Nettles for Health
13th April 2008

Here is a fascinating article by Cath Parker who is a "Live Food teacher".

Wild Food For Free

by Cath Parker

Now that spring appears to be on its way at last, my thoughts are turning to foraging for wild foods.  Often regarded as weeds, wild foods such as nettles and dandelions once formed a vital part of our diet.  But now that we are used to buying our food wrapped in plastic from supermarkets much of that knowledge has disappeared.

Did you know that many wild plants are more nutritious than their cultivated counterparts?  For instance:

• Nettles contain one of the highest levels of the mineral silicon found in any food.
• Dandelions and nettles each contain more iron than spinach.
• Fat hen (probably the most nutritious of wild foods) contains more protein, calcium and B vitamins than kale and more vitamin C than watercress.

Nettles are a good food to start foraging for, simply because they are so recognisable! Next time you go for a walk simply take some rubber gloves and a carrier bag with you.  Take the top few leaves from a nettle plant: that way you get to eat the youngest freshest leaves and the main body of the plant can continue growing. It is best to eat nettles in the spring while they are young. Once the flowers start to appear then the leaves are getting too tough and are not nearly so nutritious.

The best way to eat nettles is either to juice the leaves (this will only work in a masticating juicer) or else blend them with some water and fruit to make a smoothie. Once the leaves are thoroughly blended or juiced then the sting disappears.

I love the following recipe which is great as a satisfying breakfast or a mid-morning energiser: blend a banana with half a pint of filtered water, a handful of blueberries and approximately 20 nettle leaves.  If no blueberries are available then use any sweet berry, or else 2 tablespoons of dried blueberries (in which case soak them in the water for half an hour beforehand).

There are many other fascinating snippets of information about nettles:

In mythology the Nordics associated nettles with the thunder god Thor.  They were said to protect from lightning strikes.

Ancient Shaman healers used to purposely strike their paralyzed patients with nettles in order to bring blood flow back into the muscles and skin.

In Roman times flogging with nettles was used as a cure for chronic rheumatism.

Stinging nettles have a strong association with human habitation - the presence of nettles may indicate that a building has long been abandoned.  In Scotland the sites of crofts razed to the ground during the Highland Clearances can still be identified.

Nettle juice is said to restore natural hair colour - nettle extracts are used in many shampoos.

Nettle leaves increase the function of the thyroid gland, increasing metabolism and energy and burning fat.

Nettle leaves are highly alkaline and help to clean the blood and flush the kidneys.

Nettles contain silicon which is present throughout the body.  This essential mineral keeps the blood warm, helps to direct the flow of electricity in the blood, and maintains the elasticity of the arterial walls. It is believed that a silicon-rich food can increase bone density and improve the health of teeth, nails and hair.

Nettles also contain serotonin and other elements of the nervous system.

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Catherine Parker only eats raw, vegan food and holds workshops to demonstrate how easy it is to increase the proportion of raw and living foods in anyone's diet.  She is passionate about spreading the word of the health benefits of raw foods.

She can be contacted by email at or on 07734 294 548. Her website is www.cathparker.wordpress.com.