Stinging nettle is a plant that is well known its intensely painful stings, caused by the tiny hairs on the stems and leaves.
It is used medicinally for a variety of different purposes. There are many facts to be aware of before starting the supplement.
The various parts of the stinging nettle plant (such as the roots or leaves) contain several different compounds that may have medicinal properties. For instance, the leaves contain
quercetin, a flavonoid that may help with
allergies by inhibiting histamine release from certain cells in the body. The leaves also contain several other flavonoids, such as
beta-sitosterol (which may help
lower cholesterol and treat an
enlarged prostate).
Stinging nettle also contains compounds that may have pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory analgesic, numbing, antiviral, and antibacterial effects. Because stinging nettle contains many different active components, it is likely that benefits of the herb are due to a combination of several of the different components.
(Click Stinging Nettle for more facts about stinging nettle, including information about the safety, effectiveness, and potential side effects of this product.)
