Nettles

Nettles, including the common stinging nettles, belong to the genus Urtica. They are usually annuals and have a long history of use both in traditional medicine and as a foodstuff. The most familiar of the nettles is the stinging nettle which has hairs on its leaves which, on contact with the skin, act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine, formic acid, acetylcholine, serotonin and other chemicals and cause a stinging sensation and leave a rash. As a result, the plant is generally avoided by herbivores although it an important food for butterflies and other invertebrates.

Stinging nettles have been used in traditional medicine for many centuries and a number of health benefits have been ascribed to them. The rootstock is used as a diuretic and for the treatment benign prostatic hyperplasia and other urinary disorders. The leaves are used to make a tea for the treatment of hay fever, diabetes, gout, and arthritis. The leaves are sometimes applied fresh or in the form of a cream to arthritic joints in a process known as urtification, which is said to stimulate blood flow. However, further studies to validate these claims would be helpful.

Apart from their medicinal value, nettles have found culinary use in many countries in the form of soups, salads etc. In Greece, a pie (tsouknidopita) similar to spinach pie (spanakopita) can be found, particularly in the northern parts of the country.