Stinging Nettle: Benefits, Tea, Root vs. Leaf & Side Effects

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Brush a bare ankle against a patch of stinging nettle and you'll know it within seconds: a hot prickle, then a rash of small welts, with a sting that can last more than 12 hours. The fine hairs on the leaves and stems work like tiny needles, and each one carries about 6.1 nanograms of histamine, the same compound behind allergy symptoms.7 Cook the leaves or dry them, and the sting is gone.1

In my field guide, I describe stinging nettle as two herbs in one. The root supports the prostate and pairs naturally with saw palmetto, and the leaf is one of the most mineral-rich greens there is, used for allergies and achy joints.1 European regulators draw the same line, with one herbal monograph for the root and a separate one for the leaf.89

People have relied on this plant for a very long time. Physicians in ancient Greece were writing about nettle leaf nearly 2,000 years ago,10 and in many cultures the young shoots are still foraged and eaten as a vegetable.11

Did you know?

• Dried nettle leaf is unusually rich in silicates: silica makes up 1% to 4% of the dried herb.10

• In Germany, nettle herb is licensed as a standard herbal tea for its diuretic action, its ability to increase urine flow.10

• USDA files its nutrient record for cooked stinging nettle in its American Indian and Alaska Native foods group, as a food of the Northern Plains Indians.5

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What is stinging nettle?

Nettle grows throughout the world and is often treated as a common weed.1210 Foragers and cooks usually call the plant simply nettle or nettles. Europe's herbal monographs cover Urtica dioica together with a close relative, Urtica urens, which is used the same way.89

The stinging hairs carry small amounts of acetylcholine, serotonin and formic acid along with their histamine.107 The leaf itself holds 1% to 2% flavonoids, including forms of quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, plus about 2.7% chlorophyll and beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol.10 The root carries lignans, compounds researchers have studied for how they interact with hormones in the prostate.13

Nettle root vs. nettle leaf: two herbs in one

The root and the leaf are studied, sold and used separately. Here's how they compare:

If a label says only "stinging nettle," it doesn't tell you which part you're getting. The dosage section below matches each part to its amount.

A short history of stinging nettle

The Greek physicians Dioscorides, in the first century, and Galen, who lived from about 130 to 200, described nettle leaf as a diuretic and a laxative and considered it useful for asthma and pleurisy, while the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder recorded its use to stop bleeding.10 In North America, the Hesquiat, Sanpoil and Shuswap peoples have used the plant for rheumatism, and India's Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia lists the herb, in combination with other herbs, for skin eruptions, eczema and nosebleeds.10 The root's prostate use is more recent: in 1986, Germany's Commission E, the country's expert panel on herbal medicines, listed nettle root for urination problems in the early stages of an enlarged prostate.16

A plant that is both food and medicine is a good picture of what the psalmist praised: "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth" (Psalm 104:14).

In the language of Western herbal energetics, here's nettle's profile:1

Stinging nettle nutrition facts

Values from USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169819 (stinging nettles, blanched). Per-cup amounts are calculated from the per-100-gram values; % Daily Value uses FDA label reference values.5

For 37 calories, a cup of cooked nettle gives you a third of a day's calcium, nearly a third of your manganese and more than three times the daily value for vitamin K, along with fiber, magnesium, vitamin A and 3,720 micrograms of lutein and zeaxanthin, pigments concentrated in your eyes.5 That's why it earns a place beside the other leafy greens on your plate.

Is stinging nettle high in iron?

A cup of cooked nettle carries 1.46 milligrams of iron, 8% of the daily value.5 When I buy an iron supplement, I look for one with herbs like dong quai and nettle, which help build and support the blood.17 For the foods that carry the most iron, see iron-rich foods, and for the signs to watch for, iron deficiency.

What is stinging nettle good for?

Stinging nettle benefits

I rank nettle's uses with the prostate first, then allergies and joints.1 Blood sugar is a newer area of research, and the testosterone findings so far come from lab work.

Does stinging nettle root help an enlarged prostate?

As men get older, the prostate often grows, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The urinary symptoms that come with it, such as getting up at night to urinate, frequent urination, difficult urination and trouble emptying the bladder, are what nettle root is used for.16 Trials track them with the International Prostate Symptom Score, a questionnaire in which a lower score means fewer symptoms.

