Horse Chestnut- Increases venous circulation

Name:
Common Name: Horse Chestnut or Conker tree seed
Botanical Name: Aesulus hippocastanum, L.

Parts Used: Seeds, leaves, bark

Horse chestnut probably original from India, but it is now grown in most temperate climates. Large amounts are produced in Easter Europe. Remedies are made from the horse chestnut seed, supplied whole or in powdered form.

Saponins (aescins groups), flavonoids (quercetin, kacempferol), coumarins.

Horse chestnut is used for swelling of legs from venous insufficiency, hemorrhoid, leg cramping, prostate disease, and skin itching.

The beneficial effects of Horse Chestnut are thought to derive from a group of chemical compounds named saponins. The structure of Saponins is similar to steroids, except that they have a sugar molecule attached. The saponins contained in horse chestnut included escins Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb. Multiple European clinical trials has been proven that Horse chestnut extract has an action of reducing the swelling of the legs of patients with chronic venous insufficiency, although it is not clear whether all the aescins, or just one of the subtypes, is medically effective.

Saponins can be irritating to the stomach and skin. Gastrointestinal upset and itching of skin could be result from taken a large dose. Taking too much extract also could cause lower the concentration of blood sugar.

Since claim effects of the Horse chestnut is not well documented, it is advised not to use alone for disease treatment. Large amount can cause adverse effects.

250-313 mg. of dried escin powdered extract (content 16-20%) per day.

In the Middle Ages, healers knew that horse chestnut extract reduced the swelling of hemorrhoids, and modern medical research has shown that this extract will also reduce the swelling of legs associated with venous insufficiency. With large dose of taking could cause adverse effects.

The name horse chestnut probably derives from the fact that during the Middle Ages, fruits of this tree were used to feed cattle and horses. In India, fishermen used to put horse chestnut extracts into the water in order to paralyze the fish and make them easier to catch, because the plant contain cyclamin which is particularly toxic to fish.