Guest guest Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 What is your source that nettle is an allergen? Or are you talking about fresh stinging nettle? Green Blessings Patty Corapi In a message dated 10/3/03 9:08:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, richt@... writes: > Careful with that....lots of allergic folks out there so make sure they > know it's in there - that's one of the big allergens. > > Rich > You Scent It, LLC > www.youscentit.com > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Careful with that....lots of allergic folks out there so make sure they know it's in there - that's one of the big allergens. Rich You Scent It, LLC www.youscentit.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 In a message dated 10/3/2003 9:08:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, richt@... writes: > Careful with that....lots of allergic folks out there so make sure they > know it's in there - that's one of the big allergens. Hi Rich and All, Perhaps you're thinking of the fresh leaves of the stinging nettle plant--Urtica dioica. The fresh plant is known to cause an allergic reaction or " stinging " when touched. This reaction has actually shown some promise in the treatment of arthritric pain---but like everything else--it's up for debate and further study. The typical usage of the stinging nettle leaves is through water infusion. Once the infusion is made, the plant looses it's ability to " sting " . Actually, one of the uses of the infusion is to alleviate allergy symptoms. Virtually any material can be a potential allergen or create a problem for the user. One should always be careful whether using aloe, lanolin, wheat, polysorbate 20, milk, emulsifying wax, peanut oil, or pretty much anything ;-) but stinging nettle should not be considered on the list of " big allergens " ---for internal use or external use. Angie The Herbarie - Botanicals and Body Care Natural Source & Specialty Bulk Ingredients...Exceptional Quality at Wholesale Prices...visit us at http://www.theherbarie.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 I've come across a lot of information about Stinging Nettles and have never heard anything about them being an allergen.Nettles do lose they're stinging properties when they are either dried or cooked but not their gift of vitamins, protein,calcium, and iron.....and they have the highest chlorophyll content of any other plant.If harvesting fresh Nettles it is recommended that one should wear gloves and chose the tender tops as opposed to the lower area of the plant,Nettles are also great for the hair and nails They have the highest chlorophyll content of any other plant.Nettles are known to be a remedy for oily hair and dandruff.Here is some info found by doing a search. HTH, Blessings, Jet General Information Common Name: Nettles Latin Name: Urtica Dioica Family: Urticaceae Other Names: Stinging Nettles. Greater nettle. Common nettle. Indications & Historical Uses Nettles have been widely used as food, medicine, cosmetics and clothing. The most recent indication in phytomedicine is in the treatment of urinary retention arising from early stages of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP). Usual dose is 4 - 6 grams (of the root extract) daily. Dried leaves of the nettle plant are commonly employed as a mild diuretic and their consumption does increase urine flow. Nettle leaves are ordinarily taken in the form of a tea. Tea is prepared with 3- 4 teaspoonsful (about 4gms) of the botanical and 150ml of boiling water. One cup may be drunk 3 - 4 times daily together with additional water. This is not effective in the treatment of hypertension or edema of cardiac origin. Nettles have also been traditionally used as an important hair and skin tonic. The high quantity of silicon has made nettles highly useful in stimulating hair growth, improving condition of the hair and skin and treating dandruff. Nettles have been used externally and internally to treat eczema. Nettle juice has been used as an astringent or styptic to stop bleeding and to treat wounds. The best known use of nettles is in the treatment of gout and other rheumatic conditions. A decoction of the leaves or the expressed juice has been known to mobilize uric acid from the joints and eliminate it through the kidneys. Recently a randomized, double blind clinical trial has shown beneficial effects of nettles in the treatment of allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Historically, nettles has been used for the following: Arthritis, tendonitis, sciatica. Eczema. Hair loss. Allergic rhinitis, hay fever, sinus congestion. Anemia. Astringent; wound healing; styptic. Mild diuretic. Benign Prostatic hyperplasia. Stimulate lactation. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Contraindications & Precautions None known at present - (See Caution.) Avoid its use in cardiac and renal impairment and in diabetes. Some experts believe that nettle causes poor glycemic (blood sugar) control in patients with diabetes and therefore diabetics should not use nettles. Known Drug Interactions: None known at present -See Caution. Dosage Information Dosage: 750mg extract/day. Pharmacology Nettles are a rich source of trace elements, absorbing and accumulating them. As mentioned in the active ingredients, nettles contain formic acid and neurotransmitters acetylcholine, 5 hydroxy-tryptamine and histamine which are responsible for the sting. It is these substances which are thought to endow nettles with their anti-arthritic, antispasmodic, diuretic, astringent, tonic and expectorant properties. Nettle also contains steroidal and phenolic substances which inhibit the prostatic enzymes, and this leads to the beneficial structural changes in the prostate in patients with BPH [benign prostatic hypertrophy]. Nettle suppresses cell growth of the prostate. Other compounds that have been isolated include flavonoids, vitamins and antioxidants - all of these may contribute to its therapeutic benefits. German E Commission has approved nettle for irrigation in inflammation of the urinary tract and in the prevention and treatment of kidney stones . Active Ingredients: Formic acid. Histamine. Acetylcholine. 