Horse chestnut

by Kat Matina April 27, 2020

It is found almost everywhere in France and Europe, with its large green husks that look like vegetable sea urchins and their large fruits very similar to chestnuts. What is less well known is that the chestnut tree, also known as the horse chestnut, offers us many health benefits...

General presentation of chestnut

The horse chestnut is actually the inedible seed, unlike its cousin the chestnut, of the common horse chestnut tree. It is enclosed in the well-known spiny capsule, or husk.

The common horse chestnut is a tree of the Hippocastanaceae family, native to the Balkan region and western Asia. It spread to Europe from the 17th century.

Its name comes from its resemblance to marrone, the Italian word for large chestnuts. The tree is also known by other names, such as common chestnut, white chestnut, or horse chestnut. The chestnut tree can live for over 300 years, and reach up to 30 meters in height.

Composition and medicinal properties of horse chestnut

Horse chestnuts are composed of several active ingredients : triterpene saponins, flavonoids including quercetol and kaempferol, catechol tannin, aescin, coumarin heterosides, esculoside and vitamin P. These active substances make horse chestnuts a fruit that is certainly inedible, but beneficial for the body in many ways.

Veinotropic, horse chestnut is traditionally used whole to combat venous insufficiency. However, the esculin present in horse chestnut is a potentially dangerous toxic substance in too high a dose, and herbal medicine today uses extracts standardized in escin but without esculin, in order to avoid any undesirable effects.

Veinotropic therefore, horse chestnut is excellent in cases of venous insufficiency, that is to say poor circulation of blood in the blood vessels.

Venous insufficiency causes deterioration of the walls of the veins, which often affects the legs and leads to common symptoms such as heavy, swollen or even painful legs . This circulation disorder can even lead to the appearance of varicose veins or, in the most serious cases, phlebitis.

The escin present in horse chestnut would preserve the permeability and tone of the venous wall, and would prevent the appearance of edema while promoting a better return of blood to the heart.

Its veinotropic properties also make horse chestnut a natural treatment of choice in the event of a hemorrhoidal crisis.

In cosmetics, horse chestnut extract is used to reduce dark circles under the eyes. It has a tonic and decongestant effect on the tissues , thus reducing swelling and the bluish appearance of the skin.

What does science say about horse chestnut?

Many meta-analyses have taken up and synthesized the different works concerning the venotropic properties of horse chestnut. The different researches finally focused on more than 1000 people in total suffering from venous insufficiency, and used double-blind protocols or with the introduction of a placebo, in order to guarantee the reliability of the observations.

It has been shown that supplementing with horse chestnut extract effectively relieves symptoms related to venous insufficiency and also treats its complications (varicose veins, venous ulcers, etc.) (1) (2) (3).

On the other hand, a group of five clinical trials used fresh horse chestnut extract in the form of mother tincture, capsule or ointment in order to compare the results of the different forms of preparation.

Here again, the results were consistent: all 3 types of prescriptions were effective on subjects suffering from chronic venous insufficiency as well as on people suffering from varicose veins. Indeed, these 3 treatments allowed a significant reduction in edema in the legs, a decrease in pain and heaviness, as well as a clear reduction in itching (4) (5).

In the event of a hemorrhoidal crisis , tests have shown that an extract of 3 times 40 mg per day of escin, the main active compound in horse chestnut, led to a significant reduction in size, swelling, bleeding and associated pain from the first week of treatment (6).

Uses, Dosage and Side Effects of Horse Chestnut

Horse chestnut is commercially available in the form of capsules, mother tincture or gel. The capsules can be taken 1 to 2, 3 times a day in cases of venous insufficiency or hemorrhoid attacks.

However, we recommend that you refer to the manufacturer's dosage instructions, which may vary depending on the active ingredient content of the supplement.

The mother tincture can be used morning and evening, by mixing 50 drops in a glass of water. The gel with horse chestnut extracts will be applied with a gentle massage on the areas to be treated.

It is also possible to take horse chestnut as an infusion of leaves and bark, or in the form of a gemmotherapy preparation, that is to say a concentrated extract of seeds and buds. In these cases, horse chestnut can be consumed as a preventative or curative, with a dosage of 5 to 15 drops per day.

No adverse effects have been detected with horse chestnut.

Conclusion

The beneficial effects of horse chestnut are recognized by the WHO and the European Commission , and its use is also recommended as an effective complement to wearing support stockings, and/or regular application of cold water to relieve the symptoms of venous insufficiency. Without any danger to health, and available in multiple forms, horse chestnut is an effective natural treatment.