Iris Herbal Info Library - Stinging Nettle/Radiation Damage/Immune System

THE UNEXPECTED GIFTS OF STINGING NETTLE

Occasionally, Ma Nature comes up with an extraordinarily useful plant. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is one such plant. Though it’s feared, hated and underrated, every inch of the plant — root, leaf, stalk and seed — offers gifts. Learn to respect it, and it will go to work for you.

Nettle is often mistaken for a large mint, but a closer look reveals tiny hairs covering the leaves and stems. Brush lightly against the fresh plant (ouch!) and these hairs release skin irritants resulting in short-lived redness, a burning feeling and, though rarely, hives. So where’s the gift?

DYES, NETS, WINE AND CHEESE
Everywhere it grows, nettle has a long history of use. In addition to being valued as superior food and medicine, the plant formed part of the fabric of survival and cultural practices in many regions. Pounded stems yield strong fiber for fishing nets and cordage, as well as thread for a variety of fabrics — from fine, silky cloth to canvas. Leaves make a rich green dye, the roots a yellow dye. Tea acts like rennet, curdling milk in cheese making. Our forebears dined on nettle wine (or beer), and used concoctions made from the seeds to make their hair thick and sleek.

Nettle plays a dynamic role in the garden as well. The plant enlivens and conditions soil, speeds decomposition in compost heaps, and improves the health and vigor of plants. Just soak a handful of fresh nettle stalks (leaves attached) in a covered barrel of rainwater until it begins to ferment. Strain and use in a watering can or spray onto foliage.

Although nettle is most often found near streams, this highly adaptable plant can succeed in the drylands. Provide a northeast exposure, extra shade in June and July, and moderately rich, well-drained soil. Water deeply once or twice weekly. The creeping roots won’t damage foundations or septic lines, but they may be hard to eradicate once established, so be sure of your placement.

For garden use, gather nettles any time. If you want to eat them or make medicine, collect before they set seed. Don’t forget to dry some leaves for winter use. Now, about those stinging hairs: Just as cactus spines don’t stop enterprising people from eating tasty prickly pears, nettle hairs can be dealt with. Leather gloves and long sleeves make gathering nettles a cinch. Dry or cook the leaves, and the hairs are disarmed. Dry as you would yarrow or mint, then remove the leaves. Wear gloves, because the stems never lose their prickliness.

After the killing frost in the fall, cut nettles to the ground, and look forward to their return next spring. Do give something back to their soil (manure, compost or some cut nettles themselves), or eventually your nettle patch will sicken.

REAL FOOD
For me, nettle satisfies an almost cellular hunger; eating it the first time each spring approaches a religious experience. It is one of the highest known sources of protein in a leafy green, and offers a broad palette of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. Although nettle leaves are used exactly as you would spinach or chard, their rich, hearty flavor has much more pizzazz. They contain so much chlorophyll they nearly stain the pot green. (Indeed, leaves are used today as a commercial source of chlorophyll.) For the simplest preparation, simmer five minutes in a small amount of water; turn once during cooking. (I season mine with butter and tamari soy sauce.) Save the broth for a soup base, or savor it as a beverage.

HERBAL HEALTH INSURANCE
When nettle is used as fodder, chickens lay more eggs, cows produce more milk, and tired, drab horses become frisky and sport shinier coats. Is it surprising, then, that nettle does a few things for humans? This humble plant excels in an area modern pharmaceuticals can’t touch — keeping things working well so they don’t break down in the first place.

A restorative, tonifying herb, nettle vitalizes and normalizes glands and organs, purifies the blood and strengthens bones. In a paradoxical vein, juice or tea from fresh leaves soothes burns and stings — even nettle stings. Go figure. Though it increases nursing moms’ milk, it is also astringent, stopping inappropriate bleeding, drying up waterlogged lungs, etc. An alcohol extract of fresh leaves helps relieve hay fever. Because nettle promotes excretion of excess acids, it’s great for gouty, creaky joints and some skin conditions.

Regular use is like giving your body a new set of spark plugs. Of course, the best time for new plugs is after a lethargic winter of heavy foods. A mess of fresh nettle greens is the perfect spring tonic, when overwrought livers crave luxuriantly green food.

Daring souls may explore a startling option once prescribed by herbally- oriented doctors. “Urtication therapy” (stinging yourself with nettle intentionally) is similar to bee sting therapy. It awakens circulation, enlivens nerves and lymphatic flow, thereby easing congested, stiff areas (like arthritic joints). Any takers?

Really, for all the dread and fear, the occasional sting isn’t that terrible. Pain can be relieved instantly using antidote plants grown nearby. (Chew briefly and apply the moist plant to the area.) For example, try “self heal” (Prunella vulgaris), an attractive ground cover in the mint family. Those of scanty faith can keep Benadryl cream on hand.

If trying nettle sounds enticing to you, and you’re tempted to overdo a good thing, don’t. Overuse (more than two cups of tea a day) can dry you out. Keep in mind that no single remedy creates health — but in the meantime, inviting nettle into your life is an excellent beginning.

