Horse chestnut: medicinal properties and contraindications, use, how to grow

Content

1 Botanical description of the common horse chestnut
2 Where does horse chestnut grow?
3 What are the benefits of horse chestnut?
4 The use of horse chestnut in folk medicine
5 Contraindications
6 How to grow horse chestnut from a nut
7 Planting and caring for plants in open ground
8 Diseases and pests
9 Reviews on the use of horse chestnut
10 Conclusion

The medicinal properties of horse chestnut and its contraindications have been known to people for hundreds of years. From time immemorial, chestnut fruits have been used to treat many diseases. Tinctures, ointments, and decoctions are prepared from it, and all the constituent parts of the plant are used as the basis for them: flowers, bark, kernels, leaves. Particularly highly valued in modern folk medicine is the medicinal property of horse chestnut, such as the ability to improve the protein composition of the blood, which prevents the formation of blood clots in blood vessels.

Botanical description of the common horse chestnut

Horse chestnut (also Aesculus or Acorn) is a plant of the Sapindaceae family native to Greece. The height of an adult tree varies from 25 to 35 m.One of the distinctive features of horse chestnut is its developed root system, which goes several meters deep. The trunk of the plant is dark brown in color. It is quite powerful and ends with a lush spreading dome-shaped crown.

Horse chestnut shoots are covered with large buds. The flowers of the tree are white with a pinkish tint. Flowering begins in May. Chestnut fruits fully ripen by the end of September - beginning of October. They are irregularly shaped and covered with a pale green, spiky skin. The diameter of the fruit reaches an average of 5 cm. The nut inside the fruit is shiny, with a smooth surface of dark brown color.

Horse chestnut leaves have soft green tones and are distinguished by transverse veining. The leaf blade is palmate, with smooth edges. Each leaf is supported by medium-length petioles. The leaf arrangement of horse chestnut is opposite.

The photo below shows a young horse chestnut tree, which reaches a height of 15 m.

Where does horse chestnut grow?

The homeland of horse chestnut is considered to be the Balkan Peninsula, namely Greece, as well as Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia and Macedonia, where this tree grows in deciduous forests. In Russia, horse chestnut is adjacent to linden, ash and maple in the middle zone. In the Russian Federation, it is used within the city as a decoration for parks and playgrounds.

What are the benefits of horse chestnut?

Since ancient times, horse chestnut has been famous for its medicinal properties, which have been widely used in folk medicine and pharmacology in the manufacture of a number of medicines. The fruits of the plant have these healing properties, and not only - tree bark, leaves, flowers, roots, horse chestnut seeds and even nut shells are also considered medicinal.

Important! In order to fully preserve the healing properties of the raw material, the bark must be harvested from the first days of October. Leaves and flowers are collected in May. Nuts - in September.

Horse chestnut affects the human body as follows:

tones the condition of the veins;
prevents the formation of blood clots;
accelerates blood flow;
reduces blood viscosity;
dulls acute pain;
heals minor wounds;
relieves swelling;
has a diuretic effect;
reduces body temperature;
removes cholesterol;
promotes the removal of toxins and heavy metal salts;
reduces the risk of tumor development;
relieves inflammation;
normalizes stomach acidity;
normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
lowers blood pressure.

All components of the plant are rich in vitamins, acids, beneficial microelements and enzymes. This chemical composition explains the wide range of medicinal properties of chestnut. Eating any part of the plant in one form or another, even in small doses, can replace a full course of multivitamins.

Medicinal properties of horse chestnut flowers

Horse chestnut flowers are widely used in the manufacture of various ointments for rubbing. Their properties are used for treatment:

joint pain;
hemorrhoids;
thrombophlebitis;
vein diseases;
leukemia;
endarteritis and a number of other diseases.

In addition, decoctions and tinctures are prepared from horse chestnut flowers, which help with many blood diseases. Before using the petals for preparing medicines, they must be dried - to do this, the flowers are first laid out in a sunny place and then dried in the shade.

Comment! Horse chestnut flowers retain their medicinal properties for a year after drying.

