Did you burn yourself on nettles? It’ll be fine, don’t worry about it. Nettles are healthy, and at least you won’t get rheumatism. Do you know these sentences? Did your mothers comfort you like that too? Have you ever wondered what the truth is about nettle burn, and how the burn affects our health? Have you considered this herb only as an annoying weed? Read on and you will surely form a new idea.
What causes a burn
The fine hairs that nettle has on its leaves get stuck into the skin when touched, and then an unpleasant and burning pain is caused. This is caused by a chemical called formic acid, which gets under the skin and combines with histamine to cause great irritation. Previously, people with problematic and painful joint rheumatism were treated in this way because containing substances such as the aforementioned histamine, formic acid and serotonin increase the blood supply to the superficial blood vessels and the subsequent numbness. Of course, this treatment is no longer recommended due to the high soreness from the burn, which can hurt more than the rheumatism itself.
Already, the fine hairs on the surface of nettles have been shown to contain anti-inflammatory and antibiotic substances that speed up the healing of wounds. Dried nettles that have been pre-soaked are applied to the affected areas.
Other possible uses
The leaves and the infusion can also be used for tea. Although nettle is considered a weed, its health benefits are admirable. If you drink nettle tea, you can get rid of or relieve various ailments and discomforts like rheumatism, improve menopause, reduce blood sugar, improve anemia, purify blood, improve allergy and many other beneficial effects. Not only as a tea will nettle be suitable, but you can also make spinach or a delicious soup from it. However, it is best to use young nettle leaves. Not to forget, nettle contains a large number of vitamins and minerals, these are:
- vitamins A, C, B
- chlorophyll
- iron, calcium, potassium
- flavonoids, tannins
If you choose to take nettle orally, as a tea, take one teaspoon of dried nettle at most 3 times a day for two weeks.