The brainchild of two UK chemists, newly launched Emunity has been created as a ready-to-drink natural health drink to offer the healing and immune-boosting benefits of nettles in a can.
“My great grandfather, Moses Bellis, was a Welsh herbalist who used to forage for nettle leaves to make a ‘cure all tea’ for his daughters,” explains Emunity co-founder Roy Lamb. “He used to tell them it was full of iron for their blood, a diuretic to get rid of their excess water and bloating, and as a detoxifying herb, it would help keep their skin beautiful. But healthy as it was, it tasted awful, so had to be sweetened with two teaspoons of honey.”
Along with Nasir Isaji, Lamb decided to create a tasty, refreshing version to target health-conscious consumers looking for a natural, spring water-based drink with added benefits.
Infused with a range of garden botanicals, Emunity contains 53 calories per can and is available in two flavours: Wild Strawberry, with nettle, wild strawberries, meadowsweet, chamomile and cucumber; and Gooseberry, blending nettle, gooseberries, dandelion, rosemary and thyme.
Antibacterial stinging nettles (Urtica Dioica) are rich in biologically active compounds, particularly carotenoids and polyphenols, and have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, fight hay fever symptoms and boost the immune system.
