The horse chestnut

Useful properties and applications of horse chestnut

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Botanical characteristics of horse chestnut

Horse chestnut is a deciduous tree with a spreading crown formed by large, complex, opposite leaves with long petioles, five - or simiplicity, stipules absent. The Mature plant reaches on average 25 m in height. May is the time of flowering tree. Kolokolchatymi, bisexual, irregular flowers may have white or pale pink, margin fringed petals. Flowers are collected in large inflorescences erect cone-shaped form with double flower cover.

From September to October, the fruits ripen – tricuspid boxes with spikes, round shape. Each box contains one, rarely two seeds – the flattened, shiny, dark brown with a patch of grey. Horse chestnut in the wild grows in deciduous forests, it is specially grown in parks, squares average strip of the European part of the CIS, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The beneficial properties of horse chestnut

For therapeutic purposes, using flowers, seeds, bark, leaves. Flowers and leaves are harvested in may: neatly cut and dry, constantly turning and hiding from the direct sunlight. Seeds begin to harvest in early September, dried two to four weeks, scattering a thin layer. Suitable for springtime harvests, it is removed from the branches after pruning. Cut into pieces the bark is dried under a canopy or in well-ventilated areas.

The seeds contain cumarin glycosides, such as esculin, maxin, escin. Is tannin, starch. Revealed the presence of fatty oils, triterpene saponin escin of. The bark is rich in escin, tannins. In addition esculin and fraxini, it contains vitamin C and thiamine. The leaves of horse chestnut is endowed with the glycosides, pectin and carotenoids. The colors can saturate the human body with flavonoids. It is also helpful effect of mucus, tannin and pectin substances.

The use of horse chestnut

Traditional medicine has accumulated rich experience in the application of horse chestnut, official medicine also widely uses the beneficial properties of this medicinal plant. Due to the low toxicity and useful esqulino, fraxino and extina, pharmacological properties of the plant perfectly affect the body with many ailments. Popular are alcohol tinctures of seeds and flowers. Chestnut reduces inflammation and edema.

As a result of action of horse chestnut slows down blood clotting, so it's incredibly effectivewhen thrombosis, reduce capillary permeability. Esculin stimulates the production of substances that prevent the formation of blood clots. A decoction of the bark helps with malaria, diarrhea, diseases of the spleen, normalizes the acidity of gastric juice, is ideal for the treatment of uterine bleeding, removes vascular spasms, to cope with violations of the secretory function of the gallbladder. The bark of the chestnut can also be used for the treatment of acute bronchitis. From the flowers of horse chestnut makes a wonderful tincture used for rubbing in rheumatoid arthritis, gout, when sciatica. The tincture on vodka or broth – a real tonic in disorders of the heart and liver. Well cured gastritis, pulmonary tuberculosis, anemia and shortness of breath.

Taking 20 to 30 drops of fresh juice of flowers of chestnut, 1 tablespoon of water 2 times daily, can eliminate stagnation of venous blood in varicose veins increase the veins, hemorrhoids and ulcers. In the fight against arteriosclerosis of the extremities effects of juice cannot be overemphasized.

Horse chestnut is not edible! When ingestion it is possible to poisoning of the body! Horse chestnut and drugs on his Snov, are used only in folk medicine! In the food consumed only the fruit of the sweet Chestnut (seed, noble)

! The exception is the metered application of tincture of horse chestnut, which has healing properties But never exceed the indicated dosage! Overdose can cause cramps in the fingers. Horse chestnut is contraindicated in low blood viscosity and hypotension.

Tincture of horse chestnut

Many recipes actually, they are all different.. Someone advised to take 5 the chestnuts, the other is more on 0,5 l of vodka. Do I need to use the top barbed shell, crush finely or coarsely, do I need to drain? And finally, how to use - massage into joints or compresses? And inside make possible and necessary?

Answers to all these questions the doctor-phytotherapeutist Pecinovsky:

Recipe 1. Have the greatest efficiency preparations made from brownish skin of the fruit. To obtain the correct extraction you take 50 g of crushed to 3-5 mm skins of the fruit, pour 0.5 liters of vodka and kept for 2 weeks. Shaking daily. Further strain. All!

This tincture reduces inflammation and swelling, reduces the viscosity, pressure and level of cholesterol in blood, strengthens blood vessels,improves their elasticity. During treatment with chestnut decrease fatty deposits on artery walls and in the liver, reduces pain in inflamed veins and joints.

How to take? Tincture is taken orally first 30 drops to 30 ml of water 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. In a week 4 times already and in the future move on to 4 full cups. The duration of treatment varies from one month to one and a half.

If a tincture to apply topically in the form of neat rubbing on inflamed veins (thrombophlebitis) 2-3 times a day or impose on them compresses (diluted tincture 1:1 with water) for 1.5 - 2 hours in the morning and in the evening - the recovery will come faster.

In the pharmacy network you will find a certain number of agents of chestnut. But folk and medical practice suggests that the total extract (alcohol, water) is more effective, cheap and available. Only use raw materials collected chestnuts outside the city limits.

Recipe 2: Tincture for external use: miss ripe fruit in a meat grinder together with peel, pour into a glass container. 1 liter of infusion will need 300 g twisted fruit chestnut, filled with vodka. Infuse the composition must in a dark place for 7 days. This remedy is good to treat sciatica, thrombophlebitis, inflammation of the muscles and deposition of salts.

Recipe 3: 20 g of flowers of chestnut, you need to pour 500 ml of vodka, insist 14 days and use 2 times a day for rubbing the joints of patients.

