Stinging Nettle For Allergy Relief

Q. A friend found a mention of nettle leaf for allergy relief in your book and passed it along. It works wonderfully.

It has also worked for others. A student in one of my college classes told me that he was unable to sleep the night before because of allergy. He took a dose of my nettle leaf extract. An hour later he interrupted the class to say his symptoms were gone.

On your Web pages you discuss nettle root for prostate health. Are the uses of the leaf and the root different?

A. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a common herb in Europe, where the leaves may also be eaten as a vegetable. In this country, few people know about it.

You are correct that the nettle root extract is used to treat symptoms of enlarged prostate. The above-ground parts are used to treat symptoms of allergy (Alternative Medicine Review, Sept. 2007).

We discuss this and many other natural approaches to allergy control in our book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy. It is available in libraries, bookstores, and on this web site.