A 2025 review gathered the randomized trials of nettle for BPH: 6 trials with 1,210 men. Symptom scores improved more than in the comparison groups, PSA fell by 0.37 ng/mL across the 4 trials that measured it, and the reviewers found no harmful effects reported for nettle. The reviewers rated the certainty of the evidence very low and described it as promising.2

The longest trial of nettle root on its own ran a full year in Germany. In a placebo-controlled trial of 246 men with an enlarged prostate, in which neither the men nor the researchers knew who got what, 459 mg of a dry root extract once a day for 12 months lowered symptom scores from 18.7 to 13.0, while placebo lowered them from 18.5 to 13.8, a modest edge for nettle that was unlikely to be chance. Urine flow and leftover urine improved about the same in both groups, and the nettle group had fewer side effects, 29 against 38, and fewer urinary infections and similar events, 3 against 10.3

A second German trial found a wider gap. In 41 men with an enlarged prostate, a water-based root extract, two 3 mL doses a day for 3 months, improved symptom scores by 9.5 points, or 52%, against 4.7 points, or 27%, on placebo, and leftover urine and urine flow improved more as well, according to the European Medicines Agency's summary of the trial.16

The largest single trial was a 6-month placebo-controlled trial of 620 men in Iran, 558 of whom finished. On 120 mg of a nettle root fluid extract three times a day, 81% of the men had improved urinary symptoms, against 16% on placebo; scores fell from 19.8 to 11.8, against 19.2 to 17.7; and prostate size shrank from 40.1 to 36.3 cc, with no side effects identified and PSA and testosterone steady.2116 In a 12-week placebo-controlled trial of 60 men in Iran, 56 of whom finished, 450 mg of root extract a day also improved symptom scores more than placebo, with no side effects reported; the extract's maker supplied the product and the placebo.22

European regulators recognize nettle root as a traditional herbal medicine for urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate, for use after a doctor has ruled out serious conditions, and they allow long-term use.8 So if your urinary symptoms are new, get checked first, including a PSA test and a prostate exam, and then make nettle root part of your plan. The safety section lists the urinary signs that call for a doctor promptly.

How nettle root works

Researchers propose that nettle root works partly through SHBG, sex hormone-binding globulin, the protein that carries testosterone and estrogen in your blood. Here's the research, step by step:

Nettle root and saw palmetto

Much of the combination research tests nettle root and saw palmetto together in one capsule: 160 mg of saw palmetto extract with 120 mg of nettle root extract, taken twice a day. In a 24-week placebo-controlled trial of 257 men, symptom scores fell 6 points on the combination against 4 on placebo,24 and in the follow-up, in which every man took the combination and knew it, scores ended 53% lower than at the start after 96 weeks.25

The combination has also been compared with standard prescription drugs. In a 60-week trial of 140 men in which neither the men nor the researchers knew who got what, symptom scores fell by a median of 9 points both on the combination and on tamsulosin, a standard prescription drug for an enlarged prostate, and 32.4% of men on the herbs reached the trial's mild-symptom target, against 27.9% on the drug.26 In an analysis of 431 men from a 543-man randomized trial against finasteride, another common prostate drug, urine flow and symptom scores improved about equally over 24 weeks, with fewer side effects reported on the herbs.27 Scientists from the capsule's maker coauthored the placebo and tamsulosin trials.2426 Our guides to pygeum and pumpkin seed oil cover other options for prostate support.

Does stinging nettle help seasonal allergies?

Hay fever symptoms start when pollen sets off mast cells, immune cells that release histamine and other inflammatory compounds. In lab tests, a freeze-dried nettle extract blocked the histamine-1 receptor, the target of common antihistamines, and inhibited mast cell tryptase, an enzyme that helps mast cells release their contents. It also inhibited COX-1, COX-2 and the enzyme that makes prostaglandin D2, compounds that drive allergy and inflammation.20

The human trial ran at a naturopathic college in Oregon. Ninety-eight adults with allergic rhinitis took capsules of freeze-dried nettle leaf or a placebo for a week, and neither they nor the researchers knew who got what. Among the 69 who finished, nettle was rated better than placebo in the overall assessments and slightly better in the daily symptom diaries.4

A 2017 trial in Iran tested nettle root, a different part of the plant, in 74 adults with year-round allergic rhinitis, 40 of whom finished. Symptoms improved in both groups over a month with no significant difference between them, and eosinophils, allergy-driving white blood cells in the nose, fell within the nettle group.29 For allergies, the leaf is the part to use.1

Going into allergy season, I step up quercetin and stinging nettle, on top of higher-dose probiotics.30 Year-round, I recommend 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of raw local honey a day,31 together with local bee pollen.30 If you have asthma, or you've ever had hives, swelling or trouble breathing from pollen, bee stings or bee products, skip bee pollen, and don't assume honey is safe for you either.32 If you have hay fever, you're the person most likely to react to bee pollen, and there's no proven safe way to start it at home, so make that decision with a practitioner who knows your allergy history.3334 Everyone else can start with a few granules with food, then eat food amounts. Our guides to seasonal allergy symptoms and natural allergy relief cover the rest of the plan.

