Nettles for Bone Health

Something I haven’t talked about here yet is bone health. You may be thinking, as I have in the past, “I’m too young” or “my bones are fine” or “I’m already taking meds for that.”

The truth is you are never too young or too old or too healthy to be thinking about prevention!

And the medicines available to date have fallen short in their ability to support your bones without dangerous side effects. So here’s my favorite power herb for achieving great health and energy. It provides the nutrients needed for strong healthy bones: nettles (Urtica dioica).

Known as nature’s multi-vitamin. Nettles have been used for thousands of years to support the health of women of all ages.

Stinging nettles are rich in all the minerals necessary for bone health and then some: calcium, magnesium, iron, B complex, C complex, vitamins A, D, and K, cobalt, trace minerals, potassium, zinc, copper, and sulfur.

They are also rich in blood-purifying chlorophyll and high amounts of protein. One cup of infused nettles can contain between 300-500 mg of calcium along with the trace minerals you need to absorb it.

You can buy nettle tea bags, or dried nettle leaves in bulk to make your tea. They can also be wildcrafted, but wear gloves, they actually do sting when they are fresh! 

For a daily nutritional boost, steep a teabag, or 2 Tablespoons dried nettle leaves in one cup of boiling water and let them infuse for 20 minutes. 

For preventative and medicinal purposes it is better to make an infusion: place 1/4 oz (about 1/4 cup) dried nettles into a quart glass jar, pour 1 cup room temp water over the nettles, and then add 3 cups boiling water.. Cover and infuse for 12-24 hours. Strain and store in the refrigerator. Drink 2 cups a day, hot or cold.   

Tips:

• Nettles taste a bit like hay, earthy and rich. You can add some mint, or even a couple of pinches of jasmine green tea to add a new dimension of flavor.
• If using fresh leaves – use 1 cup of nettles to every two cups of boiling water.
• I add fresh nettles from my garden to smoothies, soups or stir fries – blending or cooking takes the sting out

Like almost anything in the world, you can find teabags, bulk tea, and powdered nettles for smoothies on Amazon. Try one of these ways of eating nettles and tell me how it works for you! Banner Photo by Paul M on Unsplash