Giant Horsetail Nutrition

The University of Maryland Medical Center acknowledges the medicinal benefits of the giant horsetail plant. However, little scientific research has been conducted on the plant to validate its nutritional claims.

Identification

• Giant horsetail is also called Equisetum myriochaetum and is the largest member of the horsetail family. This evergreen vascular plant can reach heights of 15 feet and got its name from the long, dangling branches that resemble a horse's tail.

Active Components

• Holistic Online reports that horsetail contains 15 separate bioflavonoids that produce diuretic reactions in patients. The plant is also rich in silicic acid, which the body converts into calcium once ingested.

History

• Nutritionists have been recommending giant horsetail for hundreds of years. The Chinese and Romans have used the plant as a tonic to treat a number of everyday ailments.

Alternative Treatment

• Giant horsetail has a high concentration of silicon and can be used as an alternative treatment for osteoporosis. Health-Care-Clinic.org also recommends it for urinary-tract disorders and kidney stones.

Horsetail Preparation

• The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends taking giant horsetail as a dried herb or liquid three times a day in dosages of no more than 300 mg. This preparation contains a standardized amount of silica at an average of 10 percent to 15 percent per dose.