Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America. The Nettle plant has many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on its leaves and stems, which act like needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation when contacted by humans and other animals. The plant has a long history of use as a medicine and as a food source.

A large clinical trial of 558 patients showed that Stinging Nettle is able to reduce urinary complications (reduced flow rate) associated with benign prostate hyperplasia at 120mg taken three times daily. Stinging Nettle was also able to reduce the size of the prostate.

In a paper published in 1995 in Planta Medica, scientists demonstrated that nettle root inhibits the binding of SHBG to the cell membrane. In a subsequent series of articles, German researchers identified a constituent of nettle root known as (-)-3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran whose very high binding affinity to SHBG they described as “remarkable.” These researchers suggest that the beneficial effects of plant lignans on hormone-dependent cancers may be linked to their binding affinity to SHBG. The most potent known lignans in this respect are constituents of nettle root.

In addition to inhibiting SHBG binding, at least six constituents of nettle root inhibit aromatase, which is the enzyme that coverts testosterone to estrogen. Combining nettle root with pygeum results in a stronger, synergistic inhibition. The studies on aromatase inhibition by nettle root used methanolic extracts.

Nettle Root has the following identified nutrients:

* The glycoside Beta-sitosterol, and related compounds daucosterol and campesterol.
* Scopoletin.
* Stigmasterol
* Lignans such as (+)-neoolivil, isolariciresinol, and pinoresinol.
* Secoisolariciresinol and its main intestinal metabolites, enterofuran and 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran, the latter of which appears to have great affinity for binding to SHBG
* Ursolic Acid
* 14-octacosanol
* Oleanolic Acid
* A lectin localized to the roots with affinity for N-Acetylglucosamine moeities
* The fatty acids of oleic, gadoleic, stearic, palmitoleic and erucic acids
* Quercetin, Kaempferol, and Isorhamnetin as well as some glycosides (mostly rutinoside and Isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidoside
* Coumaric Acid, of which p-coumaric acid is at 5mcg/g
* Chlorogenic Acid and caffeic acid (a metabolite of chlorogenic acid)
* Vanillic and and structurally related compounds (homovanillyl alcohol at 8mcg/g, hydroxycinnamic acids, ferulic acid at 20mcg/g)
* Some Anthocyanins, particularly Pelargonidin
* Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) at 130mg per kg fresh plant

Anytime we can inhibit SHBG and aromatase, we can theoretically increase free testosterone, and so it’s worth using stinging nettle root. Additionally, the reality of estrogen dominance evident in the majority of aging males along with xenoestrogens present in our environment strongly favor the use of stinging nettle root to counteract these issues. It is a part of the Time Machine.