What Is Horse Chestnut Used For?

Horse chestnut is the most-familiar tree in the Buckeye family and is often used in homeopathic medicine. Many parts of the horse chestnut tree can be ground up and used in the treatment of mostly blood-related problems.

What a Horse Chestnut is

• Horse chestnut is a plant officially known as Aesculus hippocastanum and is actually a tree native to Greece and other areas of Europe. The California Buckeye and the Ohio Buckeye are the American cousins.

Parts of the Plant Used in Home Remedies

• The seed, bark, flowers and leaves are the most common parts of the horse chestnut tree used in herbal remedies. They are usually ground into a fine powder and mixed with other ingredients.

How Horse Chestnut is Used

• Horse chestnut is used as a homeopathic remedy for blood problems including clots and varicose veins. Other issues, such as ulcers and frostbite, leg pain, itching, whooping cough, leg ulcers, rashes, diarrhea and even arthritis, might be treated with the horse chestnut as well.

How Much To Use

• Doses are typically 300 mg orally twice daily for no more than 12 weeks at a time for adults. Overdosing can occur, causing damage to the kidneys and liver. Allergic reactions might occur from topical use.

Active Ingredient

• Aescin that is present in the typically used parts of horse chestnut is the main healing ingredient. It is most highly concentrated in the seeds and flower parts, although the bark and leaves have a high content as well.

Why It Works

• Aescin is a blood thinner that improves blood flow through the capillaries. Horse chestnut provides relief internally by helping enlarged veins, such as varicose veins, shrink and become less visible.