How to make a tincture with the flowers of horse chestnut:

The fruits of horse chestnut

Unripe fruit is endowed with malic, citric and lactic acids, lecithin, calcium, iron. They have globulin, and vitamin C. the Fleshy kernel treatment plants have many nutrients such as zinc, chromium, barium, selenium, Nickel, silver, iodine, boron. The fruits of this wonderful tree give people the energy charge. There are many ways of using this gift of nature. If you just carry in the pocket 2-3 conker, it reduces pain in rheumatism. Can make application from the crushed kernels of the chestnut with the addition of clay, warming the mass is able to get rid of joint inflammation.

How to distinguish the edible chestnut from a horse chestnut? Shell of edible chestnut densely covered with slender spines, and horse chestnut — a rare short spikes.

Tincture of fruit: cut into four pieces, the chestnuts should be put in a jar, pour the vodka, filling to the top,cover tightly and three days to insist on the sun, then 40 days at room temperature in the room. The resulting tool is recommended to RUB the joints, applying it to patients veins.

Seeds chestnut – excellent diuretic and antihemorrhagic actions hemoptysis and nose bleeding. A decoction of dried chestnuts acts as a diaphoretic for colds.

Horse chestnut extract

Extract of horse chestnut contains escin, which removed the swelling and foot fatigue in the treatment of varicose veins. Contains triterpenoid, characterized capillarization activity and anti-inflammatory effect, increases the tone of veins. Extract normalizes blood pressure, regulates cholesterol in the blood.

The leaves of horse chestnut

Chestnut leaves differ in the content of glycosides, pectin and tannins, vitamin K. They are used in folk medicine as raw material for the preparation of decoctions and infusions if the internal bleeding. The leaves of horse chestnut are harvested from may to September. They are dried, laying a thin layer in the attic or under a canopy. The finished material should have a green color and a pleasant smell.

Horse chestnut for varicose veins

Horse chestnut can increase the resistance of blood vessels. The striking therapeutic effect is obtained for the treatment of veins subjected varicose, thrombophlebitis. Folk medicine recommends to take money from horse chestnut for the prevention of thrombosis. Medicinal properties show flowers, fruits and leaves of horse chestnut.

Recipes remedies horse chestnut

Infusion of the bark of horse chestnut: you will need 1 teaspoon of powdered bark in 2 cups (400 ml) cooled boiled water. Should insist 8 hours then strain and take 2 tablespoons 4 times a day.

Bark infusion for external use: should take 50 grams of bark in 1 liter of boiling water, boil for 15 minutes and infuse for 8 hours, then drain. Received means do cool sitz baths with hemorrhoid bleeding for 15 minutes after bowel movement.

Infusion of fruits or flowers of chestnut: take 50 g of raw materials to 0.5 liters of vodka, insist two to three weeks, you need to take a day 3-4 times 30-40 drops.

A decoction of the rind of the fruit: it will require 5 g of peel in a glass (200 ml) of boiling water, boil for 15 min, take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

Whenthe treatment of hemorrhoids it is recommended to chew fresh chestnuts. Hemorrhoids bleeding cones should be used baths of a decoction of the branches of the chestnut.

A decoction of the branches: you will need 50 grams of the branches of the chestnuts, 1 liter of water with the addition of a grass of water pepper. To get in the bath is necessary for 5-15 minutes, the water should be at room temperature.

Infusion of fruits: one should chop 2 fruit of the horse chestnut and fill a thermos Cup boiling water, to insist 2 hours. Take medicine for 2 tablespoons 5 times a day for chronic diarrhea and kidney disease, in inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

The flowers of horse chestnut

Medicinally, the flowers of horse chestnut is used in many diseases, it is an ideal raw material for the preparation of tinctures and decoctions. Chestnut flowers have unique properties that allow it to achieve excellent results when disease, hemorrhoids, ulcers of the legs, the lesions of the veins, caused by various injuries. The flowers of horse chestnut useful for radiation sickness. Infusions and decoctions can be used for the treatment of adenoma and prostatitis. The ability of substances contained in the flowers, restore the amount of protein in the structure of the blood favors the recovery from fibrocystic mastopathy, tumors of the brain.

The infusion of chestnut flowers: 1 tablespoon of dried flowers and 200 g of water you need to bring to a boil for 6-8 hours. Means take SIPS throughout the day. The day should drink 1 to 1.5 liters.

Cream with horse chestnut

Cream with chestnut helps to restore the skin's structure and strengthens the walls of blood vessels exhibits properties of lymphatic drainage means. It is a good prevention of varicose veins and is used to maintain skin. At home creams can be prepared on the basis of fatty oils, for example, cream, or olive oil are suitable and essential oils, infusions. All the ingredients of the cream are blended, store this mixture can be several weeks in the refrigerator.

Ointment on the basis of horse chestnut

Horse chestnut – a miracle of nature, this is one of the most beautiful trees that gives shade in summer, and cures all sorts of ailments. From its fruit, flowers and leaves can be cooked many different remedies. Lubricating sore spots on the skin with a special ointment with horse chestnut, can quickly relieve the inflammation and to eliminate venous disease.

Prescription ointments: you need to chop 5 pieces of chestnuts or 5 tablespoons of chestnut flowers, pour 0.5 litersvegetable oil, simmer on a water bath for 1 hour, cool and drain.

Contraindications to the use of horse chestnut

Contraindications: atonic constipation, gastritis with low acidity, poor blood clotting, disruptions of the menstrual cycle and hypotension, as well as pregnancy and breast-feeding.

When you receive funds on the basis of horse chestnut may cause nausea, heartburn. Therefore, they should be taken only after visiting the doctor, performing the control of prothrombin of blood.