6 DOUBLE-BLIND HUMAN STUDIES REVEALING THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF STINGING NETTLE
When transitioning into the wild food lifestyle a few years ago, a particular plant was frequently mentioned in conversations I had with friends and mentors. Assuming you’ve read the title, you can already guess which plant that was: the seemingly formidable stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).I sought out the stinging nettle plant and discovered a patch a few miles from my home. With gloves and a bag, I carefully transplanted a few plants from a blanketed hillside to an area near my front door. Now, five years later, a beautiful stinging nettle patch greets me as I step outside my home. It may not be entirely “wild,” but it certainly retains a similar robustness of any truly wild and healthy plant species.
Stinging nettle is an extremely versatile plant that has been used for countless years as a food, medicine, dye, and fiber material. In addition to its traditional applications, stinging nettle also has years of scientific research validating its claims as a health-promoting plant. In this post, I’d like to summarize six double-blind research trials that elucidate just how powerful stinging nettle can be for human health.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. It is estimated that around 50% of men will experience symptoms of enlarged prostate by the age of 60, and 90% of men will experience symptoms by the age of 85 (1).
In one study, stinging nettle was shown to display beneficial effects on the treatment of symptomatic BPH. Participants taking stinging nettle over the course of six months as part of a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial reported improved lower urinary tract symptoms, greater improvements in peak flow rates, and a modest decrease in prostate size compared to the placebo group (2).
In another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 100 men, clinical symptoms of BPH were improved in participants taking stinging nettle more so than in those taking placebo (3).
And if two human trials don’t do much to persuade you, perhaps a third will. A 2004 German study looked at the effect of stinging nettle root extract in the year-long treatment of BPH in 246 patients. Upon completion of the study, researchers concluded that stinging nettle root extract may be a safe and therapeutic option for BPH, as patients taking stinging nettle experienced a greater improvement in symptoms than in those taking placebo (4).
Take note: it seems that the root of stinging nettle is more effective in treating symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia than the aerial components, though the latter certainly offer nutritious and medicinal benefits of their own.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetes, a condition characterized by insulin resistance, is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. With nearly two million new cases diagnosed each year in the United States, it is important, now more than ever, to discover treatment methods that are cost-effective and safe.
A study from 2011 analyzed the effect of a stinging nettle extract on insulin sensitivity and inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes. After eight weeks of treatment, patients taking the stinging nettle extract showed a significant decrease in certain inflammatory markers (interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor) compared to those taking placebo (5).
Treatment of type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetes is associated with high levels of glucose in the blood, and we already know that stinging nettle can improve inflammatory markers in patients with this condition. Is there any evidence that stinging nettle can help lower blood sugar levels? Indeed there is.
A 2013 study looked at the hypoglycemic effect that stinging nettle leaf extract has on patients with type 2 diabetes. Compared to placebo, patients taking the leaf extract, in conjunction with conventional oral anti-hyperglycemic drugs, experienced reduced fasting blood glucose levels, two-hour postprandial blood glucose levels, and HbA1c numbers (6).
Allergic rhinitisCommonly referred to as “allergies,” allergic rhinitis is a type of inflammation of the nasal airways. It can occur when we breathe in particles such as pollen, pet dander, and dust. Stinging nettle is often recommended for those afflicted with seasonal allergies, and for good reason. In a randomized, double-blind study completed by 69 participants, a freeze-dried preparation of stinging nettle fared better than placebo in treating allergic rhinitis (7).
And there we have it – six double-blind human trials that demonstrate the beneficial effects of stinging nettle. Having been through institutionalized, conventional nutrition training, I can tell you that plants (and other forms of “alternative” medicine) are not spoken highly of in mainstream medicine. I was often told that many studies involving plant medicines hadn’t yet been conducted on humans, and the ones using animals couldn’t necessarily be applied to human health. Or in the case that there were studies done on humans, there simply weren’t enough of them to make any solid conclusions.
Well, six human trials may not be a huge number, but it’s definitely a start.
