Stinging Nettle Root 250 mg (90 Veggie Caps)
Stinging Nettle has been used according to tradition, since the days of Caesar 2,000 years ago. NOW Stinging Nettle Root is concentrated and standardized to the highest European standards, where it has been researched and widely used.
- Prostate health support
- GMP Quality Assured
- A Dietary Supplement
- Vegetarian Formula
RESEARCH NOTES ABOUT STINGING NETTLE EXTRACT
ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES
In a study of Wistar rats, researchers found that stinging nettle supplementation decreased the free radical concentrations in both cerebellum and frontal lobe. [5]
Turkey scientists studied the antioxidant properties of stinging nettle extracts using different antioxidant tests, including reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and metal chelating activities. They found that stinging nettle extracts had powerful antioxidant activities. Its antioxidant activities were comparative to butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), quercetin, and alpha-tocopherol. [6]
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES
Stinging nettle?s benefits on inflammation is found (at least partly) related to its inhibitory effect on NF-kappaB activation. It is because activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB is involved in several chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. [9]
ANTI-MICROBIOL ACTIVITIES
Stinging nettle extracts showed antimicrobial activity against nine microorganisms, antiulcer activity against ethanol-induced ulcerogenesis and analgesic effect on acetic acid-induced stretching. [6]
ANTI-CANCER CELL ACTIVITIES
The anti-proliferative effect of stinging nettle roots extracts have been observed in in vivo and in in vitro models.
In a study, researchers prepared the polysaccharide fraction of the 20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots at different concentrations. They found inhibitory effect of the stinging nettle root extracts on the growth of the lymph node carcinoma of the prostate during 7 days except the two lowest concentrations. This inhibition was time- and concentration-dependent. [10]
In another study, researchers investigated the activity of a 20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots on the proliferative activity of human prostatic epithelial (LNCaP) and stromal (hPCPs) cells. They found a concentration-dependent and significant antiproliferative effect of the extract only on LNCaP cells during 7 days, whereas stromal cell growth remained unaltered. On day 4 and 6, the reduction in proliferation of LNCaP cells showed the minimal effective dose at 1.0E-9 mg/ml. No cytotoxic effect of ME-20 on cell proliferation was observed. [14]
BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
Direct implanting of fetal urogenital sinus tissue into the ventral prostate gland of adult mice led to a 4-fold weight increase of the manipulated prostatic lobe. The induced growth could be reduced by the polysaccharide fraction of the 20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots by 33.8%. [11]
The effectiveness of stinging nettle extracts is highly dependent on the dose, dosage form design and duration of supplementation. A 1 year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study of 246 patients has demonstrated 459 mg dry extract of stinging nettle roots was effective to increase Q(max) with limited side effects, in comparison to placebo. [15] Another study couldn?t shown any benefits of 300 mg stinging nettle extracts even though 25 mg of pygeum af-rica-num was added into the supplement. [17]
MECHANISM Japanese researchers prepared the membrane Na+,K(+)-ATPase fraction from a patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia by a differential centrifugation of the tissue homogenate. They found that the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts inhibited 27.6-81.5% of the enzyme activity at 0.1 mg/ml. Steroidal components in stinging nettle roots, such as stigmast-4-en-3-one, stigmasterol, and campesterol inhibited the enzyme activity by 23.0-67.0% at concentrations ranging from 10(-3)-10(-6) M. These results suggest that some hydrophobic constituents such as steroids in the stinging nettle roots inhibited the membrane Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity of the prostate, which may subsequently suppress prostate-cell metabolism and growth. [7]
CHRONIC COLITIS
Long-term use of stinging nettle extracts may have benefits on the prevention of chronic colitis. Researchers induced colitis in C3H.IL-10-/- and BALB/c mice by treating them with dextran sodium sulfate. They found that stinging nettle leaf extracts could reduce fewer signs of colitis in these mice. Stinging nettle leaf extracts, furthermore, reduced the faecal IL-1beta and mucosal TNF-alpha concentrations. [16]
JOINT PAIN/ARTHRITIS
In a study, researchers interviewed 18 patients who used stinging nettle for their joint pain. Most felt nettle was beneficial to their conditions. [12] Researchers from Germany found immunomodulating effects of stinging nettle leaf extract. The stinging nettle extract IDS 23 inhibited lipopolysaccharide but stimulated monocyte cytokine expression. Thus, stinging nettle extracts may inhibit the inflammatory cascade in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. [13]
REFERENCE
[1] Obertreis et al. Antiphlogistic effects of Urtica dioica folia extract in comparison to caffeic malic acid. Arzneimittelforschung 1996;46:52-6. [2] Hirano et al. Effect of stinging nettle root extracts and their steroidal components on the Na+, K+-ATPase of the benign prostatic hyperplasia. Planta Med 1994;60:30-3. [3] Mittman et al. Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta Med 1990;56:44-7. [4] Brown et al. BPH and Prostate Cancer Prevention. Seattle; NPRC, 1997, 9-10. [5] Toldy A et al, The effect of exercise and nettle supplementation on oxidative stress markers in the rat brain. Brain Res Bull. 2005 May 30;65(6):487-93. Epub 2005 Mar 31. [6] Gulcin I et al, Antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiulcer and analgesic activities of nettle (Urtica dioica L.). J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Feb;90(2-3):205-15. [7] Hirano T et al, Effects of stinging nettle root extracts and their steroidal components on the Na+,K(+)-ATPase of the benign prostatic hyperplasia. Planta Med. 1994 Feb;60(1):30-3. [8] Oliver F et al, Contact urticaria due to the common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)--histological, ultrastructural and pharmacological studies. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1991 Jan;16(1):1-7. [9] Riehemann K et al, Plant extracts from stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), an antirheumatic remedy, inhibit the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-kappaB. FEBS Lett. 1999 Jan 8;442(1):89-94. [10] Lichius JJ et al, Antiproliferative effect of a polysaccharide fraction of a 20% methanolic extract of stinging nettle roots upon epithelial cells of the human prostate (LNCaP). Pharmazie. 1999 Oct;54(10):768-71. [11] Lichius JJ et al, The inhibiting effects of components of stinging nettle roots on experimentally induced prostatic hyperplasia in mice. Planta Med. 1999 Oct;65(7):666-8. [12] Randall C et al, Nettle sting of Urtica dioica for joint pain--an exploratory study of this complementary therapy. Complement Ther Med. 1999 Sep;7(3):126-31. [13] Klingelhoefer S et al, Antirheumatic effect of IDS 23, a stinging nettle leaf extract, on in vitro expression of T helper cytokines. J Rheumatol. 1999 Dec;26(12):2517-22. [14] Konrad L et al, Antiproliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells by a stinging nettle root (Urtica dioica) extract. Planta Med. 2000 Feb;66(1):44-7. [15] Schneider T and Rubben H Stinging nettle root extract (Bazoton-uno) in long term treatment of benign prostatic syndrome (BPS). Results of a andomized, double-blind, placebo controlled multicenter study after 12 months] Urologe A. 2004 Mar;43(3):302-6. [16] Konrad A et al, Ameliorative effect of IDS 30, a stinging nettle leaf extract, on chronic colitis. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2005 Jan;20(1):9-17. Epub 2004 Aug 25. [17] Melo EA et al, Evaluating the efficiency of a combination of Pygeum and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial. Int Braz J Urol. 2002 Sep-Oct;28(5):418-25.
