Stinging Nettle

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

Ok ive been on these boards for a while now and ive read alot of shit, but this one is perhaps more promising and exciting then anything ive ever come across, even more then fish oil but then again i dont want to hype anything up TOO much, but the reasoning for this is fairly sound and still hypothetical with decent testimonies for support. My excitement is purely a product of the sound reasoning and not my interest in it being true.

based on a particular hypothesis of acne ive come across, ive been using it to find things to treat the specifics of it, as a result i have found stinging nettle to be a possible treatment for acne. When reading this, you do not have to understand the specifics of it in order to understand why it could work, but dont worry to much about what all this actually is just here me out.

here is an illustration of the hypothesis, Isummarized the important parts below so there is less to read.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/wi...280/diagram.jpg

summarized caption- in inflammatory acne, nf-kb signaling is activated, as a consequence nf-kb inflammatory cytokine genes (tnf-a and il1b) are induced, these cytokines will propogate the inflammatory response which facilitate the recruitment of inflammatory cells into the skin.

All you need to know at this time is that tnf-a and il1b are involved in the cycle of acne, because this is where stinging nettle comes in.

STINGING NETTLE(from wiki)

Stinging nettle has many uses. It is used by many different cultures for a wide variety of purposes in herbal medicine and has been known to be used back in the times of ancient Greece.

Nettle leaf is an herb that has a long tradition of use as an adjuvant remedy in the treatment of arthritis in Germany. Nettle leaf extract contains active compounds that reduce TNF-α and other inflammatory cytokines.[1][2]

Not only does nettle leaf lower TNF-a levels, but it has been demonstrated that it does so by potently inhibiting the genetic transcription factor that activates TNF-a and IL-1B in the synovial tissue that lines the joint.[3]

A study on healthy volunteers demonstrated the anti-inflammatory potential of nettle.[4] In this study, nettle extract significantly reduced TNF-a and IL-1B concentration in response to stimulation by these pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Another study conducted on forty patients suffering from acute arthritis compared the effects of 200 mg of an anti-inflammatory drug (diclofenac) with only 50 mg of the same drug in combination with stewed nettle leaf.[5]

Total joint scores improved significantly in both groups by approximately 70%. The addition of nettle extract made possible a 75% dose reduction of the toxic drug, while still retaining the same anti-inflammatory benefits with reduced side effects. This study implies that people taking nettle extract could possibly reduce their dose of a COX-2 inhibiting drug, while at the same time protecting against the recently discovered potential adverse of effects of some COX-2 inhibitors, i.e., elevated TNF-a and IL-1B.

An extract from the nettle root (Urtica dioica) is used to alleviate symptoms of benign prostate enlargement. Nettle leaf extract, on the other hand, is what has been shown to reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-a and IL-B1.

Cooking, crushing or chopping disables the stinging hairs. Stinging nettle leaves are high in nutrients, and the leaves can be mixed with other ingredients to create a soup rich in calcium and iron.[6] Nettle soup is a good source of nutrients for people who lacked meat or fruit in their diets.[7] The young leaves are edible and make a very good pot-herb. The leaves are also dried and may then be used to make a tisane, as can also be done with the nettle's flowers. Because stinging nettle usually grows at nitrogen-rich places, it often contains high concentrations of nitrate which can be converted in the digestive tract to carcinogenic nitrosamines and should therefore not be used for baby food. This may be inaccurate[1].

thats not all folks, here are some testimonies from people on this site:

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...2&hl=nettle

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...0&hl=nettle

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...0&hl=nettle

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...5&hl=nettle

Now also very peculiar to me is the nature of the plants themselves, read this from wiki-

"In the UK stinging nettles have a strong association with human habitation and buildings. The presence of nettles may indicate that a building has been long abandoned. Human and animal waste may be responsible for elevated levels of phosphate and nitrogen in the soil, providing an ideal environment for stinging nettles."

so by separating us from our shit, we have been disassociated with these plants, now im a firm believer in a natural intelligence of god and that sometimes things just make a lot of fucking sense but something tells me this aint just no ordinary plant, perhaps its the marijuana of acne!! well not just acne, inflammatory diseases which include alot of different types, it would only make to much god damn sense for god to surround us with the things we need to support life by giving us the plants we need, in the habitat we are usually in, but thats just my wild theory of this plant. anyways hopefully you have enjoyed this and will try stinging nettle. As of this writing i have started to test this hypothesis and see if there is any truth to it, as even the most promising of things can be disappointments, im aware of the odds, but excited there are good reasons for it to help.

