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Stinging Nettle and Pygeum Extracts

Most people are probably familiar with stinging nettles. They grow in profusion all over the world, and anyone who has been on the wrong side of a stinging nettle plant will not forget it. The entire plant is covered with tiny stiff hairs that release a stinging chemical when touched.

For hundreds of years, nettle has been used for joint pain, gout, as a diuretic, and many other conditions. Nettle (Urtica dioicia) extracts today are commonly used for allergies, insect bites, tendinitis, inflammation, and arthritis, as well as urinary symptoms associated with early stages of BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia/hypertrophy).

Pygeum (Prunus africanum) is a male tonic herb that improves circulation to the reproductive organs and reduces symptoms and clinical signs of BPH. Pygeum is an extract from the bark of Prunus Africana, a native of sub-Saharan Africa's montane regions. This botanical is used extensively in traditional African medicine, and has commonly been used for kidney and urinary problems, malaria, fever, and to increase sexual desire. Recently, pygeum has been used as a support to lessen symptoms of BPH, including increasing the ease of urination and reducing inflammation.