Nettle, yes that stinging nettle weed, is a traditional herbal tonic and is used to support women's health and energy during their period. Nettle can help ease heavy bleeding and replace lost iron. It can help clear premenstrual acne and swellings and even eases those pesky period cravings by balancing blood sugar levels.
Nettle as a mineral tonic
Nettle is an amazing herb for menstrual health. It is a supportive menstrual tonic which I often recommend women take during their period. Nettles are really nourishing and full of minerals. Each month when we bleed, we lose anywhere from 30-80ml of blood, depending on if we have a heavy flow or not. By restoring these minerals levels, we can feel less tired, experience less PMS and fewer cramps, and we can just generally have a happier period!
Nettle is a traditional herbal tonic and is seen by some herbalists as a Western European adaptogen, helping the body to adapt to stress thanks to its high nutritional profile. It strengthens and supports the whole body, and thus can be a really supportive herbal ally in those premenstrual and menstrual days when so many of us feel that we need more support!
Nettle for heavy periods
Due to nettle's astringent action, it is used to stop excess bleeding. This means it can be helpful in treating superficial cuts and nosebleeds; but it is also a great herb to help curb heavy menstrual bleeding.
Nettle is especially helpful if iron levels are reduced on a monthly basis due to a heavy flow. Nettle is also used by herbalists to support iron deficiency anaemia, which can often pop up during pregnancy and for women with heavy periods. It is normally used as part of a bigger protocol, and I would not recommend self-treating anaemia with nettle alone. However, nettle can be very helpful as part of a treatment plan for iron deficiency anaemia.
I recommend drinking nettle tea during your period, whether it is heavy or not; but if you have heavy periods, nettle's iron content may help to prevent anaemia associated with the heavy bleeding, along with its helpful astringent action.
Nettle for hormonal acne
Nettle is a wonderful herb for the skin. It is used for clearing rashes, spots, pimples and boils, and can be helpful in treating more chronic skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It's antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce inflammation and itching too.
It is a depurative herb, meaning it helps to detoxify the body. The skin is our largest organ of detoxification and often needs a bit of support in those premenstrual days when the other organs of detoxification, the liver, kidneys and bowel, are overworked. For instance, the liver has to process the extra hormones being excreted following the premenstrual drop in oestrogen and progesterone.
Nettle helps the skin to detoxify, allowing rashes or spots to clear and its diuretic properties help the kidneys to clear toxins as well.
Many women get constipated before their period, so that can cause a back-up and contribute to premenstrual acne too.
Nettle for premenstrual swelling
Nettle is a diuretic herb, so it can be helpful for any kind of swelling or oedema. Swelling of the ankles, breasts and abdomen are all common symptoms of PMS, and nettle can potentially help all of them.
Nettle balances blood sugars
Nettle seems to help to balance blood sugar levels and ease cravings. Many herbalists use nettle to help when these symptoms come during the premenstrual days or during their period.
The mild blood sugar lowering action has been attributed to a glucoquinone present in nettles, and this compound has been given the name urticin. Nettles may also help to inhibit the effects of alpha-glucosidase, an enzyme responsible for breaking down carbohydrates and potentially causing more of a spike in blood glucose levels. So, if you are prone to intense cravings before or during your period, then give nettle a try to help balance your blood sugar levels and ease those cravings. Balancing blood sugar levels is beneficial for so much more than cravings, and it's especially important if you have PCOS. There are many more incredible ways to balance your blood sugar levels, and if this topic interests you, I recently read Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé and I highly recommend it!
How to use nettle to support your menstrual cycle
Nettle can be drunk as a tea or taken as a tincture. Both can easily be found in a health food shop or from your local friendly herbalist! But nettles do grow everywhere in the UK and Ireland and further afield, so you can also get a pair of gardening gloves on and pick some fresh and just cover in boiling water and strain to make fresh nettle tea.
You can also eat nettles! Nettle was an ancestral food for us in the UK and Ireland, and its nutritious young leaves were a spring delight for many after long winters when nutritious greens were hard to come by. Its name in Ulster Irish translates to 'field cabbage', denoting its use as a food. It was said to be one of the main plants that kept people alive during the great famine. Nettle pesto is quite trendy now (at least it seems to be among the foraging enthusiasts I follow on Instagram!), but our ancestors were also really into nettle porridge, nettles mixed with oats, and of course, nettle soup! Have you eaten nettles before? If you have any great nettle recipes please share them in the comments below!
