STINGING NETTLE
BENEFITS side effects, research finds    
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Nettle, a leafy plant, grows in most temperate regions. The
Latin root of Urtica is uro which means "I burn". This implies
small stings caused by the little hairs on the leaves of this
plant burn when contact is made with the skin. Its root and
leaves are used in herbal medicine.

WHAT HEALTH BENEFITS DOES STINGING NETTLE
OFFER?
People have made a good use of nettle. Its tough fibers from
the stem have been used to make cloth and its leaves were
eaten as vegetables. People also believe that it may have
health benefits on various conditions such as coughs,
tuberculosis and arthritis. With limited or no scientific support,
some manufacturers market it as a stimulant for hair growth.

It contains lectins and certain types of complex sugars.
Lectins and these complex sugars are probably the major
components contributing nettle?s benefits. In vitro studies
demonstrate that its leaf has anti-inflammatory actions, in
which preventing prostaglandin formation [1]. Nettle's root
helps benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by affecting
hormones and proteins that carry sex hormones in the body
[2]. It was also found that its freeze-dried leaves reduced
sneezing and itching in people with hay fever [3].

During the allergy season, two to three 300 mg nettle leaf
capsules or tablets can be taken three times a day. For
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 120 mg of a
concentrated root extract has been taken twice a day
traditionally [4].

COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

Most commercial products suggest two to three 300 mg nettle
leaf capsules or tablets three times per day for to reduce
allergies during allergy season. For mild benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH) in men, most product labels recommend to
take 120 mg of a concentrated root extract in capsules two
times per day. However, products for BPH always combine
nettle root with saw palmetto or pygeum extracts.

RESEARCH NOTES ABOUT STINGING NETTLE EXTRACT
BENEFITS AND SIDE EFFECTS

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES
In a study of Wistar rats, researchers found that stinging nettle
supplementation decreased the free radical concentrations in
both cerebellum and frontal lobe.  [5]

Turkey scientists studied the antioxidant properties of stinging
nettle extracts using different antioxidant tests, including
reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion
radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and
metal chelating activities. They found that stinging nettle
extracts had powerful antioxidant activities. Its antioxidant
activities were comparative to butylated hydroxyanisole
(BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), quercetin, and
alpha-tocopherol. [6]

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES
Stinging nettle?s benefits on inflammation is found (at least
partly) related to its inhibitory effect on NF-kappaB activation.
It is because activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB
is involved in several chronic inflammatory diseases including
rheumatoid arthritis. [9]

ANTI-MICROBIOL ACTIVITIES
Stinging nettle extracts showed antimicrobial activity against
nine microorganisms, antiulcer activity against
ethanol-induced ulcerogenesis and analgesic effect on acetic
acid-induced stretching. [6]

ANTI-CANCER CELL ACTIVITIES
The anti-proliferative effect of stinging nettle roots extracts
have been observed in in vivo and in in vitro models.

In a study, researchers prepared the polysaccharide fraction
of the 20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots at
different concentrations. They found inhibitory effect of the
stinging nettle root extracts on the growth of the lymph node
carcinoma of the prostate during 7 days except the two lowest
concentrations. This inhibition was time- and
concentration-dependent. [10]

In another study, researchers investigated the activity of a
20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots on the
proliferative activity of human prostatic epithelial (LNCaP) and
stromal (hPCPs) cells. They found a concentration-dependent
and significant antiproliferative effect of the extract only on
LNCaP cells during 7 days, whereas stromal cell growth
remained unaltered. On day 4 and 6, the reduction in
proliferation of LNCaP cells showed the minimal effective
dose at 1.0E-9 mg/ml. No cytotoxic effect of ME-20 on cell
proliferation was observed. [14]

BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
Direct implanting of fetal urogenital sinus tissue into the
ventral prostate gland of adult mice led to a 4-fold weight
increase of the manipulated prostatic lobe. The induced
growth could be reduced by the polysaccharide fraction of the
20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots by 33.8%. [11]

The effectiveness of stinging nettle extracts is highly
dependent on the dose, dosage form design and duration of
supplementation. A 1 year randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled multicenter study of 246 patients has
demonstrated 459 mg dry extract of stinging nettle roots was
effective to increase Q(max) with limited side effects, in
comparison to placebo.  [15] Another study couldn?t shown
any benefits of 300 mg tinging nettle extracts even though 25
mg of pygeum africanum was added into the supplement. [17]

MECHANISM Japanese researchers prepared the
membrane Na+,K(+)-ATPase fraction from a patient with
benign prostatic hyperplasia by a differential centrifugation of
the tissue homogenate. They found that the stinging nettle
(Urtica dioica) extracts inhibited 27.6-81.5% of the enzyme
activity at 0.1 mg/ml. Steroidal components in stinging nettle
roots, such as stigmast-4-en-3-one, stigmasterol, and
campesterol inhibited the enzyme activity by 23.0-67.0% at
concentrations ranging from 10(-3)-10(-6) M. These results
suggest that some hydrophobic constituents such as steroids
in the stinging nettle roots inhibited the membrane
Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity of the prostate, which may
subsequently suppress prostate-cell metabolism and growth.
[7]

