3/765/htm.
17. Available from https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/15/2753/htm.
18. Mohammadi, A., Mansoori, B., Aghapour, M. et al. The Herbal Medicine Utrica Dioica Inhibits Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cell Line by Inducing Apoptosis and Arrest at the G2/M Phase. J Gastrointest Canc 47, 187–195 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-016-9819-3.
19. Available from https://www.clinical-breast-cancer.com/article/S1526-8209(16)30347-0/abstract.
20. Available from http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?pr14101.
21. Fan S, Raychaudhuri S, Kraus O, Shahinozzaman M, Lofti L, Obanda DN. Urtica dioica Whole Vegetable as a Functional Food Targeting Fat Accumulation and Insulin Resistance-a Preliminary Study in a Mouse Pre-Diabetic Model. Nutrients. 2020;12(4):1059. Published 2020 Apr 10. doi:10.3390/nu12041059.
22. Irgin C, Çörekçi B, Ozan F, et al. Does stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) have an effect on bone formation in the expanded inter-premaxillary suture?. Arch Oral Biol. 2016;69:13-18. doi:10.1016/j.archoralbio.2016.05.003.
23. Safarinejad MR. Urtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. J Herb Pharmacother. 2005;5(4):1-11. PMID: 16635963.
24. Lopatkin N, Sivkov A, Schläfke S, Funk P, Medvedev A, Engelmann U. Efficacy and safety of a combination of Sabal and Urtica extract in lower urinary tract symptoms–long-term follow-up of a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial. Int Urol Nephrol. 2007;39(4):1137-46. doi: 10.1007/s11255-006-9173-7. Epub 2007 Feb 15. PMID: 18038253.
25. Nahata A, Dixit VK. Ameliorative effects of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) on testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats. Andrologia. 2012 May;44 Suppl 1:396-409. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2011.01197.x. Epub 2011 Aug 2. PMID: 21806658.