By Jessica Johnson, Herbal Science Researcher at Real Herbs | Updated: July 2026 | Reading time: 8 minutes

An Herb with a Long Legacy

The history of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is as complex as the plant itself. Known for a sting that conceals real medicinal value, nettle has moved through human history as food, fiber, and folk medicine. The use of nettle root specifically, now primarily known for prostate health and hormone support, tells a more recent and more scientifically specific story than the leaf's much longer traditional history.

Classical Antiquity and the Era of the Leaf

Early recorded use of nettle focused almost entirely on the aerial parts (leaves and stems). It's worth being upfront that the following historical claims come from traditional herbal literature and commonly repeated herbalism history, not from the peer-reviewed pharmacology citations used elsewhere in this article, since those modern papers don't document ancient historical practices.

• Urtication: One of the most striking traditional practices, urtication, involved deliberately striking the skin with fresh nettle. This is commonly described in herbal history as a folk remedy for rheumatism and fatigue, believed to work as a counter-irritant that stimulated blood flow. This is a traditional account, not something documented in modern clinical literature.
• Diuretic use in classical medicine: Nettle has a long-standing traditional reputation, going back to classical Greek and Roman herbal medicine, as a diuretic used to address urinary retention. This traditional diuretic use is consistent with, though not the same as, nettle's documented modern pharmacology (PMID 31163183).
• A nutritional staple: Nettle leaves have long been consumed as a spring tonic, valued for iron, vitamin C, and other nutrients (PMID 35800714, PMC9413031), a nutrient profile consistent with its traditional use for general vitality.

During this era, the root was overshadowed by the more accessible leaf and the plant's dramatic sting. It was traditionally seen as an extension of the leaf's tonic and diuretic reputation, not yet understood as chemically distinct.

Medieval Herbalism and a Shift Toward the Root

European herbal traditions of the Middle Ages continued to feature nettle as an everyday tonic, and some traditional accounts describe herbalists beginning to distinguish the leaf's quicker, cleansing action from a root believed to hold more concentrated, long-term properties, sometimes used traditionally for chronic, deep-seated concerns. As with the classical-era claims above, this is traditional herbalism history, not something documented in the modern pharmacology research cited in this article. A scientifically verifiable explanation for any distinct action of the root didn't emerge until the late 20th century.

The Pivotal Turn: BPH Research and Mechanistic Discovery

Stinging nettle root's rise as a defined modern supplement is tied to 20th and early 21st century research into benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that became a major research focus as life expectancy increased.

• Mechanistic groundwork (1990s): Research in this period began identifying how root extracts affected prostate tissue specifically. One study found that root extract components inhibited Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase enzyme activity relevant to benign prostatic hyperplasia (PMID 7510891), while animal research found root extract reduced testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in mice (PMID 9270373).
• SHBG and free testosterone: A pivotal 1997 study found that lignans concentrated in the root bind to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), the protein that normally binds testosterone and keeps it inactive (PMID 9434605). By competing for SHBG binding sites, nettle root's lignans are understood to help increase the proportion of testosterone that remains biologically available. This mechanistic finding, more than any single historical use, is what distinguishes root research from leaf research.
• Long-term clinical validation (2000s-2010s): Clinical trials built on this mechanistic groundwork. A 12-month, placebo-controlled trial of 246 men with BPH found significant symptom improvement with standardized root extract (PMID 15045190), and a separate 100-patient randomized trial reported similar efficacy (PMC3589769).

Together, this body of research shifted nettle root from a traditional diuretic to a mechanistically understood, clinically tested option for prostate and hormonal health, distinct from the leaf (PMC11768490).

The Modern Supplement: Standardization and Ongoing Research

• Standardization: Modern supplements typically specify extraction ratios (such as 10:1) to help ensure consistent delivery of the lignans and phytosterols identified in root-specific research (PMC11768490). Clinical trials have used similarly standardized extracts for consistency (PMID 15045190, PMC3589769).
• Broader research directions: Beyond prostate health, ongoing research continues to explore nettle's anti-inflammatory properties (PMID 23092723) and general pharmacological profile (PMID 31163183, PMC8894011).
• Safety profile: Clinical safety reviews describe nettle root, in standardized extract form, as generally well-tolerated, though users should be mindful of its diuretic effect and potential drug interactions (NBK589898).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ancient history of nettle root backed by modern research?