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-Adam Haritan
3 NEW STUDIES DEMONSTRATE THE ANTI-TUMOR EFFECTS OF 3 MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
Photograph by Jose Ramon Pato
Why are mushrooms a staple of my health protocol? After spending years reviewing the scientific literature, in addition to studying the traditional uses amongst different cultures, I’d be doing my body a great disservice by ignoring the information I’ve hunted and gathered.
Medicinal mushrooms, it turns out, have been shown to possess anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and immunomodulatory properties. I discipline myself to stay up-to-date with the current research, and I’ve recently discovered three separate studies that analyzed the anti-tumor effects of three different medicinal mushrooms.
Let’s take a look at them:
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
Also known as lingzhi, reishi mushroom is highly revered in Chinese medicine. It is one of the most beautiful mushrooms, donning hues of lacquered red, orange, and yellow, and can be found growing as an annual polypore on hardwoods, especially oaks.
A new study looked at the effects of certain compounds derived from reishi mushroom on tumor inhibition in mice with Lewis lung carcinoma (1). The compounds administered to the mice were beta-glucans, which are polysaccharides found in fungal cell walls. The mice were divided into 4 groups: a control group (no treatment), radiation only group, beta-glucan only group, and a beta-glucan/radiation combination treatment group.
The results were rather remarkable. Compared to the the control and radiation-only treatment groups, the groups administered reishi beta-glucans had significant decreases in the volume of primary tumors, as well as less hair loss and less severe wounds. They also displayed less incidence of metastasis, which is the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another, and demonstrated significantly longer survival time compared to the groups not receiving reishi mushroom beta-glucans.
Overall, the most inhibitory effects were seen in the mice that received both reishi beta-glucans and radiation therapy, suggesting that reishi mushroom could potentially be a very important complementary treatment to the way conventional medicine currently manages cancer.
Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris)
Cordyceps has to be one of the most fascinating fungi. Its mycelium colonizes the pupa or larva of a butterfly or moth, eventually expelling forth the reproductive structure (mushroom) directly from the insect. Past research has elucidated its aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, and new research has discovered that Cordyceps may suppress tumor growth of human malignant melanoma cells.
Published in the International Journal of Oncology, this new study found that an extract ofCordyceps militaris suppressed tumor growth by inducing programmed cellular death on human malignant melanoma cells, a process known as apoptosis (2). Additionally, the extract displayed anti-angiogenic properties. Angiogenesis is the process whereby new blood vessels are formed from the preexisting vascular system. While this is a normal part of the wound healing process, angiogenesis is also involved in tumor progression from the benign to malignant state, and inhibition of this process – for example, through Cordyceps administration – could potentially be a viable way to mitigate cancer progression.
Antrodia salmoneaAntrodia salmonea is a medicinal mushroom used in traditional Taiwanese medicine to treat diarrhea, hypertension, and liver cancer. While there is not a substantial body of evidence documenting the medicinal properties of Antrodia salmonea, a few studies have previously analyzed the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of this fungus.
New research published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology studied the anti-tumor activity ofAntrodia salmonea on human promyelocytic leukemia cells (3). The researchers discovered that administration of the mushroom in vitro and in vivo reduced tumor growth in the cells by inducing apoptosis (programmed cellular death). In addition to testing their hypothesis on human cells, the researchers performed additional experiments on mice, and found that Antrodia salmonea was effective in delaying tumor incidence by reducing the size of the tumor. This is the first study to confirm the anti-tumor activity of Antrodia salmonea against human promyelocytic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells.
Reishi, Cordyceps militaris, and Antrodia salmonea are certainly not the only fungi that possess anti-tumor properties, as many more members of the fungal kingdom certainly do. True, the aforementioned studies were not performed on humans, but the results are still promising and warrant further experimentation.
Isn’t it surprising, though, that with all the great research performed around the world, and with documented traditional applications amongst several cultures, mushrooms still have not been accepted as part of conventional Western medical treatment?