Medicinal properties of horse chestnut fruits

Chestnut fruits contain tannins and a whole complex of vitamins (C, K, B1, etc.), as well as fraxin.

Important! The medicinal properties of the fruit are preserved only after thorough drying for a month.

Unripe fruits can be harmful to human health. The raw materials are collected when the fruits themselves fall to the ground.

Medicinal properties of leaves

Chestnut leaves are rich in pectins and carotenoids. They are used as a basis for decoctions and infusions to treat vascular diseases, eliminate gynecological problems and for uterine bleeding. The medicinal properties of the leaves include primarily analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects on the human body.

It is not recommended to collect leaves from trees that grow along roads and near factories.

Medicinal properties of the bark

Horse chestnut bark contains vitamin B1, tannins and fraxin. Collections containing the bark have an antipyretic and astringent effect.

Important! Bark can only be removed from trees that are more than 3-4 years old. Dry the raw materials in a well-ventilated area.

The use of horse chestnut in folk medicine

There are many recipes for horse chestnut medicines aimed at treating a wide range of diseases. In folk medicine it is used for:

varicose veins;
hypertension;
diarrhea;
prostatitis;
gallbladder diseases;
uterine bleeding;
thrombophlebitis;
chronic venous insufficiency;
hemorrhoids;
recovery of the body after radiation therapy;
venous stagnation;
vascular atherosclerosis;
endarteritis;
neuralgia;
increased acidity of the gastric environment;
leukemia;
swelling of the kidneys;
joint pain;
arthritis;
muscle inflammation;
radiculitis;
pulmonary tuberculosis;
anemia.

When applied externally in the form of ointments or compresses, chestnut-based medicines relieve inflammation in festering wounds and alleviate the consequences of extensive burns and frostbite.

Horse chestnut for prostatitis

The peel of horse chestnut fruit is widely used in folk medicine to treat prostatitis in men. The following recipe for chestnut tincture is quite popular:

The chestnut skins are removed from the fruit, dried and ground to a fine powder.
The resulting mass is poured with medical alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. For this, 70% alcohol is usually used, which can also be replaced with vodka.
The solution is thoroughly mixed and left to infuse. If the mixture contains alcohol, then leave it for 2 weeks. The vodka tincture must be infused for a month.

Take horse chestnut tincture for the treatment of prostatitis 1 time per day, 10 drops before meals. The duration of the course is 3 weeks.

Horse chestnut for veins

One of the most famous medicinal properties of horse chestnut is its ability to reduce blood density, which prevents the formation of blood clots in blood vessels. This quality is especially valuable in the treatment of capillary fragility and thrombophlebitis.

Chestnut tincture has proven itself well in the treatment of vein diseases according to the following recipe:

50 g of chestnut flowers are poured with 500 ml of vodka.
The liquid is kept for 2 weeks, shaking the vessel periodically.
After this period, the tincture is filtered through cheesecloth, after which it is ready for use.

Take this tincture in a course of 4 weeks. Recommended dosage: 3 times daily, half an hour before meals in the amount of 30-40 drops.

Juice is also made from horse chestnut flowers, which helps in the treatment of varicose veins and hemorrhoids. The juice is prepared very simply - for this, the freshly squeezed base is mixed with water in a proportion of 20 drops per 1 tbsp. spoon. Take chestnut juice 2 times a day, morning and evening, every day for a month.

Finally, warm baths based on chestnut bark decoction are beneficial for the veins. To do this, chestnut raw materials are poured with water in a proportion of 50 g per 1 liter of water and simmered over low heat for about half an hour. The cooled infusion is added to the bath.

For joint diseases

Alcohol tinctures and decoctions based on horse chestnut raw materials effectively treat rheumatism, relieve pain and inflammation in the joints.

The classic recipe for horse chestnut tincture is very popular. It is prepared as follows:

20-25 fruits are peeled.
The raw materials are cut into small pieces, after which they are loaded into a meat grinder or blender.
The resulting viscous slurry is poured into 1 liter of vodka, the solution is thoroughly stirred and stored in a dark, dry place for 2 weeks.
Then the tincture is filtered 1-2 times through cheesecloth, after which it is ready for use.