[Case N 1]

I used stinging nettle, didn't work, tasted like rotten grass mixed with ass and mud.

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

I used stinging nettle, didn't work, tasted like rotten grass mixed with ass and mud.

duly noted.

[GoBills 0]

Nice post Auto! I remember reading about stinging Nettle in one of the links you provided above. I'd like to try this as it not only may help with complexion, but can also be used as a supplement with a weightlifting program.

It seems some take it in pill form, while a majority drink it as tea. Ideally, one would probably want the fresh leaves. But I'll settle for second best. What do you think, pills or tea?

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

Nice post Auto! I remember reading about stinging Nettle in one of the links you provided above. I'd like to try this as it not only may help with complexion, but can also be used as a supplement with a weightlifting program.

It seems some take it in pill form, while a majority drink it as tea. Ideally, one would probably want the fresh leaves. But I'll settle for second best. What do you think, pills or tea?

hmm i dont really know yet, perhaps tea but it may taste like crap so ive heard, but i would think that is the best way to absorb it, tea with a meal or something. fResh doesnt seem so bad, throw that shit in a salad.

[DeAntonio 3]

They make it in a tea form/pill form & liquid form... Im assuming liquid would be the best, I have some pills at the house actually which I bought for the Weightlifting aspect as mentioned that it supposedly helps but Im going to read up on this some more with the acne correlation & see what is the best way to consume.... Very interesting, nice post

[Paul25 1]

I drink nettle tea, i dont mind the taste really. Havnt gave it long enough to know if it will improve my skin or not yet though.

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

well just bought some pills at the store and when i opened the bottle i could smell it right away, it smells like fish food or cat food or a fucking barn, so i would suggest getting the pills and not the tea as the tea will most likely, as it has been stated earlier, taste like shit.

we will see if all this research was worth a damn as sometimes it is not, but its a better strategy then jumping on every god damn band wagon for no logical reason whatsoever or some loosely supported claim.

[andersoj 3]

Fun read as usual, but yeah, I'm not gonna get my hopes up. Hows your skin BTW? Look forward to hearing your results.

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

Fun read as usual, but yeah, I'm not gonna get my hopes up. Hows your skin BTW? Look forward to hearing your results.

just started using this crap today, with my current regimen, my face is very acceptable to good, never great or 100% there are always minor blackhead issues, and then the occasional minor breakout which i define as 1 or two pimples or shallow cysts. This is great for a dude that was desparate enough to try accutane, about a year ago from today. The past 8 months have been good to me. Im no longer super anxious in front of people, pretty much back to normal, girls well thats still weird but at least i can talk half way normal to them so thats good, its functional but not proficient.

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

Nice post Auto! I remember reading about stinging Nettle in one of the links you provided above. I'd like to try this as it not only may help with complexion, but can also be used as a supplement with a weightlifting program.

It seems some take it in pill form, while a majority drink it as tea. Ideally, one would probably want the fresh leaves. But I'll settle for second best. What do you think, pills or tea?

i guess it massively raises free testosterone which sounds bad for acne, but it helps with a whole bunch of diseases even possibly hair loss.

[alternativista 1243]

I took capsules for a while. It's also supposed to help with sinuses. I never noticed any improvement, but my skin was already mostly clear.

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

HA! well this seems promising!

