nettle root powder - help for allergies?

[onetrumpeter]

Mountain Rose Herbs was out of nettle leaf when I made a big co-op order a week ago.  But someone in the co-op wanted nettle root powder, and I bought 4oz of it.

I was hoping I'd be able to use it in a way to help with allergies, as I think nettle leaf infusions (tea? never sure what it's called?!) have helped me with seasonal allergies in the past.

Anyway, now that I have it in hand, and I google it, I don't see that people use nettle root powder for allergies.  Instead I see a lot of use for prostate health purposes.

I feel like nettle has few contraindications so in a sense I feel OK just trying it out, but do wonder if anyone has any thoughts about using nettle root (powder is what i have) for allergy purposes.

[mbravebird]

My understanding is that the most effective form of nettle for allergies is freeze-dried nettle leaf, which you can't get at Mountain Rose; it's available only in supplement form. That said, I have seen benefit from nettle infusion with seasonal allergies, too. But freeze-dried is supposed to be amazingly effective, especially if you start taking it a couple of weeks before allergy season begins.

Another way to get the good stuff that the freeze-drying preserves is to harvest and eat young nettle, which is out there right now. Nature has perfect timing, eh?

[onetrumpeter]

thanks, mbravebird :)  I'm in VA, too!  We might have PM'd a while back.  I'm up in Loudoun County.  Have to figure out how to find nettle growing - couldn't even ID it, I don't think.  We have the "Wildcraft" board game and dd knows several problems that nettle can help but that's about it... lol  Off to google how to find it!  Would love to harvest some, though I'm a bit nervous about the stinging factor.

Buuuuut, will taking the root powder still help me in the meantime?  I've been trying to take small doses - like 1/4-1/2 tsp a day but of course don't know yet what that's doing.  I figure it's a food so it's got to be nourishing to a degree, I hope.  not sure about the allergy factor.

[onetrumpeter]

just had to update: I found nettles today!  in a local park!  I felt OK taking some but not a lot...  the patches were thick with nettles, but it's a public park, afterall, so I wanted to leave them to grow and for others...

my first wildcrafting adventure :)  what are the unwritten rules re: wildcrafting?

sorry this has gotten fairly OT.

To keep it ON topic, I do hope to use these and find more to aid with allergies.  I'm not dealing w/ allergy symptoms right now but my triggers seem just around the corner.