Stinging nettles once served as a death knell for playtime.
If you accidentally found yourself wading through a brush of seemingly harmless shrubbery to retrieve a ball and exited with painful, red welts on your calves and thighs – off you went to the school nurse for a glass of water and, if you were lucky, some numbing ointment. Foiled by the nettles once again. So, how could something that we avoided like the plague as children have positive health effects when brewed into tea?
Stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a shrub native to northern Europe and Asia with characteristic heart-shaped leaves which taper to a point and green or cream flowers which form in clusters. The leaves are covered in microscopic, stiff hairs which release a painful stinging chemical when they come into contact with skin.
For centuries, ancient medicinal practices have made use of the humble plant to treat everything from joint and muscle pain to eczema, arthritis, gout and anaemia as well as issues pertaining to the urinary tract and oedema. In traditional Chinese medicine, stinging nettle (Xun Ma) is associated with the liver and is said to smooth digestion and kill parasites. In Western herbalism, it’s most commonly used to treat allergies and hay fever.
According to the White Rabbit Institute of Healing, in Ancient Greece stinging nettle was used as both a diuretic and laxative. In ancient folklore, it was deemed a powerful plant which could break curses and jinxes. The Wild Swans is a prime example, with the heroine of the fairy tale having to weave shirts from nettles to save her brothers from a curse that had transformed them into swans.
Why should I drink nettle tea?
Aside from the numerous ancient medicinal benefits, nettles contain lots of vitamins and minerals which help to support strong and healthy bones – including calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamin K (which also supports blood clotting).
What does nettle tea taste like?
Earthy and somewhat grassy with sweet undertones, some have compared the taste of nettle to that of spinach or seaweed. Nettle tea is also entirely caffeine-free.
Is it safe to drink nettle tea?
Don’t fear the sting when enjoying a steaming cup of nettle tea. It’s perfectly safe to drink, as the stinging chemical dissipates with the heat of boiling water. Like everything, be sure to drink nettle tea in moderation. While it’s recommended to help clear urinary dysfunction and infection, it can sometimes have laxative effects.
We’ve rounded up a selection of the eight best nettle teas to try.
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Clipper Organic Nettle Tea Bags
Wonderfully light and refreshing, Clipper’s signature nettle infusion is a brilliant choice for first-time enjoyers of the healing, earthy brew. The brand describes the flavour profile of this blend as ‘clean with grassy notes’, and the tea leaves are housed in unbleached, plant-based and biodegradable bags.
Buy now £12.95, Amazon
Pukka Radiance
You might have already come across Pukka’s Radiance tea when it was referred to as Cleanse. Despite the new name it’s infused with the same refreshing and invigorating blend of nettle, dandelion, fennel, peppermint and aloe vera. It certainly opens up the sinuses while aiding digestion, making it a brilliant and aromatic post-meal brew to cleanse the palette. Scoop up this discounted pack of four if you already know and love Pukka’s varied herbal blends.
Buy now £14.00, Amazon
Dary Natury Nettle Leaf Organic Tea Bags
Dary Natury’s teas are made with herbs that are hand-collected and cultivated on organic farms within a certified ecological zone in Podlasie, Poland. A stone’s throw away from the pastoral paradise sits Poland’s famous Podlasian Botanical Garden, which is home to the largest collection of herbs in the country. All this to say, you can certainly trust in Dary Natury for an all-natural, sustainably sourced and free-from-nasties cup of nettle tea.
Buy now £5.50, Amazon
Monte Nativo Nettle tea (300g)
A loose-leaf option for those who prefer making more of a ritual out of tea time, Monte Nativo’s nettle tea is 100 per cent natural and vegan-friendly. Picked and packaged in Bulgaria, the brand recommends steeping two teaspoons of the all-natural, dried herb in freshly boiled water for up to 10 minutes depending on your desired strength. Brewing for longer tends to bring out the sweeter undertones of nettle.
Buy now £9.95, Amazon
Heath & Heather Organic Nettle 20 Tea Bags
Made from 100 per cent nettle and nothing else, Heath & Heather is a fine, H&B-approved herbal tea which is naturally caffeine-free, void of artificial colours and suitable for coeliacs. It has a delicate grassy flavour and a recommended brew time of five minutes.
Buy now £3.50, Holland & Barrett
Fortnum's Rhubarb, Raspberry & Nettle Leaf Infusion Tin
A rather artisan option for the experimental herbal tea enjoyer, this zingy and earthy blend combines tangy rhubarb, sweer raspberry and mellow nettle to create a refreshing tipple which is supposedly reminiscent of a classic, countryside rhubarb crumble.
Buy now £9.95, F&M
Organic Nettle Tea by Alpi Nature
Evoking the “subtle freshness of a spring garden”, Alpi Nature’s nettle tea is a delight to enjoy all year around. The dried nettle is sourced from controlled organic cultivation and is housed in teabags which are free from plastic and have been crafted from plant-based ingredients.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
Morgan’s Brew Nettle, Sage & Mint Tea
A deeply herbaceous blend for the Witches and Wiccans, this glorious blend contains 62 per cent peppermint, 30 per cent nettle and eight per cent sage for an added aromatic lift. Morgan’s Brew recommends enjoying this blend over ice on a sunny day.
Buy now £3.40, Morgan’s Brew