Not directly. Ancient and medieval use mostly involved the leaf, for general tonic, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory purposes, documented in traditional herbal literature rather than peer-reviewed studies. The root's specific, scientifically documented properties were identified much later, mainly from the 1990s onward.

Why does root research focus so heavily on the prostate?

That's where the mechanistic groundwork happened. Once researchers identified that root-concentrated lignans bind SHBG and affect prostate tissue specifically, most clinical research followed that thread, which is why prostate and hormonal health have the deepest research base for the root specifically.

Conclusion: Two Different Kinds of History

Stinging nettle root's story is really two stories: a long traditional history, mostly involving the leaf, as a folk remedy for inflammation and urinary complaints, and a more recent, more specific scientific history, concentrated in the 1990s through the 2010s, that identified the lignans and mechanisms distinguishing root from leaf. Both are worth knowing, and it's worth keeping them straight: the traditional history explains why people have long trusted this plant, while the modern research explains, more precisely, what the root itself actually does.

Related Articles

• How Nettle Extract Supports Prostate Health
• Stinging Nettle Root: A Look at its Antioxidant and Nutrient Profile
• Stinging Nettle Root for Men Over 40: Why It's a Must-Have

Clinical References

1. Bhusal KK, Magar SK, Thapa R, Lamsal A, Bhandari S, Maharjan R, Shrestha S, Shrestha J. Nutritional and pharmacological importance of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): A review. Heliyon. 2022 Jun 22;8(6):e09717. PMID 35800714
2. Devkota HP, Paudel KR, Khanal S, et al. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.): Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Food Functional Properties. Molecules. 2022 Aug 16;27(16):5219. PMC9413031
3. Schöttner M, Gansser D, Spiteller G. Lignans from the roots of Urtica dioica and their metabolites bind to human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Planta Med. 1997 Dec;63(6):529-532. PMID 9434605
4. Hirano T, Homma M, Oka K. 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. PMID 7510891
5. Lichius JJ, Muth C. The inhibiting effects of Urtica dioica root extracts on experimentally induced prostatic hyperplasia in the mouse. Planta Med. 1997 Aug;63(4):307-10. PMID 9270373
6. Dhouibi R, Affes H, Ben Salem M, Hammami S, Sahnoun Z, Zeghal KM, Ksouda K. Screening of pharmacological uses of Urtica dioica and others benefits. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2020 Jan;150:67-77. PMID 31163183
7. Schneider T, Rübben H. Stinging nettle root extract (Bazoton-uno) in long term treatment of benign prostatic syndrome (BPS). Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled multicenter study after 12 months. Urologe A. 2004 Mar;43(3):302-306. PMID 15045190
8. Ghorbanibirgani A, Khalili A, Zamani L. The Efficacy of Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Randomized Double-Blind Study in 100 Patients. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2013 Jan;15(1):9-10. PMC3589769
9. Johnson TA, Sohn J, Inman WD, Bjeldanes LF, Rayburn K. Lipophilic stinging nettle extracts possess potent anti-inflammatory activity, are not cytotoxic and may be superior to traditional tinctures for treating inflammatory disorders. Phytomedicine. 2013 Jan;20(2):143-7. PMID 23092723
10. Martz F, Kankaanpää S. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) Roots: The Power Underground - A Review. Plants (Basel). 2025 Jan 19;14(2):279. PMC11768490
11. Stinging Nettle. In: LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. NCBI Bookshelf. NBK589898
12. Taheri Y, Quispe C, Herrera-Bravo J, et al. Urtica dioica-Derived Phytochemicals for Pharmacological and Therapeutic Applications. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Feb 24;2022:4024331. PMC8894011

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