Can stinging nettle ease joint pain?

Nettle has helped sore joints in two very different ways in trials: pressed onto the skin as a fresh leaf, and eaten as a stewed green. In a UK trial of 27 adults with osteoarthritis pain at the base of the thumb or index finger, each person tried both treatments for a week, with a five-week break between. Once a day, they pressed the underside of a fresh leaf onto the sore joint for about 30 seconds, and pain and disability scores fell more after the nettle week than after a week with white deadnettle, a non-stinging plant used as the placebo. The brief rash and itching were acceptable to 23 of the 27.1410 In interviews with 18 people who used nettle stings on their own aches, with no comparison group, 17 reported relief after the first course.35

The stewed green has its own trial. In Germany, 40 adults with an arthritis flare were randomly assigned to 50 grams of stewed nettle leaf a day plus 50 mg of diclofenac, a common anti-inflammatory drug, or to 200 mg of diclofenac, for 14 days, and people knew which treatment they got; 37 finished. Both groups improved by about 70% on CRP, a blood marker of inflammation, and on joint scores, so the nettle group did as well on a quarter of the drug.1810 By weight, 50 grams is a little over half a cup of cooked nettle.5

Nettle leaf extract has a long record in Germany for aching joints. In a study of 8,955 people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis who knowingly took a nettle leaf extract, two 335 mg capsules twice a day for 3 weeks, with no comparison group, resting pain fell about 55%, and of the roughly half who were already taking an anti-inflammatory drug, 26.2% stopped it and another 37.8% cut the dose about in half.10 In a 2026 records analysis from a German pain registry, which matched 1,073 adults with osteoarthritis on a nettle leaf extract with 1,073 on over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, 96.2% on nettle got meaningful pain relief without stopping for a side effect, against 73.2% on the drugs, and 13.1% on nettle had side effects, against 46.8%; it wasn't a randomized trial, and its lead author has been paid by the extract's maker.36

Lab work suggests part of the reason: in tests on cells, a nettle leaf extract blocked NF-κB, a master switch for inflammation.37 At home, add cooked nettle to your meals or drink the tea, and pair it with the anti-inflammatory foods in the free Anti-Inflammatory Reset. If you try the traditional sting, follow the trial's method on unbroken skin, and skip it if nettle has given you hives before. Our guides to natural remedies for joint pain and natural treatments for arthritis cover more options.

Can stinging nettle lower blood sugar?

In people with type 2 diabetes, it can. A 2020 analysis of 8 randomized trials with 401 adults found that nettle lowered fasting blood sugar by 18 mg/dL; insulin and HbA1c didn't change significantly in that analysis.6 A 2022 analysis of 13 clinical trials found fasting blood sugar 17 mg/dL lower, HbA1c 0.93 points lower and systolic blood pressure 5.03 points lower, and triglycerides and CRP were lower too.38

In a 3-month placebo-controlled trial of 92 adults in Iran whose type 2 diabetes had advanced to the point of needing insulin, a 500 mg capsule of nettle leaf extract every 8 hours, added to their oral diabetes drugs, lowered fasting blood sugar, blood sugar 2 hours after meals and HbA1c compared with placebo, with no change in kidney or liver tests or blood pressure.15 In an 8-week placebo-controlled trial of 50 adults with type 2 diabetes, a nettle extract lowered IL-6 and hs-CRP, two blood markers of inflammation.39 The leaf works as food, too: in a randomized trial of 40 men with type 2 diabetes split into four groups, 10 grams of dried nettle leaf stirred into yogurt before breakfast for 8 weeks lowered fasting blood sugar, with or without aerobic exercise.40

Type 2 diabetes can be reversed in many cases with diet, exercise and lifestyle: in a year-long UK trial of 306 adults, in which people knew which program they were on, 46% of those on a structured weight-loss diet were in remission, against 4% on standard care.41 Nettle is one support inside that kind of plan, alongside whole foods, walking and building muscle. My free Type 2 Diabetes protocol lays it out, and our guide to normal blood sugar shows the numbers to aim for. To use the dried leaf the way the yogurt trial did, stir it into goat's milk or coconut yogurt. If you take diabetes medicine, read the interaction check in the safety section first.

