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Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle is a leafy plant whose extracts contain compounds that may dampen prostaglandin activity and histamine-driven inflammation in the body. People mostly look at it for hay fever, and in a small trial of freeze-dried nettle, allergy symptoms improved, though the evidence is limited. That result rests on a single short study with fewer than 100 people, so it is far from settled, and nettle cream and nettle stings showed no clear difference for osteoarthritis pain.

Sources: PMID 2192379

Updated 30 September 2026
How we grade
8 studies cited

Best evidence: Grade C
Conditions studied: 7
Outcomes: 16
Graded outcomes: 0041

Evidence by condition

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

7 conditions

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes: outcomes studied for Stinging Nettle
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile Small Increase	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect	1 study	50 people
Studies that measured anti-oxidant enzyme profile The effect of hydro alcoholic nettle (Urtica dioica) extract on oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind clinical trialPak J Biol Sci · PMID 22545363
	Inflammation	Improves (the measure goes down)		2 studies	50 people
Studies that measured inflammation The effect of hydro alcoholic Nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind control trialPak J Biol Sci · PMID 22303583 Cytokine secretion in whole blood of healthy subjects following oral administration of Urtica dioica L. plant extractArzneimittelforschung · PMID 8967906
	C-Reactive Protein (CRP)	Improves (the measure goes down)			50 people
	Glycemic Control	Improves (the measure goes up)			50 people
	Oxidative Stress Biomarkers	Improves (the measure goes down)			50 people
	TNF-Alpha	Improves (the measure goes down)			50 people
	Weight	Improves (the measure goes down)			50 people

Allergic Rhinitis (Seasonal Allergies / Hay Fever)

Allergic Rhinitis (Seasonal Allergies / Hay Fever): outcomes studied for Stinging Nettle
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Allergy Symptoms Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect	1 study	69 people
Studies that measured allergy symptoms Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitisPlanta Med · PMID 2192379
	Nasal Congestion	Improves (the measure goes up)			69 people

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Symptoms: improves
Testosterone: improves

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: outcomes studied for Stinging Nettle
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Symptoms Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		1,116 people
	Testosterone	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	558 people
Studies that measured testosterone Urtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover studyJ Herb Pharmacother · PMID 16635963

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Symptoms: improves
Testosterone: improves

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: outcomes studied for Stinging Nettle
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Symptoms Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		1,116 people
	Testosterone	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	558 people
Studies that measured testosterone Urtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover studyJ Herb Pharmacother · PMID 16635963

Osteoarthritis (OA)

Osteoarthritis Symptoms

Osteoarthritis (OA): outcomes studied for Stinging Nettle
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Osteoarthritis Symptoms No effect		NoneNo effect	3 studies	50 people
Studies that measured osteoarthritis symptoms Stinging nettle cream for osteoarthritisAltern Ther Health Med · PMID 19623834 Randomized controlled trial of nettle sting for treatment of base-of-thumb painJ R Soc Med · PMID 10911825 Nettle sting for chronic knee pain: a randomised controlled pilot studyComplement Ther Med · PMID 18514907

Chronic Nonspecific Knee Pain

Osteoarthritis Symptoms: improves

Chronic Nonspecific Knee Pain: outcomes studied for Stinging Nettle
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Osteoarthritis Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		3 studies	42 people
Studies that measured osteoarthritis symptoms Stinging nettle cream for osteoarthritisAltern Ther Health Med · PMID 19623834 Randomized controlled trial of nettle sting for treatment of base-of-thumb painJ R Soc Med · PMID 10911825 Nettle sting for chronic knee pain: a randomised controlled pilot studyComplement Ther Med · PMID 18514907

Metabolic Health

Inflammation: improves

Metabolic Health: outcomes studied for Stinging Nettle
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Inflammation	Improves (the measure goes down)		2 studies	20 people
Studies that measured inflammation The effect of hydro alcoholic Nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind control trialPak J Biol Sci · PMID 22303583 Cytokine secretion in whole blood of healthy subjects following oral administration of Urtica dioica L. plant extractArzneimittelforschung · PMID 8967906

Key findings

Anti-Oxidant Enzyme ProfileType 2 DiabetesImproves (the measure goes up)
Allergy SymptomsAllergic Rhinitis (Seasonal Allergies / Hay Fever)Improves (the measure goes down)
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)

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Grade C

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Studies cited

8 studies from PubMed

The effect of hydro alcoholic nettle (Urtica dioica) extract on oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind clinical trialPak J Biol Sci · PMID 22545363
The effect of hydro alcoholic Nettle (Urtica dioica) extracts on insulin sensitivity and some inflammatory indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind control trialPak J Biol Sci · PMID 22303583
Stinging nettle cream for osteoarthritisAltern Ther Health Med · PMID 19623834
Randomized controlled trial of nettle sting for treatment of base-of-thumb painJ R Soc Med · PMID 10911825
Cytokine secretion in whole blood of healthy subjects following oral administration of Urtica dioica L. plant extractArzneimittelforschung · PMID 8967906
Urtica dioica for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover studyJ Herb Pharmacother · PMID 16635963
Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitisPlanta Med · PMID 2192379
Nettle sting for chronic knee pain: a randomised controlled pilot studyComplement Ther Med · PMID 18514907