5-hydroxytryptamine. Glucoquinones. Chlorophyll. Minerals (iron, magnesium, silica, potassium, sulphur). Vitamins A; C; B2 and B5 and chlorophyll. N.B. Standardized extract should contain 1 - 2 % plant silica Origin Stinging Nettles are found all over the world. Originally found in Europe and Israel. They derive their name from the presence of stinging hairs on their leaves and stems which, when touched, inject formic acid and histamine into the skin and cause urticaria. Processing For processing, the young top leaves are harvested from plants grown in clean, uncontaminated areas. Extraction is by traditional alcohol and water extraction. The extract is concentrated to a paste, prepared as a liposoluble liquid for cosmetic use or spray dried to produce a stable pure powder. Scientific References A.Y.Leung. Encyclopedia of natural ingredients used in food, drugs and cosmetics. Krstic-Pavlovic, N. and Dzamic, R. (1985) Astringent and mineral components in the leaves of nettle (Urtica dioica, L.) from many natural locations. Agrochemija. 1985:191-198. , T.A. (1977) Tryptamine and related compounds in plants. Phytochemistry. 16:171. Caceres, A. et al. (1987) Diuretic activity of plants used for the treatment of urinary ailments in Guatemala. J. Ethnopharmaco. 19:233-245. Baraibar, C. et al. (1983) Acute and chronic toxicity studies on Nettle (Urtica dioica, L.). An. Bromatol. 35:99-103. Mittman, P.(1990) Randomized, Double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica Dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta medica 56:44-47. From: Rich To: Cosmeticinfo Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 6:06 PM Subject: Re: stinging nettles Careful with that....lots of allergic folks out there so make sure they know it's in there - that's one of the big allergens. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 In a message dated 10/4/2003 10:00:44 AM Central Daylight Time, richt@... writes: > ... I am biased in using herbs in lotions and other products. The reason I > am biased is my exposure to lots of super sensitive people ... the incident > of allergic reactions are increasing as more people use herbal based products > ... time will show us just how safe or unsafe the herbs are. I'm in total agreement here. I love how chamomile makes my skin feel, but realize that it will irritate a great many hay-fever sufferers ... so keep it to my own-use products. I decided to draw the line on aloe and use it exclusively as my water phase (sorry to those allergic to it), but ... The thing that most do not recognize is the drug side of herbs, even topically used ... many of our herbal lotion / salve / etc. recipes are from native American medicinal traditions. Herbal " nutritional " supplements are some of the scariest ... while taking these " all natural = safe " supplements, my co-workers weren't even aware that willow bark is aspirin ... they only knew it was herbal and insisted, therefore, that it's good! The point I was able to make to only a few was that the strength of a single aspirin is something with which we're familiar (as how it reacts to our bodies), but what is the strength of the dosage received in this supplement ??? = be careful! The masses have benefitted from some of this herbal mania, but most are practicing medicine on themselves with no clue, which is scarier than " without license. " - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 Sorry...should have clarified myself. When people see plants known to cause allergic or unwanted reactions in their living form, they are quite often hesitant to purchase products with that plant as an ingredient. People today are becoming super allergic to everything under the sun and are avoiding everything they can when there should be no allergen to the final product. I know a lot a people who will purchase nothing with ingredients known to cause allergic reactions when logic (for us) shows the concentration has got to be so small that it shouldn't be an issue. I might add that just because a plant has been freeze dried or processed for use in another product, doesn't necessarily render that plant hypo-allergenic. Stinging Nettle and German Milk Thistle are two plants, when taken in " herb form " (processed in pills, capsules, tea etc)that send me packing to the store for some benadryl to get rid of the allergic reaction to the chemical compound that remains in the herb. I can't imagine what I would look like rubbing a body scrub or other product with nettle over my body. Perhaps I should try this at Universal Studio's - might get picked for the next godzilla movie! Rich You Scent It, LLC www.youscentit.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 > Stinging Nettle and German Milk Thistle are two plants, when taken in " herb form " (processed in pills, capsules, tea >etc)that send me packing to the store for some benadryl to get rid of the allergic reaction to the chemical compound >that remains in the herb. Rich http://www.optimalhealthnetwork.com/tek9.asp?pg=kb & article=17 For years, the dried leaves of stinging nettles were used for the symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis. Finally in 1990 a doubleblind, placebo-controlled study was done to assess the use of stinging nettle leaf for allergic rhinitis (18). After one week, stinging nettle was rated higher than placebo. Unfortunately this study was based on diary entries of symptoms and overall patient ratings. These studies should be expanded to include more patients, longer intervals, and more objective measurements. A recent article studying the use of stinging nettle leaf extracts in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (another inflammatory process) may explain the mechanism. An extract of stinging nettle leaves was shown to inhibit both lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase activity (19). These two enzymes are responsible for converting arachidonic acid into the inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes. This and possibly a negative feedback effect from oral histamine (from the nettle leaf) contribute to the overall activity of nettle leaf in allergic symptom relief. http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/HerbsWho/0,3923,4118%7CNettle,00.html In addition, nettle's aerial parts may reduce the amount of histamine that is produced by the body in response to an allergen. An allergen is a substance such as pollen that may provoke an exaggerated immune response in individuals who are sensitive to it. Through this potential action, the aerial parts of nettle may help to reduce allergy symptoms. Nerys www.neryspurchon.