Nettle Urtica dioica
Lowers blood sugar
Many of us only know the stinging nettle as a painful nuisance, but it has a long history of food and medicinal use. Nettles have an unusually high mineral content and a range of organic acids. Which is why they are traditionally made into a nourishing soup to restore a patient’s energy.
The Ancient Romans flogged themselves with nettles to purify their blood, ward off illness and stimulate the circulation.
In herbal medicine nettles are used to help metabolic and hormonal balance and to improve liver function. Arabic healers use nettles for blood sugar problems, to help the metabolism and to cleanse the body. Clinical studies have shown that nettle extracts raise glucose tolerance and can lower high blood sugar levels.