CHRONIC COLITIS
Long-term use of stinging nettle extracts may have benefits on
the prevention of chronic colitis. Researchers induced colitis
in C3H.IL-10-/- and BALB/c mice by treating them with
dextran sodium sulfate. They found that stinging nettle leaf
extracts could reduce fewer signs of colitis in these mice.
Stinging nettle leaf extracts, furthermore, reduced the faecal
IL-1beta and mucosal TNF-alpha concentrations. [16]


JOINT PAIN/ARTHRITIS
In a study, researchers interviewed 18 patients who used
stinging nettle for their joint pain. Most felt nettle was
beneficial to their conditions. [12] Researchers from Germany
found immunomodulating effects of stinging nettle leaf extract.
The stinging nettle extract IDS 23 inhibited lipopolysaccharide
 but stimulated monocyte cytokine expression. Thus, stinging
nettle extracts may inhibit the inflammatory cascade in
autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. [13]

SIDE EFFECTS
Stinging nettle probably is safe with limited side effects. [12]
A frequent cause of contact urticaria is skin exposure to the
common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). The urticaria is
accompanied by a stinging sensation lasting longer than 12 h.
There may be substances in nettle fluid directly toxic to nerves
or capable of secondary release of other mediators. [8]

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION, YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH
YOUR DOCTOR. ALL RIGHT RESERVED 2008 zhion.

REFERENCE
[1] Obertreis et al. Antiphlogistic effects of Urtica dioica folia extract in comparison to caffeic malic acid. Arzneimittelforschung
1996;46:52-6. [2] Hirano et al. Effect of stinging nettle root extracts and their steroidal components on the Na+, K+-ATPase of the
benign prostatic hyperplasia. Planta Med 1994;60:30-3. [3] Mittman et al. Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica
dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta Med 1990;56:44-7. [4] Brown et al. BPH and Prostate Cancer Prevention.
Seattle; NPRC, 1997, 9-10. [5] Toldy A et al, The effect of exercise and nettle supplementation on oxidative stress markers in
the rat brain. Brain Res Bull. 2005 May 30;65(6):487-93. Epub 2005 Mar 31. [6] Gulcin I et al, Antioxidant, antimicrobial,
antiulcer and analgesic activities of nettle (Urtica dioica L.). J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Feb;90(2-3):205-15. [7] Hirano T et al,
Effects of stinging nettle root extracts and their steroidal components on the Na+,K(+)-ATPase of the benign prostatic
hyperplasia. Planta Med. 1994 Feb;60(1):30-3. [8] Oliver F et al, Contact urticaria due to the common stinging nettle (Urtica
dioica)--histological, ultrastructural and pharmacological studies. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1991 Jan;16(1):1-7. [9] Riehemann K et
al, Plant extracts from stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), an antirheumatic remedy, inhibit the proinflammatory transcription factor
NF-kappaB. FEBS Lett. 1999 Jan 8;442(1):89-94. [10] Lichius JJ et al,  Antiproliferative effect of a polysaccharide fraction of a
20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots upon epithelial cells of the human prostate (LNCaP). Pharmazie. 1999
Oct;54(10):768-71. [11] Lichius JJ et al, The inhibiting effects of components of stinging nettle roots on experimentally induced
prostatic hyperplasia in mice. Planta Med. 1999 Oct;65(7):666-8. [12] Randall C et al, Nettle sting of Urtica dioica for joint
pain--an exploratory study of this complementary therapy. Complement Ther Med. 1999 Sep;7(3):126-31. [13] Klingelhoefer S
et al, Antirheumatic effect of IDS 23, a stinging nettle leaf extract, on in vitro expression of T helper cytokines. J Rheumatol.
1999 Dec;26(12):2517-22. [14] Konrad L et al, Antiproliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells by a stinging nettle root
(Urtica dioica) extract. Planta Med. 2000 Feb;66(1):44-7. [15] Schneider T and Rubben H Stinging nettle root extract
(Bazoton-uno) in long term treatment of benign prostatic syndrome (BPS). Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo
controlled multicenter study after 12 months] Urologe A. 2004 Mar;43(3):302-6. [16] Konrad A et al, Ameliorative effect of IDS
30, a stinging nettle leaf extract, on chronic colitis. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2005 Jan;20(1):9-17. Epub 2004 Aug 25. [17] Melo EA et
al, Evaluating the efficiency of a combination of Pygeum africanum and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts in treating benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial. Int Braz J Urol. 2002 Sep-Oct;28(5):418-25.