Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a plant whose root extract is used as an herbal remedy for urinary symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), either alone or combined with saw palmetto.
Also known as: Urtica dioica, nettle root, Urtica root extract.
Nettle root has no intake value. The combination product in the long-term trial below contained 160 mg of saw palmetto (Sabal) fruit extract and 120 mg of nettle root extract per capsule, taken twice a day. These are study protocols, not a recommendation.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
In a 6-month placebo-controlled trial in 620 men with BPH (Safarinejad 2005), 81% on nettle root reported better urinary symptoms versus 16% on placebo. The symptom score (IPSS) fell from 19.8 to 11.8 with nettle versus 19.2 to 17.7 with placebo, peak urine flow rose more (8.2 versus 3.4 mL/s), and prostate size fell slightly; PSA and testosterone did not change and no side effects were reported. The author said more trials are needed before concluding it is effective.
A saw palmetto and nettle root combination was compared with placebo for 24 weeks in 257 men, then given to everyone; by week 96 the symptom score had fallen 53% from baseline (Lopatkin 2007). The later weeks were not placebo-controlled. See also saw palmetto.
We could not find a published half-life or time to peak for stinging nettle root that we could cite, so we do not list one.
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