I’ve been drinking nettle tea for a month. Why? I heard about it on TikTok, naturally. When I saw on social media that stinging nettle is suddenly the hot medicinal plant, I asked myself: Do they really mean the bitter herb that I used to use as a “witches’ potion” at children’s Halloween parties?
Apparently, yes. Stinging nettle has become a trendy herb in a big way, with some touting its as a metabolism booster that works wonders against water retention and bloating. Sounds great in theory, but I was particularly wary of these claims because I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. It’s an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland doesn’t work as it should; as a result, my body is less able to metabolize certain substances, or only very slowly. Ever since my diagnosis, I’ve been intrigued by every tip for a healthier metabolism I can find—including the nettle hype.
However, I wasn’t keen to add more supplements to my morning routine (vitamin D and magnesium are already an integral part of my daily dose). So, I settled on trying nettle tea. After all, we’re in the middle of flu season. A morning ritual with a hot cup of nettle tea could do me good, I thought.
One month of nettle tea: the results
Stinging nettle may be trending on TikTok right now, but knowledge of its benefits is far from new. In naturopathy, the wild herb has long been used as a remedy for urinary tract infections, some rheumatic diseases, high blood pressure, and more. According to a review published in the National Library of Medicine, “Nettle has been used as a natural remedy for its healing properties for over 2000 years… Some of its qualities include anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, immunological stimulatory, anti-infectious, hypotensive, anti-ulcer, and cardiovascular disease prevention.”
Now, on social media, some influencers are claiming that stinging nettle has an anti-inflammatory effect that can help with a bloated belly. But for me, trying stinging nettle was not about losing weight. I wanted to see if it could help build a healthy metabolism and all that entails: less water retention, fewer headaches, less fatigue. Those are all symptoms of a slow metabolism, which I struggle with due to my thyroid condition.
According to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, stinging nettle is available in many forms: dried leaf, extract, capsules, tablets, root tincture, juice, tea, and even as an ointment. For my self-test, I resolved to drink a cup of nettle tea every morning.
