Horse Chestnut
February 23rd, 2007 by admin
Horse Chestnut
Also Known As:
Aesculus hippocastanum
Buckeye
Horse Chestnut
T’ien-shih-li
Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse chestnut) is a large tree native to northern India, the Caucasus, and northern Greece. It also grows in Europe. In folk medicine horse chestnut tea were taken for diarrhea and hemorrhoids. Horse chestnut cures arthritis, rheumatic pains, and coughs. Applied to the skin horse chestnut treats sores and rashes. It is said that the extract from horse chestnut tree cures varicose veins.
PARTS USED
Seeds, leaves, bark.
USES
Horse chestnut is astringent, an anti-inflammatory, and an aid to toning the vein walls, which, when slack or distended, may become varicose, hemorrhoidal, or otherwise problematic. Horse chestnut also reduces fluid retention by increasing the permeability of the capillaries and allowing the reabsorption of excess fluid back into the circulatory system. The bark can be used to reduce fever.
Horse chestnut has been taken internally in small to moderate doses for leg ulcers, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and frostbite, and applied externally as a lotion, ointment, or gel. In France, an oil extracted from the seeds has been used externally for rheumatism. In the US, a decoction of the leaves has been given for whooping cough.
Other medical uses - Chronic venous insufficiency, Lymphedema, Swollen Ankles.
HABITAT AND CULTIVATION
Native to mountain woods in the Balkans and western Asia, this tree is cultivated in temperate regions worldwide. The bark and seeds are collected in autumn.
CONSTITUENTS
Horse chestnut contains triterpenoid saponins (notably aescin), coumarins, and flavonoids. Aescin, the main active constituent, has anti-inflammatory properties. In Germany and other European countries, specialized aescin preparations are used because aescin is not easily absorbed from the gut.
HOW MUCH TO TAKE
Traditionally, 0.2-1.0 grams of the dried seeds were used per day. However, only standardized extracts should be used internally. Horse chestnut seed extracts standardized for aescin content (16-21 %) or isolated aescin preparations are often recommended at an initial dose of 90-150 mg of aescin per day. Once improvement is noted, this is usually reduced to a maintenance dose of 35-70 mg of aescin per day. Topical aescin preparations are used in Europe for hemorrhoids, skin ulcers, varicose veins, sports injuries, and trauma of other kinds. A gel of aescin is typically applied to the affected area three to four times per day.
SIDE EFFECTS AND CAUTIONS
Internal use of purified horse chestnut extracts standardized for aescin at the doses listed here is generally safe. There have been two reports of kidney damage in persons consuming very large quantities of aescin. Horse chestnut should be avoided by anyone with liver or kidney disease. Its internal use is also contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation. Topically, horse chestnut has been associated with rare cases of allergic skin reactions. Since circulation disorders and trauma associated with swelling may be the sign of a serious condition, a health care professional should be consulted before self-treating with horse chestnut.
Posted in A Herbs, B Herbs, H Herbs, T Herbs |
