Natures Super Food
How To Make Stinging Nettle Tea
How do you make natures own superfood, a nice cup of stinging nettle tea.
In this article I want to cover the advantages and benefits of drinking stinging nettle tea and how to make this nettle tea when you're out in the woods.
The herbal drink itself is very refreshing and typically herbal in taste and texture. If you're at home, you can actually put it in the fridge and sip it throughout the day for a cool refreshing drink.
In my video (end of article), you can see the process from start to finish:
benefits of nettle tea
1: Aids your Heart Health
Along with high levels of vitamin D and K, nettles are stuffed to the brim with other essential vitamins and minerals, which are considered potent heart protectors.
Nettles are high in vitamins A and C, Betacarotene and other Carotenoids. High concentration of iron and vitamin C, both of which contribute to helping your body boost red blood cell production. May also help to reduce anaemia.
Stinging nettles also contain flavonoids, namely Quercetin and Kaempferol, both of which have been shown to lower blood pressure and thus reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
Similarly, with it's high levels of iron and potassium, tea infusions made from stinging nettles can help the blood vessels to relax, giving rise to healthy circulation.
2: It Will Soothe Allergies
The stinging nettle plant, while in it's natural state, will stimulate your bodies natural allergic reaction.
The fine hairs, known as trichomes just have to brush against skin and this reaction will start.
But when you make nettle tea, they do the opposite and begin to help soothe and relieve allergies.
3: helps muscle joint pain and strengthens bones
Nettles have natural analgesic, anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties.
It is widely known that they were used by our ancestors to treat muscular and joint problems like muscle stiffness, aches and soreness.
Furthermore, studies have been made that show that stewed nettles helped greatly in relieving arthritis pain and relieved the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Additionally there are very high amounts of vitamin D and K, Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron found in nettle infused tea, which protect bone density.
4: Reduces and Calms Skin Irritations
Although this may seem to be the opposite of peoples general opinion, infused nettle tea has many natural antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and pain-relieving abilities.
You can reduce the itching, redness and swelling that are found in skin conditions such as eczema and acne.
Likewise you can also speed up the healing process and minimise scarring.
Most noteworthy and to get the best results, you can drink infused stinging nettle tea.
Additionally if you prefer, make a cup of tea and then let it cool, and apply the cool liquid directly to the affected area of your skin.
5:. Helps To Increase Your Urinary, Kidney And Prostate Health
Stinging nettles are a natural diuretic and as such can aid in overall healthy urination. You can therefore use the humble stinging nettle plant as a natural remedy for urinary tract infections and additionally, prevent kidney stones.
6: Helps to Increase immune function
There are several compounds found in stinging nettles that give the immune system a boost.
The Antioxidants, Flavonoids, Carotenoids and the vitamins A and C help protect immune cells against damage that can weaken the bodies immune function.
When you drink a stinging nettle infused drink, the nettle extract actually strengthens the bodies own immune response.
Click below to see full 'How To Make Stinging Nettle Tea' video:
When to pick stinging nettles
You only have a limited time during the year when you can pick nettles, this being when when they are at there freshest and most potent.
For that reason look to harvest them from early spring through to summer. For best results choose them while they’re still quite small, around a foot tall, you will find the leaves are at their most tender then.
If possible harvest them while they’re still young, this means before the plant starts flowering. You'll find that once the nettle starts to flower the leaves become bitter.
Alternatives to picking your own stinging nettles
Seeing as you can only pick fresh nettles at certain times of the year, you can do one of two things:
1. Harvest a load of nettles and dry them for future use - this is a lot of effort, and to be honest not very efficient...
OR
2. Buy them ready picked and dried in bulk. This is what I do and is by far the best method. I have left a handy link below to the nettle tea that I use....
Made from nettle leaf, this rich and mellow tea is packed with minerals and nutrients.
A Word Of Warning - Common Sense Safety Precautions
There is a chance the stinging nettle infusions can have a severe effect with over-the-counter and medically prescribed medications, these include: drugs for high blood pressure, diabetes, diuretics, blood thinners and lithium.
As a result of this, it is well worth consulting your doctor before starting to use any new supplement or natural remedy.
As you can see, making yourself a nice cup of stinging nettle tea is really quite a simple process and the nutritional benefits are very high.
Although there are just a few months in the year where the nettles are at their best, you can always supplement your diet with shop bought nettles.
* and finally, just so you know: I am not a doctor or medically trained. So please don't take this as medical advice.
Do your own research on stinging nettle tea.
Happy prepping
Steve Hart
UkpreppersGuide.co.uk
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8 comments
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Steve, This is a real eye opener for me as I had no idea that nettle tea had so many benefits to your health. I have heard of it before but never new all the benefits. Next time I’m out in the woods I’ll definitely give it a go.
Not sure if you have written an article about this as well but another one to try is pine needle tea. It has many vitamins and some antibacterial properties as well I believe. All the best
Hi Steve,I’ve cooked up nettles in meals before and they taste like spinach to me (another superfood.)Also I believe the romans in Uk used to treat joint artritis by whipping each other with stinging nettles.Not sure I should be going further down that road ! Good video. Regards,
Gary.
Hi.
I wonder if I dry the netls, do they then have the same effects? ( I do dry hole stem with leaves and give to my rabbits, chicken and lamb.
Christian I was wondering the same thing as for me it would be nice to physically meet like minded people
Hey guys brand new to all this but fascinated always been a closet prepper but starting to get serious now ,are there any meetings,as in live talks do they exist ? .
Thank you Steve for how to make Nettle tea. My grandfather used to collect the nettles in the woods near his small holding, I used to love all his different drinks he made. And he used to put honey in sometimes from his own bee hives. I learnt where to get all the various herbs and other wild plants which you can eat if you know what you’re doing. My Grandfather drilled each way of preparing the herbs and other wild plants. Also taught me to tickle trout I fell Inthe river a good few times till I got the hang of it. I also learnt that if you build a if you put layers of dirt on the embers then put a blanket over the top you could keep warm in the winter months. I would say thaty Grandfather was Prepper not that he would agree with me or you. But he was always putting stuff away for a rainy day. When he died two years ago he had left me all sorts of stuff a journal of all his little hide aways and recipes for herbal remedies his binoculars (4pairs one brass one) his double headed axes (2) and a load of other stuff that I as a prepper would find a use for.
Author
Hi Lofty,
You probably don’t realise it but you have a goldmine of information in your head as well now.
What a fantastic gift to leave behind.
I’m quite jealous..!
Thank you for sharing your story.
All the best, Steve
Hi Steve ,I’m new to this an not very tekky so forgive me if I’ve come through the wrong messaging ,I’ve always really always been a prepper but finding your info fascinating. My prepping has been getting quite serious I’m planning a trip soon do some camping is it possible to add pics on here ,kind regards,Christian