RESOURCES

Where to Get Nettle Seeds:
Johnny’s Selected Seeds, (800) 879-2258, www.johnnyseeds.com
Bountiful Gardens (707) 459-6410, www.bountifulgardens.org
Check with your local nurseries; they may be able to order nettle seedlings for you.

Where to Get Dried Organic Nettle Leaf:
Available on the Internet, at herb stores, and at most large health food stores.

Bedtime Reading:
Healing Wise, by Susun Weed, Ash Tree Publishing, Woodstock, 1989. Includes 25 pages devoted to nettle, including uses for leaves, seeds and root, and recipes for cooked greens.

This article is from Gardening the Southwest: How to care for your land while growing food, medicine and beauty (Healing Earth Publications, 1999), available through the author.

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PROTECT YOURSELF FROM RADIATION DAMAGE

by Carole Tashel

Radiation from medical procedures, accidental releases from labs or nuclear power plants, and frequent airline travel, can harm your cells and tissues because it generates "hot" particles called free radicals. Interestingly, our white blood cells actually produce these free radicals and use them to destroy invading pathogens. What’s more, free radicals are also generated as a waste product of normal metabolism. Your healthy body does have ways to keep free radicals in check…unless excessive exposure overwhelms its capacity to remove them. Unfortunately, our world is full of background radiation from more than a half-century of nuclear activities.

But radiation is not the only culprit. Too much sun, caffeine, nicotine or alcohol, many chemicals, physical or emotional trauma, intense exercise and bacterial infections generate free radicals. Also, "bad" fats (excess polyunsaturated oils and the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in so many processed foods) easily become free radicals. As you might expect, your liver works hard to clean up free radical damage. So keep your liver happy by eating "good fats" (real butter or ghee, olives, olive oil, goat/sheep dairy, nuts, herring, sardines, wild salmon, cod, halibut and, surprisingly, pure unhydrogenated coconut oil). These friendly fats protect cell walls, improve immune system function, and are anti-inflammatory.

ANTIOXIDANTS AND FREE RADICAL "SCAVENGERS" TO THE RESCUE!
These "good guys" capture free radicals and neutralize them before they have a chance to cause harm. Many foods and herbs are free radical scavengers. Sulfur-containing foods (garlic and the cabbage family vegetables like broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, mustard greens, etc.); miso; fiber (especially pectin, as in apples and applesauce -- eat between meals); and seaweeds (like wakame) all help bind radioactive particles and carry them out of the body.

It’s also important to have the right minerals available, so you don’t absorb the radioactive alternatives. For example, in the absence of stable Iodine 127, your thyroid will absorb radioactive Iodine 131. Likewise, Strontium 90 will end up in your bones if you don’t have enough calcium. Once again, though, seaweeds can do some pretty strong magic: The EPA Environmental Toxicology Lab found that radioactive Strontium already stored in the bones was re-secreted and bound by sodium alginate (a substance in seaweed) and safely passed through the intestines! (Steven Schacter, Fighting Radiation with Food, Herbs and Vitamins, East West Health Books, 1988) Seaweeds, of course, are also rich in stable iodine, and so protect your thyroid.

EAT DIVERSE! EAT HERBS! EAT ORGANIC!
Foods rich in beta-carotene, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Selenium, Vitamin C + Bioflavonoids, as well as black or green tea, hot chili peppers, burdock, dandelion and ginseng roots, and fresh grapes, blueberries, cherries and plums, are all antioxidants and/or neutralize free radicals. Many common cooking herbs help, too, but rosemary is the star, with 13 different antioxidants. Rather take a supplement? Try grape seed (not grapefruit seed!) extract, a powerful anti-oxidant.

Have you tried seaweed but decided you didn’t like it? Please try again. Wakame is mild-flavored and can be added to soups, beans or cooked right along with grains (remove the tough ribs). A delicious seaweed salad can be made with Hiziki, but it does need to be soaked and cooked first. Make your own sushi with sheets of toasted nori; munch on pieces of dulse. Wakame (Alaria) from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans becomes soft only when cooked, but the Japanese wakame (Undaria) can be soaked and eaten raw.

Words of caution: Rarely, an individual may be iodine-sensitive and should avoid eating the incredibly iodine-rich, northern kelps -- kombu, Norwegian kelp, or Icelandic kelp. Some seaweeds, if gathered in contaminated waters, can bring those elements to your table. Make sure your sources are as pristine as possible. Ryan Drum, an expert on seaweed, states that although many seaweeds contain some radioactive elements, careful research indicates that these elements are usually not released into our food or bodies.

ALL-AMERICAN RADIATION BLEND
If exposed to radiation, ask your local herbalist or herb store to prepare this combination extract for you: Burdock root, Dandelion root, American Ginseng root, and Milk Thistle Seeds, equal parts. Take 25 drops, 3x/day for a week.

For serious radiation exposure (such as nuclear accidents), do the following for one week only:
* Drink two cups strong thyme tea/day (steep 20 min.)
* Bath: 1 cup each sea salt, epsom salt & baking soda -- soak 20 minutes -- this may make you tired; use caution getting out.

