Harmful, biting ... but no!
 "Nettle is one of seven doctors."
(proverb)


Where we just do not meet the nettles, and think about it disparagingly: weed! Angry when accidentally rubs her and fired. But the wise old women in private homes gives it gryadochki somewhere on the edge of his land near the swans and even some wild grass. Older people know that nettle is not just a weed, and a reliable healer and beauty assistant .

Urtica dioca   - Urtica dioica L. - perennial herb of the family of the nettle. The whole plant is densely covered with stinging, short hairs, for which he received the popular name - zhguchka.

Rhizome have long nettle, creeping, branched. Stem straight to 60-200sm. tall. The leaves are green or dark green on long stalks with large teeth on edge. The flowers are small, greenish, assembled beams. Blooms in June-July.

The fruits are ovoid nutlets yellowish-gray. The fruits ripen in August and September. If nettles mow in June, it will bloom again in August and September.

Harvest nettles for medicinal and cosmetic purposes during flowering, cutting off the leafy stems that tie beams for wilting or spread in a thin layer in the shade, a few hours pluck the leaves by hand. Finally dried in the shade, and stored for 2 years in a package.

The nettle leaves contain vitamins B2, K, C, pantothenic acid, caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic acid, tannins, gum, protoporphyrin, kopropo-rfirin, sitosterol glucoside urtitsin, volatile, quercetin, sugar, starch, protein, trace elements - iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, magnesium, ...

That nettle valuable drug, wrote in his writings more Greek physician Dioscorides, a Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. About nettles written in old Russian Travnik, and in the XVII century, it is already widely used not only popular, but conventional medicine.

Travnik XVIII century is written, "Nettles useful lomotnogo from rheumatism and colds. For this nettle knit and nazhigayut sore spot, and nettles should only be thwarted before. "

Now drugs nettle is used for vitamin deficiency, anemia, diabetes, atherosclerosis, edema, inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, kidney stones and liver, liver and gall bladder, biliary tract, diseases of the spleen, joint and muscle rheumatism, sciatica, coughing and choking, digestive disorders, stomach cramps, pain in the heart, colds, bronchitis, urticaria, for the prevention of cancer, to enhance immunity, with convalescence after a long illness.

 Harmful, biting ... but no!
   Nettle has long been used as effective cosmetic   to preserve youth and beauty.

- From acne.   2 tbsp. tablespoons chopped leaves pour 1, 5 cups of boiling water, insist 2 hours and filtered. Take ½ cup 4 times a day. In the same skin extract is washed several times during the day.

- Mask wrinkles.   A bunch of nettles 40-50gr. miss in a meat grinder, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey and 4 drops of lemon juice. Mix well and put an even layer on your face for half an hour. Lie down with the mask better in a dark room. Wash off the mask with water at room temperature and applied moisturizer. The course of such masks skin will turn into a gentle velvet.

- For dry, aging skin : To nettle transformed into a puree, add as much yogurt as to obtain consistency of sour cream. Apply for 10-15 minutes on the face, neck and decollete.

Nettle is very useful and for hair.

- Regularly rinse decoction of nettle cure Dandruff Get rid of excess sebum. Hair become stronger, become fluffy and silky. 1 tbsp. spoon nettle pour a glass of boiling water, to insist 2 hours, strain and after washing rub the liquid into the hair roots and well moisten all the hair. Give hair to dry naturally.

 Harmful, biting ... but no!
   To rejuvenate the body and improve skin and hair young nettle whole season should be eat into .

- Nettle Soup . You will need:
- 200g. nettle;
- 100 gr. sorrel;
- 1 onion bulb;
- 1 carrot;
- 4 potatoes;
- vegetable oil,
- Salt to taste.

Preparation: Peel the potatoes, slice and cook. Nettle pour over boiling water, chop, mix with finely chopped sorrel, onions and carrots, put in vegetable oil for 2-4 minutes. When the potatoes are almost ready to run all the broth, season with salt. When a table to add to the dish sour cream or mayonnaise.

- Salad magic nettle . You will need:
- 100g. nettle;
- 100g. sorrel;
- 10 grams. parsley;
- 5 c. dill;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 2-3 eggs;
- Vegetable oil for refueling;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lemon juice;
- Salt to taste.

Preparation: Nettle sort out and keep 1:00 in cold water. Then finely chop finely and combine with pounded garlic, add the chopped sorrel, dill, parsley, chopped hard-boiled eggs. Add lemon juice, vegetable oil, optionally a salt.

If you decide to include in your daily diet nettles, then a month later you wonder how prettier.

Attention! Nettle can not be used for people with high blood clotting.
Author: Natalia Alexeeva