Stinging Nettles for Allergies

Stinging nettle is a plant well known for the intensely painful stings it causes. This plant is used medicinally and is used for a variety of different purposes. Many people use it for allergies.

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.

One small, preliminary study suggested that stinging nettle worked better than a placebo (a "sugar pill" with no active ingredients) for treating allergy symptoms. At this time, there is not enough scientific evidence to suggest that stinging nettle really works (or does not work) for other uses.

(Click Does Stinging Nettle Work? for more information on how allergies can be treated with stinging nettle, to find out what other conditions can be treated with this supplement, and to learn more about the effectiveness of the product.)