Nettle tea: the properties of the drink and the subtleties of its brewing
Nettle tea is considered a healthy drink, and its main raw material is called an indispensable plant with a lot of useful qualities. A weed with a stinging property when brewed can give a boost of freshness and energy, but it also has contraindications, so before using it is necessary to know not only the benefits, but also the possible harm to health.
Positive properties
Nettle tea has been a popular diuretic since the Middle Ages. In an ordinary cup of nettle drink there are many vitamins and minerals. For example, this tea is rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and magnesium. It has a wide range of effects on the body.
Nettle drink helps to alleviate the general condition with indigestion, nausea. It reduces the formation of gases, relieves bloating, and is effective in treating the body from helminths and other parasites. Drinking this tea helps with diarrhea. In addition, due to the beta-sitosterol, which is part of the nettle, tea helps to reduce the body's consumption of cholesterol. This is especially important for the heart as well as the arteries.
Such a drink is useful for maintaining blood pressure. Its use helps lower blood sugar levels. Depending on the recipe, nettle tea will help get rid of gingivitis if the extract is used with the addition of a mouthwash.At the same time, the composition will help eliminate not only an unpleasant odor, but also painful sores.
This decoction can be used in the treatment of minor bruises - it contributes to a speedy recovery. Also, nettle infusion is an effective prevention of bladder diseases and resists the crystallization of salts in the kidneys. Thus, it not only prevents the formation of stones, but also removes toxic substances from the urinary tract.
In addition, if the drink is taken at the same time as medications, it will increase the effectiveness of the medications in treating urinary tract infections. This drug helps protect the cellular structure from the negative effects of free radicals. It is also an excellent pain reliever. Nettle tea relieves arthritis and joint pain, but its use along with non-steroidal drugs reduces the effectiveness of the latter.
This tea is an effective remedy for allergies. It eliminates allergic sneezing and itching from plant pollen. According to research from the University of Maryland Medical Center, this remedy treats prostatic hyperplasia, therefore it is indicated for men with prostatitis. It does not make the prostate smaller, but it slows down the process of reproduction of the cells of the gland itself.
For women
This tea is also beneficial for women. In addition to effectively combating the symptoms of anemia during pregnancy, it usually compensates for the lack of iron in the body. Such a drink helps to prevent bleeding and makes the woman's fetus stronger. Its benefits for nursing mothers have also been proven, because nettle tea increases lactation.
Great benefit for the beautiful half of humanity during menstruation.Usually the beginning of the cycle is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, bloating, cramps and indigestion. The drink helps to reduce the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms, which is important for every woman. In addition, it not only helps to regulate the menstrual cycle, but also produces estrogen, which can reduce the symptoms of menopause.
With regards to menstruation, not everything is so simple. After drinking tea, blood loss may decrease, and a positive trend in the restoration of the endometrium will also be noted, however, if a woman has a large loss of blood, it is worth contacting a specialist, and not trying to solve the problem on her own.
Tea alone will not solve anything; an integrated approach is needed here.
Contraindications
Despite the medicinal properties of nettle tea and its effectiveness in the treatment of liver pathologies, respiratory diseases, gallbladder, rheumatism, it is not suitable for everyone. You should not take it as a universal remedy for all diseases, which can be drunk daily instead of black or green tea. This is not a cure for all ills, and you can drink such a drink only with the permission of a doctor. You can not assign it to yourself on your own, since each organism is individual, there may be an individual intolerance.
This is not a harmless remedy that can be used as an active food supplement. The constant use of such a drink can lead to the fact that the blood will become thicker. For those who have cerebrovascular diseases and varicose veins, drinking such tea is undesirable, if not not recommended at all, as this can provoke the development of major health problems (for example, thrombosis). It is also contraindicated in heart disease.
It is important to consider that you can not drink it with increased blood clotting, as well as bleeding polyps, cysts, tumors of the uterus and appendages.
Few people know that when used, a dosage is needed, since even its excess can affect health. It doesn’t matter what the drink is used for, it is contraindicated for high blood pressure and thrombophlebitis.
