What is horse chestnut seed extract good for?
What is horse chestnut seed extract good for?
Horse chestnut extract has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and may help relieve pain and inflammation caused by chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). It may also benefit other health conditions like hemorrhoids and male infertility caused by swollen veins.
Does horse chestnut cream really work?
Probably yes. Randomized studies in which horse chestnut extract is compared with a placebo (sugar pill) show a significant improvement in pain. In addition, most of the studies also show an improvement in swelling. However, there is also a study of venous stasis ulcer patients which showed no improvement with Aescin.
How toxic are horse chestnuts?
While cultivated or wild sweet chestnuts are edible, horse chestnuts are toxic, and can cause digestive disorders such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, or throat irritation.
Is horse chestnut a vasoconstrictor?
Aescin or escin is a mixture of saponins with anti-inflammatory, vasoconstrictor and vasoprotective effects found in Aesculus hippocastanum (the horse chestnut). Aescin is the main active component in horse chestnut, and is responsible for most of its medicinal properties.
How long does it take horse chestnut to work?
It may take up to 4 weeks before your symptoms improve. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse while using horse chestnut.
Does horse chestnut help with venous insufficiency?
The results of the studies have proven that horse chestnut seed extract not only significantly improves subjective symptoms in patients with chronic venous insufficiency like calf spasm, leg pain, pruritus, fatigue, but it also reduced leg volume, the ankle and calf circumference.
What is the best supplement for varicose veins?
Supplements For Vein Health
- Niacin. Niacin is a form of vitamin B3 known to aid in blood circulation and lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood.
- Vitamin C. Vitamin C is known for preventing cell damage thanks to its antioxidant properties.
- Vitamin E.
- Vitamin K.
What is the difference between chestnut and horse chestnut?
Edible chestnuts are easy to tell apart from unrelated toxic species like horse chestnut or buckeye. The toxic, inedible horse chestnuts have a fleshy, bumpy husk with a wart-covered appearance. Both horse chestnut and edible chestnuts produce a brown nut, but edible chestnuts always have a tassel or point on the nut.
How does horse chestnut help varicose veins?
Varicose veins can form from poor blood flow, so any remedy that can improve circulation can also help symptoms. Horse chestnut improves blood flow within the veins by reducing the number and size of the pores within the capillary membrane.
Is horse chestnut good for your 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.
Is horse chestnut safe for kidneys?
Based on reports of worsening kidney function in people with kidney disease who received intravenous aescin, horse chestnut should be avoided by anyone with kidney disease. People with liver disease should also avoid the use of horse chestnut.
How long does horse chestnut take to work?
Are there any side effects to horse chestnut seed extract?
Horse chestnut seed extracts are generally well tolerated but may cause side effects such as dizziness, nausea, and digestive upsets in some people. Little is known about whether it’s safe to use horse chestnut seed extract during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
What kind of chemical is in horse chestnut extract?
Most horse chestnut extract products contain 16% to 20% triterpene glycosides (saponins), which is referred to as “aescin” on product labels. Only use horse chestnut products which have had esculin, a poisonous chemical, removed.
Is it safe to eat raw horse chestnut?
The raw seeds, bark, flowers, and leaves of horse chestnut are unsafe because they contain a toxic component. Standardized horse chestnut seed extracts, from which this component has been removed, appear to be safe for short-term use.
How often should you take horse chestnut capsules?
Do not use more of this product than is recommended on the label. The usual dose of horse chestnut in capsule form is 1 capsule every 12 hours before a meal. Take the capsule with a full glass of water. Do not crush, chew, break, or open a horse chestnut capsule.
