Stinging Nettle

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    Megan Michaux

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    by:

    Nick Milazzo
    Last Updated: February 10, 2024

    Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a perennial plant that can cause painful reactions when it comes in contact with the skin. It has been used for many years as a medicinal vegetable in the treatment of pain, bleeding, urinary tract diseases, and allergies.

    35 references on this page
    1,833 participants in 9 trials and 2 meta-analyses

    Overview

    Dosage information

    For allergic rhinitis, the recommended dosage is 600 mg of dried nettle leaf per day taken in three separate doses.[1]

    In benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a daily dose of 360 mg of aqueous root extract taken as 3 divided doses is suggested for up to 6 months.[2] Alternatively, methanol root extract of up to 1,200 mg daily, also as three divided doses, can be used for up to 9 weeks.[3] While these doses are used in trials, there is no clear evidence-based dose as yet, and there are wide variations in the doses used for the other potential benefits.

    Frequently asked questions

    Update History

    Fixed an error in the dosage section

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    Research written by

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    Examine Database References

    1. Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile - Namazi N, Tarighat A, Bahrami AThe effect of hydro alcoholic nettle (Urtica dioica) extract on oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind clinical trialPak J Biol Sci.(2012 Jan 15)
    2. Inflammation - Namazi N, Esfanjani AT, Heshmati J, Bahrami AThe effect of hydro alcoholic Nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind control trialPak J Biol Sci.(2011 Aug 1)
    3. Blood glucose - Tabrizi R, Sekhavati E, Nowrouzi-Sohrabi P, Rezaei S, Tabari P, Ghoran SH, Jamali N, Jalali M, Moosavi M, Kolahi AA, Bettampadi D, Sahebkar A, Safiri SEffects of on Metabolic Profiles in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Clinical Trials.Mini Rev Med Chem.(2022)
    4. Blood glucose - Ziaei R, Foshati S, Hadi A, Kermani MAH, Ghavami A, Clark CCT, Tarrahi MJThe effect of nettle (Urtica dioica) supplementation on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Phytother Res.(2020-Feb)
    5. Osteoarthritis Symptoms - Keith Rayburn, Eric Fleischbein, Jessica Song, Blaine Allen, Mary Kundert, Charles Leiter, Thomas BushStinging nettle cream for osteoarthritisAltern Ther Health Med.(Jul-Aug 2009)
    6. Osteoarthritis Symptoms - Randall C, Randall H, Dobbs F, Hutton C, Sanders HRandomized controlled trial of nettle sting for treatment of base-of-thumb painJ R Soc Med.(2000 Jun)
    7. Inflammation - Teucher T, Obertreis B, Ruttkowski T, Schmitz HCytokine secretion in whole blood of healthy subjects following oral administration of Urtica dioica L. plant extractArzneimittelforschung.(1996 Sep)
    8. Testosterone - Safarinejad MRUrtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover studyJ Herb Pharmacother.(2005)
    9. Allergy Symptoms - Mittman PRandomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitisPlanta Med.(1990 Feb)
    10. Osteoarthritis Symptoms - Randall C, Dickens A, White A, Sanders H, Fox M, Campbell JNettle sting for chronic knee pain: a randomised controlled pilot studyComplement Ther Med.(2008 Apr)