April 2026

Spring Into Spring – What Are Spring Herbal Tonics

• Week 1: Spring Into Spring – What Are Spring Herbal Tonics
• Week 2: Stinging Nettle – The Warrior Who Nourishes
• Week 3: Chickweed – A Weed With A Chic
• Week  4: Cleavers: Getting A Little Clingy

Stinging Nettle – A Warrior That Nourish

“Acetylcholine is particularly abundant in secretory cells of common nettle stinging hairs, where its concentration reaches 10−1 M or 120–180 nmol/g of fresh mass. Together with the histamine contained in the secretion, acetylcholine may provoke a pain response and formation of blisters when the plant comes in contact with human skin.”
~ Victoria V. Roshchina

The burning, stinging sensation that is a trademark of nettle, comes from this multi-compound assault, the synergistic effect of histamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, and formic acid all hitting different receptors simultaneously. When you dry nettle or make it into tea or tincture, these compounds break down and lose their bite.

When harvesting nettle, I wear long sleeves and gloves to protect my skin from its sting. I approach the patch with reverence and respect; nettle is a simple weed, yet so complex and powerful.

Nettle Plant ID

Name: Stinging Nettle
Botanical name: Urtica Dioica
Botanical Family: Urticaceae
Part used: Root (harvested in the fall), Leaves (harvested in the spring before the plant goes into flowers), Seeds harvested in late summer)
Degree: 1st degree

Description

“The whole plant is downy, and also covered with stinging hairs. Each sting is a very sharp, polished spine, which is hollow and arises from a swollen base. In this base, which is composed of small cells, contains the venom, an acrid fluid, the active principle of which is said to be bicarbonate of ammonia. When, in consequence of pressure, the sting pierces the skin, the venom is instantly expressed, causing the resultant irritation and inflammation. The burning property of the juice is dissipated by heat, enabling the young shoots of the Nettle, when boiled, to be eaten as a pot-herb.

It is a strange fact that the juice of the Nettle proves an antidote for its sting, and being applied will afford instant relief: the juice of the Dock, which is usually found in close proximity to the Nettle, has the same beneficial action.”

~ M. Grieve

Growing

Nettle grows on all five continents. It likes to grow in a fertilized, humid soil, especially near animal waste fields, close to the compost pile in a partly shaded garden area. It is easy to start your nettle patch from the roots. I posted on Facebook that I was looking for nettle and found an abundance of roots. Mix the roots with compost and cover in a partly shaded area of the garden.

History and lore

Dioscorides, the 1st-century Greek physician, listed a range of uses for nettle, including the fresh, chopped leaves as a plaster for septic wounds, the juice for nosebleeds, and the cooked leaves mixed with myrrh to stimulate menstruation.

Until recently, “urtication,” that is, beating with nettles, was a standard folk remedy for arthritis and rheumatism.

Hans Christian Andersen wrote a fairy tale, symbolic of the Nettle’s connection to iron, about 11 brothers who were transformed into swans by their wicked stepmother. A crone instructed their young sister to weave a nettle gown for each one of the swans. Once they wore the nettle gowns, they returned to their human form. Although Nettle was used throughout history for clothing, I believe that this beautiful legend is loaded with symbolism about iron in the body. If you have ever had anemia, you will recognize the feeling of “floating,” a sense of detachment from your body. You might have had a hard time keeping focused and remembering what you meant to do. The iron carried by the blood centers us and allows us to be fully present in the body.

Energetic Architecture

Ruling Planet

The morphology of nettle points to Mars, with serrated leaves and sharp needles that cover the leaves and stems, helping it protect itself from browsers. If you ever wander into a nettle patch with shorts, you will never forget the heat, redness, and inflammation that are associated with nettle but also with Mars. When you take Nettle internally, it sedates heat and calms excitation, conditions typical of Mars. 

Nettle leaves have an affinity for blood and iron, which are ruled by Mars. The seeds stimulate the adrenal gland that Mars rules. 

