Arthritis today affects approximately 350 million people worldwide including men, women and even children. The symptoms of the joint disorder are unpleasant and often very painful and distressing to the patient.
But have you ever thought that relief from arthritis pain can be found in just a cup of tea? And more specifically, stinging nettle tea!
Most of you must be familiar with the tall, herbaceous plant growing in most areas around the county and maybe you have even been unfortunate enough to be stung by the stinging hairs covering its leaves and stems. In this post, you will learn how something as safe and cost effective as nettle tea can help you relieve arthritis symptoms and how you can make your own delicious nettle tea at home!
Nettle Tea and Arthritis
Stinging nettle many cause extraordinary discomfort if touched by mistake but the plant has actually been shown to help relieve discomfort, particularly joint pain. The plant is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron and silicon minerals that can ease arthritic pain while helping to build strong bones. Also it has antimicrobial, antioxidant and analgesic properties which have been known for many centuries. Native Americans would take long sprigs and swat affected joints or boil the nettle root to make a soothing lotion.
Multiple studies, mainly conducted in Turkey and Germany, have proven that nettle leaf whether applied directly onto skin or ingested in the form on tea infusion can relieve the pain in sore joints because hox alpha, an extract of stinging nettle leaf, contains an anti-inflammatory substance that can suppress inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are messengers between cells that cause inflammation due to an immune response. The substances found in nettle tea can inhibit the protein that activates cytokines in the synovial tissue lining the joints, where the swelling and pain would be caused.
Drinking 2 to 3 cups of nettle tea can help you minimize the discomfort of arthritis pain. It is caffeine free and has great taste to offer. You could combine it with other herbs or teas such as green tea or peppermint.
How to Make Nettle Tea
Ingredients
- 1 cup of fresh nettle leaves or 1 teaspoon dried nettle leaves
- 2 cups water
- Cinnamon (optional)
- honey (optional)
Directions
- Put your water in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Add your nettle leaves, reduce the heat and let the tea simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Strain the leaves and add some honey and cinnamon to make your tea more tasty.
- Enjoy two to three cups daily for more noticeable results on your joint pain.
Have you ever had nettle tea before? If so you should definitely give it a try and especially if you suffer from arthritis pain!