Description. Perennial herb up to 150 cm tall. Stalk is erect, tetrahedral. Leaves are petiolate, opposite, elliptic, coarse on the edge. The whole plant is covered with brittle hair, soaked in silica. In case of contact with human body, heads of hairs break off, remaining in a wound formed in skin. Together with the tip of hair, caustic liquid penetrates into the wound and causes burning sensation. Flowers of nettle are small, inconspicuous, unisexual, grow from the axils of upper leaves.

Nettle bloom time: June - August.

The applied part: in scientific medicine they use preparations from the leaves (allohol), and folk medicine uses roots.

Time of gathering: the grass is gathered in summer, during nettle flowering, roots - in late autumn.

Chemical composition. Nettle leaves contain large quantities of chlorophyll, flavonoid and tannin, silica and formic acids, pantothenic acid, glycoside urtetsin, phytosterol, protein, potassium, calcium, iron, fat, carotene (more than carrots), vitamin C (double more than black currant), vitamin K and other substances.

Application. Fresh juice is useful in early spring while avitaminosis, anemia: hemoglobin and red blood cell levels are increased. The effect of nettle extract (allohol) is well known against diseases of liver, gall bladder and gastro-intestinal tract. Nettle is used as an aid in treatment of spleen diseases, malaria, tuberculosis of lungs, bronchitis.

Nettle tincture is used for prevention of gout and stone formation. It is experimentally proved that nettle leaves  preparations reduce sugar level in blood. Nettle tincture is widely used against various bleeding: nose, lung, uterine, hemorrhoids. The ability to stop bleeding is explained by presence of vitamins C and K in nettle. Outwardly, nettle is used in treatment of dandruff and alopecia, pruritus of skin, thrush, pain in joints.

Dosing:

• acute and chronic inflammation of small intestine: pour 2 tablespoons. dry powder from nettles leaves in 1 cup sour milk (or other dairy product). Take 1 cup in the morning before breakfast and evening, 2 hours before bedtime, unless contraindicated. Course of treatment is determined by treating physician. Practice shows any herbs are very effective within 7-10 days, and then most often occurs habituation of the organism to the drug, or over-saturation of the organism with chemical constituents of herbs. But, fortunately, 7-10 days are sufficient for complete cure of many diseases. Otherwise, our arsenal of medicinal herbs can always offer other plants of similar effect;

• for spleen tumors folk medicine recommends a mixture of powders of three herbs: 1 teaspoon sage, 1 tsp plantain lanceolate leaves, 1 tsp nettle leaves. Pour herbal powder in 1 cup yogurt, or you can just drink water. Take 3 times a day. Individual treatment is determined by physician;

• while boils, pimples, eruptions and pruritus one should completely give up eating meat, fish, eggs, vodka, wine and beer for 2 weeks. The diet should include vegetables, fruits and dairy products (about 50% of vegetables and fruits - raw). Treatment with a mixture of herbs: nettle leaves, dandelion leaves, flowers, thorns. For the day: pour 2 tbsp. mixture with 2 cups boiling water. Infuse in a thermos for 1 h. Strain and drink 3-4 times daily before meals (course of treatment - 2 weeks);

• externally. When baldness or dandruff, we prepare an infusion of a mixture of three herbs: heather, burdock roots, grass and stinging nettle root (1 table spoon of each herb for 1 cup boiling water). Cook infusion in a thermos for 1 hour, shaking slightly occasionally. Pour tincture into a basin, lie down so that your head hung down. Put the bowl on the floor, to take a napkin or an old towel in hand. Lowering hand with a napkin in the infusion, quickly, while brew is warm, put your hand with a wet hot towel on a hanging down head and start massaging scalp quietly in a circular motion. Blood flow to the scalp, massage and healing properties of herbs can help you restoring head vegetation during one month. Subsequently, this procedure should be repeated periodically - 1 time per week. Every six months - a full month course of treatment. It should be remembered that, apart from the above herbs, there are others that can help you achieve the same effect. For example, you can make a mixture of nettle leaves, a succession of flowers and leaves of oregano.

Note. The nutritive value of green nettle is not inferior to leguminous crops, as well as carrot and black currant. Fresh or preserved nettles green can be used when cooking green soups, fried eggs, omelettes, salads, mashed potatoes (nettle leaves with green onions, finely chopped), as fillings in potato, carrot, onion and egg pies.

If you provide your body with vitamins and clean it from the slag in early spring, then you will not have to be treated later.