A Magical Herb: Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle is a widely grown plant which is full of nutritional values. The Biological name of Stinging nettle is Utica dioica and belongs to the family Urticaceae .Stinging nettle is so called because the nettle of this plant are covered and have fine hairs over the leaves and stem and branches  of the whole plant .When the plant is touched the hairs of the plant sting the surface of the skin which release chemical such as methanoic acid and acetylcholine and trigger inflammation which leads to redness , itching , irritation etc. to the skin .Generally nettles are used for treating painful joints and muscles , arthritis , joint pain , eczema and anaemia for hundreds of years but today it is used to treat urinary problems related to the early stages of benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH , hay fever , or used in creams to treat insect bites , sprains and tendonitis .

Stinging nettle is a widely grown plant which is full of nutritional values. The biological name of Stinging nettle is Utica dioica and belongs to the family Urticaceae. Stinging nettle is so called because the nettle of this plant are covered and have fine hairs over the leaves and stem and branches of the whole plant. When the plant is touched the hairs of the plant sting the surface of the skin which release chemical such as methanoic acid and acetylcholine and trigger inflammation which leads to redness, itching, irritation, etc. to the skin. Generally, nettles are used for treating painful joints and muscles, arthritis, joint pain, eczema, and anaemia for hundreds of years but today it is used to treat urinary problems related to the early stages of benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH, hay fever, or used in creams to treat insect bites, sprains, and tendonitis. Dosage forms of Stinging nettle available in the market are ointment, capsules, frozen and dried preparations of sting leaves. For future perspective further studies should be conducted thoroughly on this plant. Urtica dioica can also be used for production of ethanol in future. Effects of Urtica dioica on hair growth and on wounds and ageing can be explored. Research on this plant has a lot of scope in medicinal and pharma industry.