One of the most revered plants in the world for its’ health-promoting attributes, stinging nettle is the perfect example of the concept of “food as medicine”.
The young leaves and stems, fresh or dried, are cooked in soups, stews, or stir fries to produce a tasty potherb rich in a broad array of nutrients essential for good health as well as replenishing a depleted liver and other organs following a prolonged illness.
The stinging part of the name refers to a separate medicinal function of the tiny, microscopic spines that inject you with formic acid (the same acid in bee stings) when you brush up against the plants. In both European and Native American traditions these plants were whipped across the back or arms and legs of people suffering from arthritis to relieve the pain by stimulating a long-term hormonal response in the bloods similar to getting a cortisone shot.
A truly amazing plant!
In this next video, John Mionczynski discusses more about the many uses of stinging nettle.
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