Health Nutrition & Diet Nettle Tea Is an Age-Old Herbal Remedy—Here Are Its Top 4 Health Benefits (and How to Make It at Home) Sip on nettle tea for antioxidants, anti-inflammation, and more therapeutic perks. By Nicole Clancy Nicole Clancy Nicole Clancy has been a freelance health and wellness writer since 1990. She is the founder of Health Your Way Online, and her column, Simply Fit, was a regular feature in the Santa Barbara Newspress for 14 years. Nicole's articles have been internationally syndicated in Vogue, Glamour and Easy Living. She's also contributed to Real Simple, O, Rachael Ray, Reveal, Country Living, Reader's Digest, Fitness, Oxygen, Yoga Journal, Shape, Runners World, Trail Runner, Body and Soul, SELF, Redbook, Prevention, Cosmopolitan, Better Homes & Gardens, Parents, Her Sports, Good Housekeeping, Girls Life, Triathlete Magazine, Santa Barbara Magazine and Woman Magazine, as well as various health/fitness trade publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 3, 2023 Fact checked by Isaac Winter Fact checked by Isaac Winter Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. Highlights: Helped establish a food pantry in West Garfield Park as an AmeriCorps employee at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Interviewed Heartland Alliance employees for oral history project conducted by the Lake Forest College History Department. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala, for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Daniele Mezzadri/Getty Images Nettle, or stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), is an herbaceous flowering plant that has been used as a natural remedy for thousands of years due to its medicinal and nutritional properties. You've probably passed by these wild herbs while out on a walk or hike. Nettle plants feature long, flat, rough-edged green leaves and long stems that can grow 6 to 8 feet tall. The leaves and stems are covered in tiny hairs with tips that come off and sting when touched. If you've ever brushed your bare skin against a bunch of nettles, you'll have noticed a burning rash and discomfort caused by the stinging liquid given off by these micro-hairs on contact. But don't hold a grudge against nettle just yet, as this plant has been found to hold many health benefits when consumed as a powder, tincture, or tea. It's well documented that all parts of nettle—flowers, stems, roots and leaves—have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial value, according to research published in the journal Molecules. This Type of Tea Lowers Stress, Fights Inflammation, and Keeps Your Immune System Intact Nettle Tea Health Benefits 01 of 04 Nettle tea contains disease-fighting antioxidants. Nettle tea has an abundance of antioxidants in the form of carotenoids, terpenoids, and polyphenols, powerful antioxidants found in many plants. "Polyphenols play a powerful role in the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease," says Sarah Mirkin, RDN, CPT. 02 of 04 Nettle tea may help manage allergy symptoms. A study from 2017 found that nettle helped mitigate allergy symptoms like sniffles, stuffiness, and sneezing. Mirkin explains this is due to nettle's anti-histamine properties, specifically its ability to block certain histamine receptors and enzymes involved in the inflammatory allergic response. 03 of 04 Nettle tea reduces inflammation. "Studies show that nettles can help with inflammatory conditions such as muscle pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis, and irritable bowel disease," Mirkin says. Research has also found positive results in those with cardiovascular disorders, such as lowering blood pressure. 04 of 04 Nettle tea provides a dose of key nutrients. The herb nettle is full of healthy vitamins and nutrients, Mirkin says, and nettle tea is rich in micronutrients like carotene, vitamins C and K, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, alpha-linolenic acid, antioxidant flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. 5 Healthy Reasons to Sip Cinnamon Tea Should anyone avoid nettle tea? As is true when incorporating any new herbal remedy into your diet, there are a few precautions to know before brewing yourself a cup of nettle tea. According to Laura Lewis Mantell, M.D., unhealthy interactions can potentially occur with certain prescription drugs. If you're on blood thinner medication, medication to lower blood sugar, diuretic medication or NSAIDS, for example, Dr. Mantell says you should check with your doctor before drinking nettle tea. Finally, if you're pregnant, consult with your doctor before consuming the herb nettle. Try This Nettle Tea Recipe Here's a step-by-step recipe from Mirkin to help you add nettle tea to your healthy living plan. And don't worry—the cooking process gets rid of the stinging properties. Here's what you'll need for a serving of 4: 2 ounces dried nettle leaves 8 cups water1 pinch of dried peppermint Bring the water to a boil. Place the nettles in a mason jar or glass container, and fill it with boiling water. Allow the herbs to steep in the water for at least four, and up to 12 hours. Strain them from the infusion using a fine-mesh sieve or tea strainer. Add a pinch of salt to improve the taste if desired. The longer the leaves steep, the stronger the tea will taste and the more potent its medicinal benefits will be, Mirkin says. Drink right away, or store the strained tea in the fridge for up to three days. You can also purchase dried nettle or nettle tea online at companies such as Starwest Botanicals and Mountain Rose Herbs, adds Mirkin. Sip on These 7 Types of Tea to Help Soothe Inflammation Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Kregiel D, Pawlikowska E, Antolak H. Urtica spp.: Ordinary plants with extraordinary properties. Molecules. 2018;23(7):1664. doi:10.3390/molecules23071664 Bakhshaee M, Mohammad Pour AH, Esmaeili M, et al. Efficacy of supportive therapy of allergic rhinitis by stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) root extract: a randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled, clinical trial. Iran J Pharm Res. 2017;16(Suppl):112-118. Said AAH, Benmoussa A. Highlights on nutritional and therapeutic value of stinging nettle (Urtica Dioica). Int J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2015;7(10):8-14.