Nettle Tea and Allergies

I am amazed what an effect drinking nettle leaf tea is having on my allergies. The sneezing, runny nose, itchy throat, and itchy eyes symptoms subside for 2 to 3 hours after drinking a cup. I looked on the web today to find how this could be.

Histamines, which occur naturally in the body, are the culprits behind allergic reactions, says Stanley W. Beyrle, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Kansas Clinic of Traditional Medicine in Wichita. When you are exposed to allergens—substances that cause allergic reactions—your body releases histamines, which in turn cause hives, constrict bronchial vessels, and inflame the skin.

The histamines in nettle attach to histamine receptor sites in your cells and keep your body’s histamines from attaching to those cells during an allergic reaction. Nettle’s action is very similar to that of pharmaceutical antihistamine drugs, says Dr. Beyrle.

"Nettle" at Health Journal

My Nettle Tea

Fill a big 2" tea ball with as much nettle leaf as possible and put it in a 3 quart pot. Add about 3 lemon zinger tea bags and fill it almost full of filtered water. Bring it all just barely to a boil, turn off the heat and cover, letting it steep for about 15 minutes. Take out the tea ball and tea bags and transfer the liquid to a pitcher. Drink a cup right away, either warm or over ice and sweeten with honey or agave syrup. Keep the remaining tea chilled until needed. Drink as needed for the remainder of the day.

About Wardeh

Wardeh ('Wardee') Harmon lives in Oregon with her husband, Jeff, and their three children, Haniya, Naomi & Mikah. They garden and raise a dairy cow, chickens and goats. Wardeh is passionate about traditional cooking. She writes books and teaches online classes in traditional cooking, sourdough, cultured dairy, cheesemaking and fermentation. Follow Wardeh on Google+.

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Comments

  1. Stephanie says:

    Thank you – I am experimenting with Nettle Tea for fall allergies as we speak, and I sure hope it helps! :-)

    I hope it does, too! -Wardeh

  2. Julie says:

    I think nettle tea really works for my allergies. It also works as a good eye compress for itchy, swollen eyes. Take a tea bag of nettle tea and soak it well in some warm water. Squeeze out the excess water and apply the tea bag to the eye (s).

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