You can not drink even weak tea in the heat with a maximum loss of moisture by the body. As for pregnant women, it cannot be said that tea is useful for every woman, because under certain conditions it can increase the tone of the uterus, and this, in turn, can provoke a miscarriage.
You can not use nettle tea along with leaves in the daily diet for weight loss - it will really reduce appetite, but the body cannot do without the necessary products for any diet.
How to cook?
Few people know that brewing tea has its own characteristics. For example, nettles will have to be prepared with gloves so as not to burn your hands, since both the leaves and shoots of the plant are covered with burning villi. For tea, it is better to harvest young leaves of small diameter - they are more saturated with useful substances. The leaves are fermented.
Mature leaves are not suitable for decoction, as they will add bitterness to the drink. You can brew fresh and dried leaves - they are more effective compared to packaging in bags. If you plan to dry the leaves, you can not do it in the sun - they are placed in a bright, well-ventilated room.
For tea, you can not use more than 1 tablespoon of crushed dry leaves. They are brewed like a regular drink: they are poured with boiling water and insisted for several minutes. And here it is important to consider that you can not brew tea for more than 5-6 minutes.
To prepare a decoction of fresh leaves, take 6-8 pcs.based on a cup of 230-250 ml. The leaves are placed in a metal container, poured with clean water and put on the stove. Bring to a boil and leave in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Then the leaves are removed, because the longer they are in the drink, the more bitterness will be. It is worth noting that fresh nettle is a more effective product.
In the nettle tea recipe, you can include rose hips, honey, lemon, and ginger. Can be used to prepare thermos. In this case, fresh nettle leaves are placed on the bottom or dried ones are poured, adding 5-6 rose hips. Then boiled water is poured into a thermos and left for 2-3 hours. After that, the tea is ready to drink.
What else do you need to know?
You can not drink such tea every day, and even several times a day. This can lead to an overdose, which will affect your general well-being and may cause symptoms such as dizziness, loss of appetite, insomnia, irritability, and diarrhea. A more serious factor may be a failure in the work of the heart. Therefore, you need to lean on healthy tea without fanaticism and in acceptable doses.
For example, it is enough for a child to brew and drink no more than 1/3 cup of uncool tea per day, while for an adult a cup of 230-250 ml is allowed. It is better to drink the drink warm. It is important to take into account the type of nettle, choosing a fleshy or berry variety - it is these varieties that are more in demand in modern medicine.
To remove harmful deposits from the body, it is enough to use a useful decoction in courses. It should be taken 20 minutes before meals. It is important to consider that the presence of edema is the first sign to refrain from tea, no matter what benefits it promises. In addition, it is worth considering that for weight loss, in addition to tea, you still need to make an effort: without exercise, you will not be able to get rid of extra pounds. In this case, tea is nothing more than an aid.
It is noted that such a remedy is used for loss of strength, beriberi, and even mood disorders. Nettle tea helps to establish metabolism, is effective in rehabilitation after serious illnesses.
For greater effect and benefit, you need to collect leaves from May to the end of August, while it is important to consider that it is not recommended to collect them in the heat and in the afternoon. Shoots cannot be used for tea, as they contain a pigment that violates the purity of the shade and degrades the quality of the drink.
Reviews
Despite the abundance of medicines, nettle tea is a popular remedy for many ailments. This is evidenced by the numerous reviews left on the World Wide Web forums dedicated to their health. The comments note that such a drink is an effective tool for losing weight, helps to reduce weight or improve well-being with general malaise. In addition, the reviews indicate that such a drink actually showed relief during menstruation, accompanied by bloating and general weakness.
With regards to pregnancy, many women write that leading doctors do not recommend drinking nettle decoction in the first trimester, since the body must rebuild itself. It is noted that in the first three months such a remedy can harm not only the mother, but also the baby, whose life is just being born. Among the comments, one can find opinions indicating the dangers and inadmissibility of such tea in the case when surgical intervention is implied in the near future.
For information on the benefits of nettle tea, see the following video.