Ruling Element

Urtica’s link to the water element is evident in its tendency to grow in damp soil. It has an affinity for the kidney and urinary tract, where it acts as a diuretic and an astringent to improve fluid flow, release stagnation, and tighten leaky tissue.

Alchemical element

A nutrient herb rich with minerals, nettle relates to the salt principle, which is associated with hardening and mineralizing.  It builds the body’s blood, connective tissue, muscles, and bones, which give the body form and structure. 

Psychological Profile

The nettle person presents a polarity between low-energy depression and high-energy irritated depression. 

People who are dull, with a sluggish, foggy brain, or who have a hard time starting their day, which indicates a sluggish liver. Ellingwood reports the use of nettle to “wake up” lethargic people.

Another type of depression that Nettle might be beneficial for is irritable, angry people, or what David Winston might call stagnant depression. There is more energy and irritability behind the depression. 

Specific indications

Pulse – slow, weak, relaxed, almost obscured; lack of force behind the pulse; hard to find. That is often an indication of toxicity. 

Tongue – is very wet. If the tongue body is red, it could indicate a deep level of heat. A whitish coating on the tongue indicates sluggish dampness. A yellowish coating might indicate dampness in a heated environment. 

Taste

Salty. The salty taste indicates the presence of minerals, an affinity for the water element, and diuretic action on the kidneys. 

Energetics

Temperature: internally, nettle primarily cools excess heat and inflamed tissue. Topically, nettle is warming.

Moisture: As a diuretic and an alterative that opens the elimination channels, nettle is drying. If you plan to use Nettle long term, especially if you have a dry constitution, consider balancing It with moistening herbs. 

Tension: Nettle increases tissue tone. 

Tissue State

Heat/ excitation tissue state. In excess metabolic processes and inflammatory conditions, when things are too hot, the cooling and calming  qualities of nettle can benefit irritated tissue.

Damp/stagnation: Nettle is beneficial for swollen, damp tissue, edema, and toxicity. There is an accumulation of toxins in the blood and extracellular space. The liver has a hard time detoxifying, and the kidneys are overwhelmed. These conditions result from “overfed but malnourished,” such as diabetics and obesity.

Pharmacology

Nettle leaves contain high concentrations of iron, silica, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and trace elements, making nettle a nutritive herb. 

• Flavonoids that are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. They cool and strengthen the capillary beds. When the capillaries lose their integrity, they tend to leak (edema, easy bruising). Nettle is high in quercetin, a flavonoid that helps cool inflammation. 
• Scopoletin is a type of coumarin with anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and vasodilatory properties.  
• Chlorogenic acid with a profound anti-inflammatory effect. It is an antioxidant that inhibits NF-κB, the master inflammatory transcription factor, reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines, and influences glucose metabolism, which has downstream anti-inflammatory effects.
• Phytosterols that are associated with hormone metabolism, which explains the use of nettle for BPH (Benign prostatic hyperplasia)
• Vitamins A and C make it a high-nutrient herb. It is also rich with chlorophyll, which is cooling,
• Neurotransmitters. The stinging hairs contain biogenic amines: histamine, acetylcholine, and serotonin. That points to Nettle’s affinity to the nervous system and accounts for its effect on people with depression and brain fog. Histamine is the compound that causes skin irritation when Nettle is touched. 
  

Actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Nettle’s foundational action is astringent.  The astringency is not the puckering, super drying type, but rather nettle:

Tones the mucous membranes, reducing excess mucus in allergies, and firming up tissues in the urinary tract.

Tightens and strengthens connective tissue.

Reduces inappropriate permeability, as in leaky capillaries, and excessive histamine release. 

Add form to lax tissue states, whether due to weak blood vessel walls, boggy mucous membranes, or atonic tissues.

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Diuretic Nettle has a gentle diuretic stimulant due to its high mineral content. 

Alterative alters metabolism or the body’s capacity to digest, absorb, distribute, and utilize nutrients and expel waste and toxins. Nettle enhances both catabolic (breaking down and eliminating) and anabolic (building) processes by acting on the blood, liver, kidneys, and urinary tract. 

nutritive tonic in the form of protein, minerals, and vitamins that provides deep nourishment and supports the body’s basic building and maintenance processes.

