Stinging Nettle Seeds
Urtica dioica
The seeds of the stinging nettle plant. They give an edible oil rich in linoleic acid, but their medicinal use hasn't been studied.
Safety at a glance
- PregnancyNothing recorded
- BreastfeedingNothing recorded
- MedicinesNothing recorded
- Who should avoid itNothing recorded
- AllergiesNothing recorded
- ToxicityNothing recorded
Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.
What is Stinging Nettle Seeds?
- Plant family
- Urticaceae, the nettle family
- Parts used
- The seeds, pressed for oil
- Genus
- Urtica
- Species
- dioica
Also called
Nettle Seed, Urtica Seed
Traditionally used for
- Edible seed oil
- Food
Traditionally described as
How it's prepared
Common ways Stinging Nettle Seeds is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
Nettle seed oil is an edible oil of the linoleic acid type, considered nutritionally valuable and stable when heated.
No studies of nettle seeds as a medicine were found. The Nettle page covers the leaf and root.[1]Study
Laboratory & animal research
Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.
In lab tests, proteins extracted from the meal left after pressing nettle seed oil worked as emulsifiers, helping oil and water mix in thick foods such as dressings and sauces.[2]Study
Technical detail: protein powder was 48.3% protein; main amino acids glutamic acid (16.6%), asparagine (10.7%) and arginine (9.7%).
In short
Not studied for medicinal use.
Sources
- [1] The chemical characterisation of nettle (Urtica dioica L.) seed oil · DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2023.2250525Peer-reviewed study
- [2] Isolation and characterization of nettle (Urtica dioica L.) seed proteins: Conversion of underutilized by-products of the edible oil industry into food emulsifiers · DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139878Peer-reviewed study
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.