Nettle tea: benefits and how to make it

You can take stinging nettle as a tea or in capsule form.42 The tea increases urine flow, which is why nettle is on our list of natural diuretics,9 and it's a simple way to keep the leaf in your routine through allergy season. Our guide to herbal teas covers others worth brewing.

Here are three ways to make it:

1. Overnight infusion. Pour hot water over 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried nettle leaf, cover it, and let it steep 4 hours or overnight. Strain it and drink it through the day. This is the strong infusion I recommend.1

2. A quick cup. The European herbal monograph uses 2 to 4 grams of dried leaf for each cup of tea, 3 to 6 times a day, for 8 to 12 grams a day in all.9

3. A three-herb blend. My Breast Cancer Support Protocol pairs nettle leaf with dandelion root and rooibos: simmer the dandelion root for 10 minutes, then steep the nettle and rooibos for 8, for 2 to 3 cups a day.43

To sweeten a cup, stir in a teaspoon of raw local honey or Manuka honey.

How to cook fresh nettles (and take the sting out)

Cooking or drying removes the sting entirely, and you can use the cooked leaves anywhere you'd use cooked spinach.1 Researchers who studied nettle as a vegetable in Virginia harvested the shoots in spring and fall, and found that blanching or boiling kept a significant share of the leaf's minerals and vitamins.11 Here's how to prepare them:

1. Wear gloves to handle nettles fresh.1

2. Pick young shoots before the plant flowers. The researchers cut shoots about 20 cm (8 inches) long.11

3. Strip the leaves and tender tips. The stem turns woody about 4 cm (1½ inches) below the growing tip, so leave it behind.11

4. Blanch or boil them. Drop the leaves into boiling water for 1 minute to blanch them, or boil them for 7 minutes, then drain and cool.11

5. Squeeze them dry and use or freeze them. Blanched or cooked nettles kept a significant share of their nutrients through frozen storage.11

Find more ideas in our soup recipes.

How much stinging nettle should you take?

For allergies, I've recommended 300 to 500 mg twice a day,28 and on my show, quercetin and stinging nettle 3 times a day.44 European rules allow long-term use of nettle root.8 For licensed leaf products, the EU label sets 4 weeks for joint pain and 2 to 4 weeks as a urinary flush; those limits belong to the licensed traditional uses, while cooked nettle is a vegetable.911

How to choose a stinging nettle supplement

Nettle products vary a lot by part and form, so check the label for these:

• The part of the plant: root for prostate support, leaf for allergies and joints.89

• Milligrams of extract per capsule, so you can match the amounts in the table above.

• Freeze-dried leaf for allergies, the form used in the allergy trial.4

• Both amounts in a combination: the saw palmetto and nettle root trials used 160 mg and 120 mg per capsule.24

• Third-party testing for purity, with results the maker will share.

Stinging nettle side effects and who should skip it

The root has a long safety record too: more than 17,000 men have taken nettle root preparations in clinical studies, and the side effects reported were mainly stomach complaints such as nausea, heartburn and diarrhea.16 Both root and leaf products can occasionally cause itching, a rash or hives.89 In one documented case, a 30-year-old woman who was also using echinacea and a hormonal implant developed breast milk discharge after a month of 500 mg of nettle a day, and it cleared within a week of stopping.12

Skip nettle tea, extracts and capsules during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. European regulators say nettle leaf's safety hasn't been established for those times and don't recommend it.9