Rubefacient, a topical action that relates to flogging the joint with fresh Nettle, which irritates the local tissue and stimulates an inflammatory response. By doing that, you dilate the capillaries, flood the local area with oxygen-rich blood and nutrients, and increase the removal of waste. 

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected. 

Anti-inflammatory. When used internally, Nettle reduces inflammation and sedates excess heat. 

Organ affinity

kidney and urinary tracts. The seeds are used as urinary tract troporestorative, and the leaves are used as diuretics. 

Blood and circulation. it is a nutritive herb rich in minerals and iron that builds blood.

Liver. Nettle primarily assists in protein metabolism by helping the liver break down nitrogen. 

Connective tissue and muscles. Nettle strengthens and tonifies joints, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Nettle can strengthen weak atrophic muscles: muscles that were not used or inflamed muscles, such as in fibromyalgia. 

Male reproductive system. Nettle root is specific for the prostate gland, conditions that challenge older men. 

Female reproductive system. Nettle leaves are used as an astringent to tonify and strengthen the uterus. 

Skin. Nettle’s effect on the skin is twofold. Its Rubefacient action stimulates blood flow to the skin. When taken internally, Nettle improves skin condition primarily through its alterative action. 

Adrenal glands. Nettle seeds can be used to replenish and restore atrophic adrenal glands. A high dosage of Nettle seeds can be stimulating, so the dosage is essential. 

Clinical Pattern

Nutritive

Nettle is a nutritious herb that has been used as a wild vegetable for centuries due to its high nutritional value. 

The roots are rich in lectins, lignans, polysaccharides, and sterols. Some minerals and trace elements found in nettle root are calcium, manganese, copper, magnesium, and zinc. The roots also contain flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside), lignans, and single-chain polypeptides, especially glycines, cysteines, and tryptophans, 

Some of the minerals found in the leaves are calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, sulphur, zinc, manganese, copper, and nickel. The leaves also contain vitamins such as vitamin C, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin K (phylloquinone), and vitamin A (retinol).

The seed is rich in vitamins (A, B, C, E, and K), minerals (iron, silicon, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium), beta-carotene, folic acid, and essential fatty acids.

Because nettle is high in iron and vitamin C, it was referred to as a “blood building” herb and was known to restore depleted Qi/life force, making it ideal for fatigue and burnout recovery. 

Lymphatic deobstructant

Nettle is used for what was traditionally called “bad blood,” when the extracellular fluid matrix slows down. The liver, blood, and lymph become stagnant. The cells are malnourished and bathed with toxins. Nettle tea reduces boggy, stagnant tissue, returns form to tissue, and improves lymph flow  (that mild astringency firms things up)

Lymphatic fluid congestion can be expressed in different ways. Some people will express it through the skin, such as in psoriasis, eczema, or boils. Other people might get these waste products deposited in the joints, leading to arthritis, stiff, swollen joints, edema, and lymphatic swelling. 

Urinary tracts

Metabolic Waste Elimination

Nettle takes its detox function one step further by promoting the kidneys’ ability to eliminate fluids, reducing waste products, and excess fluids, such as in edema. 

Nettle will help with the metabolism of waste products, specifically protein waste products (nitrogen) that tend to be acidic. Urtica is alkalizing and cooling; it can help the liver convert nitrogen into uric acid, which is then eliminated by the kidneys.

Another syndrome that might benefit from nettle diuretic and alterative action is gout. In gout, uric acid crystals are deposited in the tissues, primarily in the toes (furthest away from the heart). Gout is painful and can be debilitating. Nettle helps break down mineral deposits in the body, flush the area, and move them to the kidneys for elimination. Similarly, it can be beneficial for mineral deposition in the joints that cause arthritis.

UTI

Nettle’s affinity for the kidneys makes it beneficial for people with urinary tract infections. By promoting urination, nettle helps flush the kidneys and urinary tract. Its astringent properties can help tone blood vessels if there is blood in the urine. 

