What Is Horse Chestnut Used For Common Horse Chestnut Uses

Horse chestnut leaves have been used by herbalists as a cough remedy and to reduce fevers. The leaves were also believed to reduce pain and inflammation of arthritis and rheumatism. In traditional herbal medicine, poultices of the seeds have been used topically to treat skin ulcers and skin cancer.

What are horse chestnuts used for?
Can you eat a horse chestnut?
How long does it take for horse chestnut to work?
Does horse chestnut lower blood pressure?
How poisonous is horse chestnut?
Can you roast horse chestnuts?
Why are they called horse chestnuts?
Can you eat horse?
How do you tell the difference between a Buckeye and a horse chestnut?
Does horse chestnut cream really work?
Is Horse Chestnut good for skin?
What is the best supplement for varicose veins?

What are horse chestnuts used for?

Horse chestnut seed and leaf are used for treating varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and swollen veins (phlebitis). Horse chestnut seed is used for diarrhea, fever, and enlarged prostate. Horse chestnut seeds can be processed so that the active chemicals are separated out and concentrated.

Can you eat a horse chestnut?

No, you cannot consume these nuts safely. Toxic horse chestnuts cause serious gastrointestinal problems if consumed by humans. Consuming the nuts or leaves of horse chestnut trees causes bad colic in horses and other animals develop vomiting and abdominal pain. ...

How long does it take for horse chestnut to work?

In all trials the extract was standardised to escin, which is the main active constituent of horse chestnut seed extract. Overall, the trials suggested an improvement in the symptoms of leg pain, oedema and pruritus with horse chestnut seed extract when taken as capsules over two to 16 weeks.

Does horse chestnut lower blood pressure?

Horse chestnut extract appears to impair the action of platelets (important components of blood clotting). It also inhibits a range of chemicals in the blood, including cyclo-oxygenase, lipoxygenase and a range of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These effects result in reduced inflammation and reduced blood pressure.

How poisonous is horse chestnut?

Horse chestnut contains significant amounts of a poison called esculin and can cause death if eaten raw. Be careful not to confuse Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse chestnut) with Aesculus californica (California buckeye) or Aesculus glabra (Ohio buckeye). Some people call any of these plants horse chestnut.

Can you roast horse chestnuts?

Chestnuts may be roasted in the oven, over a fire or even in the microwave. To roast chestnuts, be sure to score through the shell to ensure steam can escape and to prevent a messy and loud explosion. Scoring halfway around the equator works very well.

Why are they called horse chestnuts?

Etymology. The common name horse chestnut originates from the similarity of the leaves and fruits to sweet chestnuts, Castanea sativa (a tree in a different family, the Fagaceae), together with the alleged observation that the fruit or seeds could help panting or coughing horses.

Can you eat horse?

It's taboo to eat horse in America. ... The three U.S. slaughterhouses that dealt in horse closed in 2007, according to the New Food Economy. Horses in the United States can be sold and shipped to other countries, where it is legal to slaughter them for food.

How do you tell the difference between a Buckeye and a horse chestnut?

Horse chestnuts usually have one fruits in the pod. The pod of the American chestnut has a thicker growth of hairlike spikes on the outside. Horse chestnut and buckeyes have a shiny pod with fewer, bumpy spikes. Buckeye trees have fans of five leaves while American and horse chestnut leaves are spans of six or seven.

Does horse chestnut cream really work?

In four of six trials measuring leg swelling, horse chestnut was significantly better. Four of eight trials found horse chestnut reduced itching. Two studies compared horse chestnut extract to compression stockings, and found them equally effective in relieving leg pain.

Is Horse Chestnut good for skin?

Aescin has been shown to inhibit hyaluronidase, an enzyme that can break down the hyaluronic acid found in skin. As skin uses this as a moisturizing component, a reduction in this enzyme can lead to an increase in skin hydration. Horse Chestnut Extract has soothing, anti-irritant and toning properties on the skin.

What is the best supplement for varicose veins?

Niacin is a form of vitamin B3 known to aid in blood circulation and lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood. These benefits both reduce stress on the veins in your legs, thus decreasing the risk of further varicose veins. Niacin can be found in a variety of foods such as cereals, oats, and tuna.