The bottom line

Stinging nettle: frequently asked questions

References

1. Axe J. Top 50 Healing Herbs & Essential Oils: A Field Guide to God's Pharmacy. DrAxe.com protocol; 2026 (Men's Hormones: Nettle entry, with its top uses ranked by research, how to take it, how it works, traditional energetics and cautions).
2. Posadzki P, Kongkaew C, Ernst E. Urtica dioica for benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Herb Med. 2025;50:100996. doi:10.1016/j.hermed.2025.100996
3. Schneider T, Rübben H. [Stinging nettle root extract (Bazoton-uno) in long term treatment of benign prostatic syndrome (BPS). Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled multicenter study after 12 months]. Urologe A. 2004;43(3):302-306. doi:10.1007/s00120-004-0532-7
4. Mittman P. Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta Med. 1990;56(1):44-47. doi:10.1055/s-2006-960881
5. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Stinging Nettles, blanched (Northern Plains Indians). FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 169819 (NDB 35205). Published April 1, 2019. Accessed October 12, 2026.
6. Ziaei R, Foshati S, Hadi A, et al. The effect of nettle (Urtica dioica) supplementation on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2020;34(2):282-294. doi:10.1002/ptr.6535
7. Oliver F, Amon EU, Breathnach A, et al. Contact urticaria due to the common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)--histological, ultrastructural and pharmacological studies. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1991;16(1):1-7. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2230.1991.tb00282.x
8. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. European Union herbal monograph on Urtica dioica L.; Urtica urens L., radix. Revision 1. EMA/HMPC/322646/2023. European Medicines Agency; January 22, 2025 (last updated March 12, 2025). Accessed October 12, 2026.
9. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Community herbal monograph on Urtica dioica L.; Urtica urens L., folium. EMA/HMPC/508015/2007. European Medicines Agency; 2010. Accessed October 12, 2026.
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11. Rutto LK, Xu Y, Ramirez E, Brandt M. Mineral Properties and Dietary Value of Raw and Processed Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.). Int J Food Sci. 2013;2013:857120. doi:10.1155/2013/857120
12. Easton L, Vaid S, Nagel AK, Venci JV, Fortuna RJ. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica): An Unusual Case of Galactorrhea. Am J Case Rep. 2021;22:e933999. doi:10.12659/AJCR.933999
13. Schöttner M, Gansser D, Spiteller G. Lignans from the roots of Urtica dioica and their metabolites bind to human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Planta Med. 1997;63(6):529-532. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957756
14. Randall C, Randall H, Dobbs F, Hutton C, Sanders H. Randomized controlled trial of nettle sting for treatment of base-of-thumb pain. J R Soc Med. 2000;93(6):305-309. doi:10.1177/014107680009300607
15. Kianbakht S, Khalighi-Sigaroodi F, Dabaghian FH. Improved glycemic control in patients with advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus taking Urtica dioica leaf extract: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clin Lab. 2013;59(9-10):1071-1076. doi:10.7754/clin.lab.2012.121019
16. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Assessment report on Urtica dioica L.; Urtica urens L., radix. Revision 1. EMA/HMPC/322627/2023. European Medicines Agency; January 22, 2025. Accessed October 12, 2026.
17. Axe J. 10 Signs You Have an Iron Deficiency (How to Boost Iron Naturally). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. October 8, 2024 (herbs that help build and support the blood, at 27:25).
18. Chrubasik S, Enderlein W, Bauer R, Grabner W. Evidence for antirheumatic effectiveness of Herba Urticae dioicae in acute arthritis: A pilot study. Phytomedicine. 1997;4(2):105-108. doi:10.1016/S0944-7113(97)80052-9
19. Hryb DJ, Khan MS, Romas NA, Rosner W. The effect of extracts of the roots of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) on the interaction of SHBG with its receptor on human prostatic membranes. Planta Med. 1995;61(1):31-32. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957993
20. Roschek B Jr, Fink RC, McMichael M, Alberte RS. Nettle extract (Urtica dioica) affects key receptors and enzymes associated with allergic rhinitis. Phytother Res. 2009;23(7):920-926. doi:10.1002/ptr.2763
21. Safarinejad MR. Urtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. J Herb Pharmacother. 2005;5(4):1-11.
22. Akbar Karami A, Sheikhsoleimani M, Reza Memarzadeh M, et al. Urtica Dioica Root Extract on Clinical and Biochemical Parameters in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Randomized Controlled Trial. Pak J Biol Sci. 2020;23(10):1338-1344. doi:10.3923/pjbs.2020.1338.1344
23. Lichius JJ, Muth C. The inhibiting effects of Urtica dioica root extracts on experimentally induced prostatic hyperplasia in the mouse. Planta Med. 1997;63(4):307-310. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957688