Important! There is also a more concentrated version of the tincture. The preparation algorithm is the same, however, for every 6-8 chestnuts there is about 250 g of vodka.

Decoctions of chestnut leaves are also used to treat joints. The cooking diagram looks like this:

1 tbsp. l. raw materials are poured with 500 ml of water.
The mixture is boiled over low heat or a water bath for 20-25 minutes.
The cooled mixture is poured into a container, after which it can be used.

The decoction is taken orally 10-15 minutes before meals, 100 g every day for 2-3 weeks.In addition to its main purpose, chestnut decoction also helps with disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, rehabilitation after tuberculosis and the first manifestations of gout.

For respiratory diseases

Decoctions for respiratory diseases are prepared using all parts of the tree, but most often the leading component is the bark and young shoots of horse chestnut. Prepare a decoction according to this scheme:

The pre-dried raw materials are ground to a powder or slurry in a blender or coffee grinder.
100 of the resulting powder is poured into 1.5 liters of water.
The solution is thoroughly stirred and boiled until it boils, after which it is kept on low heat for another 20-30 minutes.
Then the broth is infused until it cools completely.

Advice! In case of sore throat, taking chestnut honey inside in moderation helps.

For hemorrhoids

To treat hemorrhoids, ointment made from chestnut fruits is used primarily. It is prepared as follows:

The fruits are peeled and finely chopped.
50 g of raw materials are poured with 250 g of melted lard.
All this is thoroughly stirred and diluted with 250 g of badger fat, after which the mixture is stirred again.
The resulting mixture is brought to a boil and kept on low heat for another half hour.
Then the ointment is slightly cooled, filtered through cheesecloth and poured into a pre-sterilized container.

Contraindications

Despite the extensive list of beneficial properties of horse chestnut, excessive use of drugs based on it can cause serious harm to human health. In addition, there are a number of contraindications to the use of products derived from this plant, namely:

pregnancy;
breast-feeding;
individual intolerance (allergy);
hypotension (low blood pressure);
menstrual irregularities;
colitis;
intestinal atony;
decreased blood clotting;
renal failure;
constipation;
liver diseases;
gastritis.

It is not recommended to give horse chestnut preparations to children under 10 years of age.

Possible side effects after using medicines made from chestnut raw materials:

swelling;
itching;
rash;
stomach upset;
weakness and dizziness, nausea;
dyspnea.

At the first signs of an allergy, you should immediately stop taking the medicine and seek help from a doctor.

Important! Under no circumstances should you eat raw fruits and seeds. They are toxic and can cause vomiting, severe headaches and gastrointestinal disturbances. After ingesting unprocessed raw materials, it is necessary to rinse the stomach as quickly as possible.

How to grow horse chestnut from a nut

Horse chestnut is grown both from seedlings and from the nut. In the second case, only 1 piece will be enough.

The process of growing horse chestnut from a nut is as follows:

1 ripe chestnut that has fallen to the ground is peeled and soaked in water.
A nut swollen from moisture will sprout in 12-14 days. The grown seedling is removed and moved into a pot with soil.
The container is placed in a cool room until spring.
In the last days of May, the grown seedlings are planted in open ground. To do this, choose a cloudy, cool day. It is not recommended to plant horse chestnut in extreme heat.

In order for the seedlings to take root better in a new place, it is better to harden them before planting them in a permanent place. For this:

Pots with planting material are taken outside 2-3 weeks before planting.
At first the walk lasts about 15-20 minutes. Then this period is increased to 30 minutes, and then to 1 hour.
Gradually, the time spent by horse chestnut on the street reaches 5-6 hours.
The day before transplantation, the planting material is left in the fresh air for 12-15 hours.

Planting and caring for plants in open ground

Before planting horse chestnut in the garden, you need to choose the right place for future plantings. This should be an open, well-lit area where a group of trees will not be crowded. Thickening of plantings is fraught with the development of fungal infections.

In addition, the plant should not be planted too close to residential buildings and fences. The recommended distance from the building to the plant is 5-6 m.