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 I will admit I am biased in using herbs in lotions and other products. The reason I am biased is my exposure to lots of super sensitive people...I often ask myself why I always run into these people - and don't really know why other than perhaps reinforcement of my own views that not enough widespread knowledge is available to ultimately label herbs as non-allergenic and 100% safe. While I am aware tons of herbs have no allergenic properties once dried...the incident of allergic reactions are increasing as more people use herbal based products. The popularity of herbs is taking off in a large way now and time will show us just how safe or unsafe the herbs are. Rich You Scent It, LLC www.youscentit.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 Hi , Most of the herbs you are talking about are in fact,. not native american, but were imported with immigrants, and these herbs carved out a niche for themselves. An example is St. 's Wort. Lets not loose track of the fact that herbs are used worldwide, more than allopathic medicine. And that they have been used for thousands of years, and continue to do so. I dont agree that allopathic medicine, prescribed by a doctor, is the only way, and and in many countries, " barefoot doctors " use herbs, and dont have access to allopathic medicine. In Europe, its very common for medical doctors to have a secondary specialty such as herbalism or homeopathics, and to use both appropriately. My own view, is in a perfect world, is that both wholistic and allopathic medicine be used. People will abuse both systems, thats just the way of it. And people will become sensitized to herbs, and to essential oil, but does that mean that no-one should be able to use them? Naturpathic doctors are trained in the proper use of herbs, and should be consulted more regularly than they are. Well, Naturally .. At 11:15 AM 10/4/2003 -0400, you wrote: >In a message dated 10/4/2003 10:00:44 AM Central Daylight Time, richt@... >writes: > > > ... I am biased in using herbs in lotions and other products. The reason I > > am biased is my exposure to lots of super sensitive people ... the > incident > > of allergic reactions are increasing as more people use herbal based > products > > ... time will show us just how safe or unsafe the herbs are. > >I'm in total agreement here. I love how chamomile makes my skin feel, but >realize that it will irritate a great many hay-fever sufferers ... so keep >it to >my own-use products. I decided to draw the line on aloe and use it >exclusively as my water phase (sorry to those allergic to it), but ... > >The thing that most do not recognize is the drug side of herbs, even >topically used ... many of our herbal lotion / salve / etc. recipes are >from native >American medicinal traditions. Herbal " nutritional " supplements are some >of the >scariest ... while taking these " all natural = safe " supplements, my >co-workers weren't even aware that willow bark is aspirin ... they only >knew it was >herbal and insisted, therefore, that it's good! The point I was able to >make to >only a few was that the strength of a single aspirin is something with which >we're familiar (as how it reacts to our bodies), but what is the strength of >the dosage received in this supplement ??? = be careful! > >The masses have benefitted from some of this herbal mania, but most are >practicing medicine on themselves with no clue, which is scarier than > " without >license. " > >- > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 >I will admit I am biased in using herbs in lotions and other products. >The reason I am biased is my exposure to lots of super sensitive >people...I often ask myself why I always run into these people probably the same reason why i come across so many people with massive autoimmune disorders who can't deal with herbs OR synthetics - it's a lesson when you're dealing with things other people put on their bodies. you just have to accept that almost everything that is used in the chemistry of body products has a possibility of causing someone else an allergic reaction. >and don't really know why other than perhaps reinforcement of my own >views that not enough widespread knowledge is available to ultimately >label herbs as non-allergenic and 100% safe. i do see your point, but i do have to add that most of the items we use are NOT non-allergenic and 100% safe. betcha anything i'm allergic to anything you make and as an added note, a week and a half ago i just discovered a friend of mine is allergic to either cyclomethicone or dimethicone or both ... it's dangerous out there! thus, labelling. ~risa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 Another point is that people have reactions to " standard " prescriptions and treatments all the time as well. Penicillin has been a life saver to many but has been known to kill others. Any and all drugs and medicines, be they natural or man-made, can cause problems, as can food. > > > And people will become sensitized to herbs, and to essential oil, but does > that mean that no-one should be able to use them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2003 Report Share Posted October 5, 2003 Hi - None of your points are being disputed. The ignorance is the problem, not the herbs. We wouldn't have our medicines without these basic beginnings. I'm saying that, with the mass marketing push and public demand for " herbal " and " natural, " people are taking some of these things that would NOT be prescribed by ANY knowledgeable practitioner. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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