Medicinal Properties of Horse Chestnut

The horse chestnut is an oilseed from the horse chestnut plant, and its scientific name is Aesculus hippocastanum . It is very nutritious and its tree is used as a medicinal plant in the treatment of varicose veins and hemorrhoids , in addition to several other diseases. The most used parts of the plant are chestnuts (seeds), fruits and leaves. If consumed in moderation, it can bring several health benefits.

The chestnut of India can be found in street markets, pharmacies and some supermarkets, and its leaves are also sold for teas, or in powder, or in the form of capsules, creams and soaps.

Benefits of Horse Chestnut

The horse chestnut has astringent, anti-inflammatory, tonic, stimulating, protective, vasoconstrictive, hemostatic and capillary permeability reducing properties , acting mainly on blood vessels. So what is it for?

The oilseed serves to relieve certain conditions, such as poor circulation and swelling caused by lack of circulation, menstrual cramps, varicose veins, phlebitis , in addition to hemorrhoids and inflammation of the skin in general. It is also indicated to relieve pain in heavy legs.

Main benefits

The benefits of horse chestnut can be listed as:

  • It prevents and treats those flat varicose veins, which are the enlarged superficial veins which appear mainly on the skin;
  • It helps to relieve hemorrhoids: the inflamed veins around the anus, which sometimes bleed;
  • It helps in the treatment of ecchymosis, which are small ruptures of capillaries;
  • Eliminates edema: swelling due to fluid retention;
  • Helps in the treatment of thrombophlebitis and prostatitis;
  • Relieves PMS, menstrual cramps and leg pain;
  • Favors good circulation;
  • Relieves dermatitis: inflammation of the skin;
  • Acts in the treatment of eczema;
  • It can be an ally to a good diet.

But be careful: because it is very caloric, the chestnut of India cannot be considered a food that loses weight , it only helps in diets because of its property of retaining liquid and reducing swelling. The price of horse chestnut can vary between different products, but it is usually of low medicinal cost, starting at 10 reais.

Different Ways to Use Horse Chestnut

Horse chestnut tea is made with chestnut leaves, and is highly recommended as a natural way to relieve skin problems, such as dermatitis or eczema, or hemorrhoids and inflammation in the joints, such as arthritis and osteoarthritis.

The ingredients for tea are: 30 g of chestnut leaves and 1 liter of water . Prepare by boiling the water and adding it with the leaves for 20 minutes to rest. You can drink 2 or 3 cups of tea a day for hemorrhoids, or use it in compresses to be applied over the inflammation site, without rubbing.

It is also possible to use horse chestnut tincture to treat poor circulation, varicose veins and heavy legs. To make the tincture, it is necessary to use chestnut powder and 70% ethyl alcohol as ingredients . Prepare by placing 5 tablespoons of the powder in an alcohol bottle and letting it sit for 2 weeks , exposed to the sun. Then, the mixture should be stored in a dark glass container, sheltered from the sun.

The tincture must be well diluted for ingestion , and it can be used as a dropper as in the floral. For every 5 tablespoons of the tincture, the proportion is 1 liter of water. The most practical way to use horse chestnut is to purchase products sold in pharmacies, or handling pharmacies, such as capsule supplements.

Horse Chestnut in Capsules

The “compound” horse chestnut is a supplement in food capsules , in which there is a combination of three more plants: the “herb of the beast”, the “sarsaparilla” and the “rutin”. They are taken with the purpose of improving the venous system , reducing the fragility of capillary blood vessels. This supplement can be used to treat varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

The recommended daily use of horse chestnut in capsules is 1 pill for 3 to 4 times a day, so it is best to consult a nutritionist.

Contraindications for Horse Chestnut

Horse chestnut has side effects that can lead to stomach upset, heartburn or allergic symptoms such as skin redness. It should not be prescribed during pregnancy , by infants and children; nor by those who use anticoagulant drugs.

Horse chestnut should not be consumed in excess, as overdoing it can lead to symptoms of weakness, nausea, itching, decreased coordination, pupil dilation, central nervous system depression and even paralysis.

See also: What is beta carotene and its relationship to “Vitamin A”

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My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.

Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.

Dr. Alexis Hart

My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.

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