Kidney Stones

In cases of small kidney stones, nettle tea can help flush them out.  A word of caution: When flushing kidney stones, be careful not to lodge them so that they obstruct the flow of urine, as this can back up into the kidneys and be fatal. 

Chronic kidney conditions

Nettle seeds  were found to increase BUN and glutathione levels, reduce oxidative stress, and reduce inflammation in people with chronic kidney disease due to hypertension.

Nettle can be beneficial for some of the accompanying symptoms of hypothyroidism. A slow metabolism can result in cold, damp tissue. Nettle can provide nutrients and help clear the dampness. 

BPH –  Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

BPH is a benign enlargement of the prostate gland that occurs in men as they age. The prostate tissue becomes overly responsive to androgens, especially DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a more potent form of testosterone created by the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase.

DHT binds to androgen receptors in prostate cells and signals them to proliferate. Aging men see a decrease in testosterone and an increase in DHT. Also, testosterone estrogen balance is disrupted when testosterone is reduced, increasing cell proliferation.  The end result is a prostate enlargement, which eventually compresses the urethra and creates urinary symptoms: hesitancy, weak stream, frequency, nocturia (nighttime urination), and incomplete emptying.

Nettle root lignans were found to interfere with androgen activity by blocking the prostate cell receptors for Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), the protein that transports androgens in the blood, thereby reducing the amount of androgens transported to the prostate. The lignans can also bind directly to androgen receptors on the prostate cell membrane.

The root extract was found to reduce estrogen synthesis by blocking aromatase, thereby inhibiting the conversion of androgens to estrogens.

Metabolic health

Metabolic syndromes are a cluster of conditions including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure. Some of the lab markers associated with metabolic conditions include high blood glucose, high insulin, high triglycerides, and low HDL with high LDL. 

A meta-analysis found that supplementation with stinging nettle leaves significantly reduced fasting blood sugar levels, with no significant effect on insulin levels. Nettle inhibits α-glucosidase and α-amylase, two pancreatic enzymes that break down

carbohydrates in the duodenum. On top of that, in the presence of nettle, the amount of intestinal glucose absorption in the jejunum is decreased. 

At the same time, nettle leaf extraction was found to increase insulin secretion by pancreatic β cells and reduce insulin degradation in blood serum, increasing total serum insulin. Also, flavonoids found in nettle were found to be antioxidants; they prevent functional loss and regenerate pancreatic β-cells.

Anti-inflammatory

Nettle’s anti-inflammatory effects work through multiple interconnected pathways, which explains its broad anti-inflammatory effects.

Suppressing inflammatory mediators

Urtica suppresses the master inflammatory switch, Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB), a protein involved in immune responses and inflammation. 

Nettle reduces the production or activity of COX-1 and COX-2, which convert arachidonic acid into prostaglandins and thromboxanes, key mediators of pain, fever, and inflammation, by downregulating their gene expression and inhibiting their synthesis. 

An important tool in the herbalist’s herb basket, nettle is beneficial for chronic inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, where persistent NF-κB activation drives ongoing joint inflammation and destruction. By suppressing NF-κB, nettle is addressing the root mechanism of chronic inflammation, not just treating symptoms. 

Reducing oxidative stress

Polyphenols from nettle leaf ethanol extract were found to reduce reactive oxidant species and IL-1β, an inflammatory mediator that acts through activating NF-κB. When uncontrolled, it contributes to diseases like gout and rheumatoid arthritis. IL-1β is also associated with certain cancers, including gastric, colon, and bone cancers.

Compounds from nettle leaf extract were found to block histamine from binding to H1 receptors, push the receptor into an inactive state, reduce baseline activity that can occur even in the absence of histamine, and prevent mast cell degranulation and the associated symptoms: itching, sneezing, mucus production, vasodilation, and increased vascular permeability. 