N Z Med J. 2007 Nov 9;120(1265):U2803.Links

Gynaecomastia in a man and hyperoestrogenism in a woman due to ingestion of nettle (Urtica dioica).Sahin M, Yilmaz H, Gursoy A, Demirel AN, Tutuncu NB, Guvener ND.

Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Department, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey. [email protected]

Nettle (Urtica dioica) is commonly sold as a herbal tea in Turkey. We report a case of gynaecomastia in a man (in which the only aetiologic factor identified was nettle tea consumption) and a case of galactorrhoea in a woman (in which the only aetiologic factor identified was also nettle tea ingestion).

PMID: 18264183 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I like to find conflicting information to keep a level head and keep my heart out of the equation, but the only real way to the truth is to try this stuff.

[GoBills 0]

Nettle may lead to gyne? Interesting find as I was wondering about this the other day. Anything that massively increases your testosterone like that has to have some other effects other than supposedly clearing your skin.

I suffered from gyne for a couple years after college until I saved up enough money to get surgery to remove it. It was an absolute nightmare. I was never fat either, just developed man-boobs. Horrible acne + gyne = massive depression.

Even if Nettle increases your chance of developing gyne .5%, that would be enough to keep me far, far away from it.

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

Nettle may lead to gyne? Interesting find as I was wondering about this the other day. Anything that massively increases your testosterone like that has to have some other effects other than supposedly clearing your skin.

I suffered from gyne for a couple years after college until I saved up enough money to get surgery to remove it. It was an absolute nightmare. I was never fat either, just developed man-boobs. Horrible acne + gyne = massive depression.

Even if Nettle increases your chance of developing gyne .5%, that would be enough to keep me far, far away from it.

well science makes mistakes sometimes as well, so even when you read stuff like this, always take it with a grain of salt, it is merely words that are typed and only as good as the person who has observed the incident well, words are representative of reality so im never to swayed by them, i dont necessarily hold them to the exact same standard as the experiance that it attempts to encode into symbols.

Sorry to hear that though, ill have to watch my man boobs!!

[bɭesstheʄẚɭɭ 0]

I picked up the tincture form. I better not get moobs.

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

another testimonial from this site

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...p;#entry2353595

[bɭesstheʄẚɭɭ 0]

I had a total of 60 drops last night of the tincture in water (30 drops * 2 times), but now when I woke up my skin looks a lot different; should I say more relaxed and less inflamed looking. It's really neat, but I'm not going boast that this was merely the herb just yet.

[Paul25 1]

Any updates on this if its working or not?

[AlexGF 0]

what up? any update!!?

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

Ha, i actually gorged on a bunch a sugary food and had some stress that set me back with the worst breakout in like two months, which is far gone now but that kind of threw off for the test although after the first three days i did notice less blackheads, ill give it another week or two and see what happens. Sorry if that was disappointing, but you know since i am a dedicated scientist in search for truth i aint gonna lie to you guys, there could still be a little something to this.

[andersoj 3]

Ha, i actually gorged on a bunch a sugary food and had some stress that set me back with the worst breakout in like two months, which is far gone now but that kind of threw off for the test although after the first three days i did notice less blackheads, ill give it another week or two and see what happens. Sorry if that was disappointing, but you know since i am a dedicated scientist in search for truth i aint gonna lie to you guys, there could still be a little something to this.

"scientist" really?

[AutonomousOne1980 54]

Ha, i actually gorged on a bunch a sugary food and had some stress that set me back with the worst breakout in like two months, which is far gone now but that kind of threw off for the test although after the first three days i did notice less blackheads, ill give it another week or two and see what happens. Sorry if that was disappointing, but you know since i am a dedicated scientist in search for truth i aint gonna lie to you guys, there could still be a little something to this.

"scientist" really?

well.... aspiring anyways!!

I see the ways of science as my religion, to mold my mind into a mirror of reality, for what i believe to have a corresponding reliability against the actual universe, no lies for me baby, no false certainties, and no dogmas as everything is up for revamping.

[GoBills 0]

How's the nettle working for our two guinea pigs?