24. Lopatkin N, Sivkov A, Walther C, et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of a combination of sabal and urtica extract for lower urinary tract symptoms--a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial. World J Urol. 2005;23(2):139-146. doi:10.1007/s00345-005-0501-9
25. Lopatkin N, Sivkov A, Schläfke S, et al. Efficacy and safety of a combination of Sabal and Urtica extract in lower urinary tract symptoms--long-term follow-up of a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial. Int Urol Nephrol. 2007;39(4):1137-1146. doi:10.1007/s11255-006-9173-7
26. Engelmann U, Walther C, Bondarenko B, et al. Efficacy and safety of a combination of sabal and urtica extract in lower urinary tract symptoms. A randomized, double-blind study versus tamsulosin. Arzneimittelforschung. 2006;56(3):222-229. doi:10.1055/s-0031-1296714
27. Sökeland J. Combined sabal and urtica extract compared with finasteride in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: analysis of prostate volume and therapeutic outcome. BJU Int. 2000;86(4):439-442. doi:10.1046/j.1464-410x.2000.00776.x
28. Axe J. Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History. Little, Brown Spark; 2021 ("Prescriptions for 70+ Conditions": Allergies, top 5 remedies, entry beginning p. 215).
29. Bakhshaee M, Mohammad Pour AH, Esmaeili M, et al. Efficacy of Supportive Therapy of Allergic Rhinitis by Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) root extract: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo- Controlled, Clinical Trial. Iran J Pharm Res. 2017;16(Suppl):112-118.
30. Axe J. Natural Sunscreens, EMF Exposure, & the Best Dairy Alternatives | Q&A. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. May 29, 2024 (local honey and bee pollen at 12:32; quercetin and stinging nettle going into allergy season at 13:13).
31. Axe J. What Happens In Your Body If You Eat Honey Every Day? The Dr. Josh Axe Show. October 20, 2025 (a teaspoon or a heaping teaspoon of raw local honey all year at 15:15; a teaspoon up to a tablespoon at 20:40).
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33. Pitsios C, Chliva C, Mikos N, Kompoti E, Nowak-Wegrzyn A, Kontou-Fili K. Bee pollen sensitivity in airborne pollen allergic individuals. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2006;97(5):703-6. doi:10.1016/S1081-1206(10)61104-0. PMID:17165283
34. Choi JH, Jang YS, Oh JW, Kim CH, Hyun IG. Bee Pollen-Induced Anaphylaxis: A Case Report and Literature Review. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2015;7(5):513-7. doi:10.4168/aair.2015.7.5.513. PMID:25749764
35. Randall C, Meethan K, Randall H, Dobbs F. Nettle sting of Urtica dioica for joint pain--an exploratory study of this complementary therapy. Complement Ther Med. 1999;7(3):126-131. doi:10.1016/s0965-2299(99)80119-8
36. Überall MA, Küster MA, Müller-Schwefe PCG, Müller-Schwefe GHH. Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Hox Alpha, a Dry Extract from Stinging Nettle Leaves versus OTC NSAIDs in Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective, Propensity-Matched 12-Week Analysis from the German Pain e-Registry (SIPHARO Study). J Pain Res. 2026;19:546747. doi:10.2147/JPR.S546747
37. Riehemann K, Behnke B, Schulze-Osthoff K. Plant extracts from stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), an antirheumatic remedy, inhibit the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-kappaB. FEBS Lett. 1999;442(1):89-94. doi:10.1016/s0014-5793(98)01622-6
38. Tabrizi R, Sekhavati E, Nowrouzi-Sohrabi P, et al. Effects of Urtica dioica on Metabolic Profiles in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Clinical Trials. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2022;22(3):550-563. doi:10.2174/1389557521666210929143112
39. Namazi N, Esfanjani AT, Heshmati J, Bahrami A. The effect of hydro alcoholic Nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind control trial. Pak J Biol Sci. 2011;14(15):775-779. doi:10.3923/pjbs.2011.775.779
40. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Addendum to assessment report on Urtica dioica L., Urtica urens L., folium. EMA/HMPC/489006/2020. European Medicines Agency; January 26, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2026.
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42. Axe J. Natural Home Remedies for Allergies. The Dr. Axe Show. April 19, 2017 (stinging nettle as a tea or in capsule form at 10:07).
43. Axe J. The Breast Cancer Support Protocol: A Root-Cause Approach. DrAxe.com protocol; 2026 (p. 17, dandelion, nettle and rooibos tea).
44. Axe J. Best Natural Alternatives for Common Prescription Drugs. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. June 16, 2025 (quercetin and stinging nettle as mast cell stabilizers at 38:33).
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Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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