The composition of the soil is not particularly important, but it is better to give preference to fertile soils. The best option is black soil. On heavy clay soils, horse chestnut will not develop well, however, even this type of soil can be corrected by adding sand.

The process of planting horse chestnut is very simple:

In the selected area, dig a hole 50-60 cm deep.
A mixture of the top layer of earth, humus and dolomite flour is placed at the bottom of the pit.
A layer of fertilizer is sprinkled with a thin layer of soil and the roots of the seedling are laid on top.
Then the hole is covered with earth and pressed lightly, compacting it.
Complete planting with watering. If desired, you can install a peg next to the seedling to support the plant.

Caring for horse chestnut primarily involves periodic watering. The soil in the tree trunk area should not dry out or become cracked. During prolonged rains, watering is reduced or stopped altogether, since stagnation of water can cause rotting of the tree's root system.

Otherwise, the plant does not require much attention and grows well without human intervention, except for periodic treatments against pests and diseases.

Diseases and pests

One of the key advantages of horse chestnut is the tree’s excellent immunity and resistance to most diseases and pests. Plantings are practically free from anthracnose and blight. Insects also extremely rarely annoy trees; only sometimes do invasions of bagworms and borers occur, but you can quickly get rid of them with the help of Karbofos. As a preventive measure against diseases, plantings are treated with Bordeaux mixture.

In this millennium, however, one pest has appeared that can cause significant harm to the development of horse chestnut. This is a chestnut or leafminer moth. Measures to combat this insect have been little studied, so it is very difficult to get rid of it.

Leaves affected by the pest dry out in a matter of days and soon fall off. This usually happens in July - early August. By the end of autumn, chestnuts weaken and most often freeze completely in winter. In order to reduce the likelihood of plantings being damaged by leafminers, it is necessary to regularly remove fallen leaves under the trees, since insect pupae are hidden in the heap of leaves. All garbage is then burned. If the chestnut does get sick, chemicals are used as injections directly under the tree bark.

Important! Horse chestnut leaves often turn yellow, however, this is not always a sign of disease or pest activity. It is quite possible that the tree simply does not have enough moisture.

Reviews on the use of horse chestnut

Osipova Vera Vladimirovna, 50 years old, Moscow

Horse chestnut tincture helps very well with many diseases.It can be stored for a long time – up to 3 years. The advantage is that you can take it not only internally. A compress is often made from it for 30-40 minutes with the addition of 4-5 drops of Dimexide. It is applied for severe bruises. I gave these to my son myself when he fell from the fence and broke his knees. I also use this tincture to rub my feet. Helps with venous dilatation of veins. The only drawback is that it dries out the skin a lot.

Petrenko Alexandra Pavlovna, 41 years old, Arkhangelsk

Under no circumstances should you eat horse chestnut fruits, no matter what they write on some websites! They are toxic, and although consuming them may not be fatal, the consequences are unlikely to be pleasant. Only products derived from horse chestnut can be taken internally: tinctures, decoctions, teas, etc.

Ulyanova Oksana Vasilievna, 37 years old, Syzran

Horse chestnut, of course, is a useful thing, but for varicose veins it is better to use registered medications rather than self-medicate. I’m not a doctor, but I worked in a phlebology center for many years, so I understand the problem. As soon as veins appear, you need to consult a phlebologist. In the initial stages of the disease, the drug "Lioton" helps well. Folk remedies, such as ointments and compresses from this plant, can also improve the condition of the skin and veins only at the very beginning. In the later stages, their effect on the body is almost unnoticeable. They won't do any harm, but they won't do much good either.

Conclusion

The medicinal properties of horse chestnut and contraindications are known to many. Of course, the list of medicinal properties of the plant is much wider than the list of contraindications, but before using products based on it, it is recommended to consult a doctor.In addition, horse chestnut fruits should not be consumed fresh - the raw materials must be processed. Also, the medicinal properties of the plant can turn into harm if it is abused. Excessive consumption of drugs based on it can cause widespread skin irritation.

You can learn more about the medicinal properties of horse chestnut from the video below:

Horse chestnut: medicinal properties, how to grow