I drink a good bit of nettle as well as mullen leaf tea in the spring to help with allergies, personally i think it's pretty icky tasteing stuff but not nearly as bad as not breathing lol. I think i'll scout for some to eat next time if it's a more tastey alternative. As far as the picking goes I'd use gloves! also if you get "stung" the inside of the leaf (the liquidy side) to can be used to relieve the sting.