Seaweed Sources:
* Island Herbs, PO Box 25, Waldron Island, WA 98297, Email: RyanDrum2020@yahoo.com
* Rising Tide Sea Vegetables, 707-964-5663, www.loveseaweed.com
* Mendocino Sea Vegetable Company, 707-895-2996, www.seaweed.net / Email: info@seaweed.net
* Japanese seaweeds are available at health food stores

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STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Six ways to avoid getting sick � and what to do if you succumb.

by Carole Tashel, Clinical Herbalist

On his deathbed, the microbiologist Louis Pasteur supposedly said, “No seed can develop without the soil to nourish it.” In other words, if the body doesn’t provide a sympathetic environment for bacteria, viruses and fungi to colonize, then infection won’t occur. This, then, is a sensible reason to make yourself less susceptible. Here’s how:

1. Don’t ask your immune system to work overtime on allergies, lingering inflammations and chronic infections. The more inflammation, the less immune competence, so attend to these problems.

2. You know the rap: Easy on the alcohol, cigarettes, sugar and soft drinks, and avoid chemicals - these all hamper immune competence. Surprisingly, short-term stress actually strengthens immune capacity. It’s long-term stress (without physical release) which is the enemy. And skimping on fresh fruits and vegetables will tilt your metabolism into acidity, an invitation to viruses and bacteria.

3. Encourage your internal rivers to flow. Exercise gets blood, sweat and lymph moving, nourishing tissues, removing wastes, and increasing well-being. Walking is easy (how about three hours a week?). Working up a sweat also has its advantages. Did you know that 90% of viruses can be sweated out? Some folks engage in strenuous exercise to stop an illness in its tracks - a sauna might also work.

4. Cultivate your enjoyment of life. The immune system is highly susceptible to energetic messages: feed it with love, creativity, community, laughter and nourishing relaxation, and it will work better.

5. Daily use of mineral-rich herbs keeps your bloodstream free of acid waste products, your white blood cells less reactive, and keeps your liver and kidneys happy.

Simplest Mineralizing Tea
Combine 1/2 cup each of oatstraw, red clover blossoms, raspberry leaf, horsetail and nettle, and 1 tsp. each peppermint and licorice root for flavor. Store dry herb mix in a jar. For one serving, put two Tablespoons herb mix into a mason jar, add 8 oz. boiled water, cover tightly, steep 4 to 8 hours. Strain, pressing all liquid out of the herbs. Will keep 3-4 days in refrigerator. Drink 1-2 cups per day.

6. Support your immune system for the long haul. Choose an immune builder, then dedicate yourself to taking it for three months. (This could be repeated, perhaps two or three times a year.) Immune builders usually contain Eleutherococcus (formerly known as Siberian ginseng), oriental mushrooms and various Chinese tonic herbs.

WHEN BAD INFECTIONS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE
If you do find yourself hosting an unwanted organism, natural medicines can help your body fight the bugs and slow down their activity. So take out your herbal medicine chest.

* Osha root (Ligusticum porteri) This southwest favorite is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and works well for obstinate bugs that settle in the chest with painful breathing. Osha thins out thick mucus, making it easier to expectorate. (Acute: 10 drops of extract every hour, in 1/4 cup hot water, then 20 drops 3 times a day for 3 more days)

* Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) - The fresh extract deactivates many flu viruses. (40 drops every 4 hours at the first sign of the flu) Elderberry has been used as part of a successful natural treatment protocol for horses with West Nile Virus.

* Oil of Oregano - This product made by Solaray is not an essential oil, but a leaf extract in olive oil. It targets the intestinal tract, working against fungi, bacteria, and parasites. Take 1 capsule between meals, with warm water, twice a day, for 4 weeks only. Essential oil of oregano should not be taken internally, but can be massaged along the spine (dilute 1:50 with massage oil) and on the feet (undiluted) for its strong anti-viral and immune-stimulating effects.

* Garlic - This broad-spectrum antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal disturbs only pathogenic organisms, not the beneficial ones. Use for intestinal or respiratory infections. You might need to eat 10 crushed, raw cloves a day to equal what you could get from deodorized capsules, so choose products that contain allicin, the active component, and take as directed.

* Echinacea - Use not as a preventive, but to boost the activity and effectiveness of your immune system. Echinacea inhibits the growth and spread of most bacteria and viruses. It’s also great for mopping up after illness. (Acute: 10-40 drops every hour until symptoms abate, then 30 drops 3 times a day for 3 more days) If you pick up something really serious, herbalist Susun Weed suggests 1 drop for every 2 pounds body weight, every hour, for 10 days, along with competent supervision.

Wondering why I haven’t mentioned Goldenseal? This plant is endangered, overused and misunderstood. The primary indication for its use is chronic, boggy mucous membrane inflammation, which responds splendidly to a local herb, Yerba Mansa.

As always, pregnant women, children, the elderly, or those with special medical conditions should use herbs only under professional guidance.

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