Digestive tract

Due to its anti-inflammatory and astringent actions, nettle was used for inflammatory conditions of the small intestine and colon. Especially, inflammation with excess mucus and lax tissue states, such as diarrhea, excess mucus in the stool, or IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)

“Chronic diarrhea and dysentery, with large mucous evacuations; profuse secretion of gastric juice, with eructations and emesis; choleraic discharges; summer bowel diseases. of children, with copious watery and mucous passages; chronic eczematous eruptions.”

~ King’s American Dispensatory

Female reproductive health 

The highly nutritious leaves of nettle were traditionally used as a uterine tonic to nourish the uterine tissue, maintain its integrity, and flexibility. Nettle was used for women’s reproduction in three phases.

During menstruation

For women with menorrhagia, nettle can reduce bleeding due to its astringent effect and, at the same time, replenish iron stores due to its high iron content. 

Nettle can support women with PMS. It can prevent fluid retention through its diuretic action. Iron deficiency worsens PMS symptoms, especially fatigue, brain fog, irritability, and depression, by increasing serum iron. Nettle might help stabilize mood in PMS. At the same time, nettle’s magnesium content can ease menstrual cramps.

During pregnancy

Nettle appears in nearly every traditional pregnancy tonic formula alongside red raspberry leaf and alfalfa. This combination provides iron to prevent anemia and support increased blood volume; calcium for fetal bone development and maternal bone preservation; vitamin K for clotting (important for delivery); protein for tissue building; and minerals for overall vitality. 

Dr. Aviva Romm, MD, reports good results with a strong nettle tea infusion for anemia during pregnancy. She says that midwives report good results with symptoms associated with anemia. 

In premenopause and menopause

Estrogen reduction in menopause often leads to vaginal atrophy, a condition where the vaginal epithelium gets thinner and includes symptoms such as vaginal dryness, abnormal vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding, dyspareunia, and sexual problems. Nettle vaginal cream was found to reduce subjective symptoms of vaginal atrophy, including vaginal burning, vaginal dryness, vaginal itching, and dyspareunia in postmenopausal women.

Another result of estrogen decline during perimenopause and menopause is the loss of estrogen’s protective effect on bones, which can lead to bone loss. accelerates. Nettle’s rich calcium and magnesium content, along with vitamin K, support bone health during this transition.

Preparation and dosage

Nettle has a mix of water-soluble constituents (minerals, flavonoids, and chlorophyll) and alcohol-soluble constituents (sterols, phenolic acids, biogenic amines). The minerals are readily soluble in vinegar. 

Tincture fresh leaf 1:2 90%A ,10%V , Dosage: 1-3 ml (0.2-0.6 tsp) 3 times a day

Tincture dried leaf 1:4 50%A, 10%V, Dosage 2-5 ml (0.4-1 tsp) 3 times a day.

Tincture dried root: 1:4 50%A, Dosage 1-3 ml (0.2-0.6 tsp) 3 times a day.

Tincture dried seeds: 1:4 50%A, Dosage 1-2 ml (0.2-0.4 tsp) 3 times a day.

Glycerite dried leaf: 1:6 Dosage 10-20 ml (1-2 tsp) 3 times a day.

Water extract: Standard infusion 8 ounces 1-4 times daily

Vinegar extraction: You can use vinegar as a dressing for a salad for its nutritive value, or add it to bone broth to help extract more minerals from the bones. 

You can add powdered Nettle leaves to smoothies. Dosage 9-30 grams. 

A strong decoction. Soak a cotton cloth and apply it to sore, weak, or inflamed joints or muscles topically. 

Safety

Generally, Nettle is a safe herb to use. 

In advanced  chronic kidney disease (stages 4-5), the kidneys lose their ability to regulate potassium, leading to hyperkalemia (elevated potassium levels). Nettle is high in potassium; therefore, it should be avoided in stages 4-5 of chronic kidney disease.

Constitutionally, it is cooling and drying. Long term use of nettle should be avoided in people who are dehydrated or have a cold, dry constitution. Use nettle in combination with warming and moistening herbs such as Ginger and Licorice.

There are no major herb-drug interactions. However, you should be cautious when using Nettle alongside diuretic medicine for lowering blood pressure.

Recipes for remedies