Nettles For Health and Herb Benefits

The stinging nettle is a pest to many a gardener but the health advantages of this plant are truly amazing. Who would have thought a weed common to roadsides and wasteland could prove such a friend.

You see nettles are of such benefit because they contain high levels of minerals especially calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, silica, iodine and sodium. They are also a great source of vitamins A, C and E, B complex vitamins and beta-carotene. All of which are hugely important to good health and if that is not all it proves to be a great natural antioxidant.
The plants leaves, young shoots and roots are all used either dried, boiled, in soups, teas and tinctures. Its uses for health are wide ranging.

Because nettles naturally contain anti-histamine they may be used for hay fever and other allergic reactions such as rashes, while a tincture may be applied to soothe burns and scalds or insect bites. Often it is drunk as a tea to treat respiratory problems like catarrh, nuisance coughs and tuberculosis. It is also said to strengthen the immune system and fight off colds and flu symptoms.
The nettles diuretic properties increase urine flow which is huge benefit to sufferers of an enlarged prostate gland that would otherwise restrict that urine flow. Indeed there is evidence that the humble nettle may inhibit the growth of prostate cells and treat prostate enlargement and cancer.
Another use for nettle is its ability to aid the production of haemoglobin in red blood cells and assist blood coagulation, ideal if you are prone to heavy nosebleeds or menstrual periods. While finely ground dried root can stem blood loss when applied to minor cuts too. The plant has long been considered an aid to digestion and circulation.

A couple of thousand years ago Roman soldiers beat their limbs with stinging nettle to stimulate circulation when frozen by bitter cold. Nowadays we take that same plant to use in preparations for hair care and to cure baldness.

These are just a fraction of the multitude of beneficial uses this much maligned plant can offer. If not improving your health or curing your ailments the humble nettle comes into its own in many other ways too.

Harvest nettles and turn them into a powerful free liquid feed for your garden and plants, particularly tomato plants. Drink nettle tea as a refreshing and healthy pick-me-up or use nettles in your cooking for soups, stews and as greens.

Mother nature has provided a gift in the lowly nettle and we should take full advantage of it.

James Lamb is a freelance writer. For more on herbal teas,health and numerous other subjects, visit his ebooks website at http://www.rewards-ebooks.com

Garlic - My Favorite Healing Herb

Garlic is a wonderful healing herb and, unlike many of the other herbs, it tastes great and can be incorporated into a variety of meals. Garlic has been used for over 5000 years as a healing herb and has strong antibacterial, and antiviral properties. But it’s health benefits extend well beyond it’s infection fighting properties. It is also reputed to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as help protect against heart disease and stroke.

And the benefits of garlic don't stop there. A recent study has shown that taking a garlic supplement once a day can reduce the risk of getting a cold by 50% and help you gain a speedy recovery if you do happen to catch one. In fact, I tried this out recently when I felt a sore throat coming on – I toasted a piece of bread and added some raw crushed garlic to it. It was a bit pungent but I woke up the next day good as new! Aside from colds, garlic has historically been used as a remedy for infections, athletes foot, worms, respiratory ailments, some cancers of the stomach, colic, ear aches, bladder problems and high blood pressure.

Garlic is jut plain good for you too! it is loaded with vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, B and C, selenium, potassium, calcium, zinc and magnesium. But in order to reap the benefits, you must prepare it in a certain way. Researcher say it is the allicin that is released when garlic is crushed. If you are trying to serve yourself a garlic herbal remedy by adding garlic to your foods then make sure you crush it a bit ahead of time and don't add until the final 5 minutes of cooking. This will give the allicin enough time to develop and will insure you don't cook all the garlic health out of it.

Cooked garlic will not have as much benefit as raw and whole garlic cloves have little benefit at all. Another way to incorporate garlic into your meals without cooking is to make a garlic bread where you crush the gloves into a paste and toast bread - butter the toasted bread and spread the garlic on it - Yum!

Garlic can have an affect on blood clotting, so don't start taking supplements unless you discuss it with your physician first especially if you are on blood thinning medication or due to have surgery in the near future.