Subject: Stinging Nettle?

From: [email-masked] (Daune Calovini)
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 1995 14:13:01 GMT

Just moved into a new house and was clearing out a large patch of "weeds" 
in the back yard, brushed one plant and had welts for an hour or so.

My neighbor says it's stinging nettle, and people make a tea of it to 
reduce cholesterol.

Any truth to this?  How could I identify it?

Thanks for any and all help

Daune

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From: [email-masked] (Claire DeLeo)
Date: 10 Sep 1995 21:27:55 -0600

Daune Calovini ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Just moved into a new house and was clearing out a large patch of "weeds" 
: in the back yard, brushed one plant and had welts for an hour or so.

Lucky you.  I wish I had stinging nettles in my backyard.  It seems like 
you have already identified the stinging part of nettles.  Nettles can 
grow up to 4 feet high, and is usually a single stalk unless the tip of 
the plant has been broken off, then it branches out.  It has opposite 
leaves that are usually dark green with serrated edges.  The seeds hang 
down from the base of the leaves.  The leaves have hairs on the 
underside.  If you touch these hairs, you will get a sting which is a 
chemical secreted from a gland at the base of the hairs.

When nettles are dry or cooked, they no longer sting.  I like to cook 
nettles when they first come up in the spring.  I cook them in a little 
bit of water for 5 minutes.  I don't add anything to the water, like 
salt, because I usually save the cooking water to drink as tea after I've 
eatten the nettles.

I don't know about nettles reducing cholesterol, but it is good for 
mineral supplementation.  Whenever I'm feeling worn down, I drink nettle 
tea.  Nettles are high in iron content.  Nettles are also good for improving 
digestion and for internal bleeding.  There are other uses for nettles 
also, such as a hair rinse.  Even the dried stalks were once used to make 
fibers that were used to spin cloth.  

Nettles are a wonderful plant to have in your yard.  I hope you will 
reconsider calling them a weed and let them thrive in your yard.

Claire
[email-masked]

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From: Maggie Houston <[email-masked]>
Date: 11 Sep 1995 12:56:12 GMT

The NA's have taught me that plants like Stinging Nettle are so valuable to us 
that they need to make us notice them.  This plant is an awesome tonifier.  It 
is taken in the spring summer as a tea. (Pour two cups of  boiled water, 
sightly cooled onto a 1/4 oz of crushed leaves and stems.) It will provide rich 
minerals and vitamins as well as being a cooling agent for the body on hot 
days.  If this herbs is on your property you are much blessed by the plant 
world.  Please get a specific identification.  If it is in your vicinity then your 
body really needs this plant.  There is a message here for you one way or the 
other.  Oh, you can rub a muccopolysaccaride (cold Pressed) rich aloe on 
the welts and it will help.  If  Lady Stinging Nettle is your friend she'll reach 
out and touch you again.  Best Wishes and Good Health, Maggie

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From: [email-masked] (Coeli)
Date: 11 Sep 1995 15:42:43 -0400

Nettle is recommended for hay fever...acc to Andy Weill

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From: [email-masked] (Karen Rodgers)
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 22:22:23 UNDEFINED

In article <[email-masked]> Maggie Houston <[email-masked]> writes:
>From: Maggie Houston <[email-masked]>
>Subject: Re: Stinging Nettle?
>Date: 11 Sep 1995 12:56:12 GMT

>out and touch you again.  Best Wishes and Good Health, Maggie

I drink nettle tea on occasion, but had an opportunity to meet her in person 
this summer while vacationing in northern England. While my boyfriend and I 
both had personal encounters with her, his welts lasted 30 minutes or so, and 
mine lasted 48 hours or so. My whole hand was numb, red, and swollen. Do you 
have any idea what was going on? I would like to know if I have a dangerous 
allergy to it, so I can *try* to stay away. I had no problems with the tea, 
btw.
Thanks for your help,
Karen

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From: [email-masked] (Marylin Kraker)
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 09:56:37 GMT

> Thanks for any and all help

Stinging nettle makes the best hair rinse/conditioner you've ever used. Just
make a strong "tea" and pour it on your hair after shampooing and rinsing.
Leave the nettle rinse to dry on your hair; don't rinse it out. Your hair
will be very soft, but still have body. It's also supposed to be healthy for
hair and scalp.

If you have jewelweed growing (usually in damp areas), a strong infusion
("tea") of that should stop the sting. Or rub crushed jewelweed on your skin.

Health,
Marylin
--
Marylin Kraker, user of the C4 Yourself BBS @ c4systm.com
E-Mail: [email-masked]
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From: James Michael Kocher <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 12:40:51 -0400

What type of environment do they like to grow in?  
I am only familiar with them growing in the woods in the Pocono Mts.

-Jim, Pittsburgh  PA  USA  

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From: Liz Jones <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 Sep 1995 17:42:22 GMT

Hey Jim!
 They grow here!(ie, Western PA). Seem to like woods that get a lot of 
moisture. If you want to check some out in the Pgh. vicinity, try going 
out to Raccoon creek park( west of the city, nice park) and take the 
trail to the mineral springs. Got my first encounter with nettles here-- 
I crushed a leaf because I had some lame-brained notion that it might be 
a mint... Fortunately there was plenty  of jewelweed growing nearby! 
Jewelweed is getting geared up to do its ballistic seeds trick soon. Pick 
a few seed pods if you see them for a big surprise. Awesome way to reduce 
stress-- go out in the woods and explode seedpods for awhile.  
Have Fun!
Liz Jones