How much horse chestnut should I take daily?
People with the following conditions should not take horse chestnut: (19)
- Pregnant or nursing mothers (not enough evidence about safety)
- Bleeding disorders (can cause slow clotting)
- Diabetes (may lower blood sugar)
- Digestive problems (could irritate GI tract)
- Latex allergy (those with this allergy may also be allergic to horse chestnut)
- Liver disease (may exacerbate symptoms)
- Kidney disease (may exacerbate symptoms)
What is the best horse chestnut extract?
Top 10 Horse Chestnut Products Compared
- Solaray Horse Chestnut Extract. This is a powerful horse chestnut supplement with 400mg in each capsule. ...
- Now Foods Horse Chestnut Extract. This is a simple and effective horse chestnut supplement with 300mg per serving. ...
- Nature’s Way Horse Chestnut Standardized Extract. ...
- Bulksupplements Pure Horse Chestnut Extract Powder. ...
What are the health benefits of horse chestnut?
Top 10 Health Benefits of Horse Chestnut
- Anti-edematous Activity. ...
- Anti-inflammatory. ...
- Venotonic. ...
- Post-Operative Edema. ...
- Hemorrhoids. ...
- Inner Ear Perfusion. ...
- Herb-Drug Interactions. ...
- Side Effects and Toxicity. ...
What are the side effects of horse chestnut extract?
You may not be able to use horse chestnut if you have certain medical conditions, such as:
- a bleeding or blood clotting disorder (horse chestnut can thin your blood);
- diabetes (horse chestnut may cause low blood sugar );
- kidney disease;
- liver disease;
- a stomach or intestinal disorder;
- congestive heart disease;
- epilepsy;
- asthma;
- migraine headaches; or
- if you are allergic to latex.
How long can you take horse chestnut for?
Use only standardized horse chestnut seed extract products that have had the toxin removed. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist. This herbal product should only be used short-term. It should not be used for more than 3 months.
How much horse chestnut can you take daily?
Dosage. Horse chestnut can be found in stores and online in the form of capsules, tablets, liquid drops, essential oil, and cream. Horse chestnut extract typically contains 16–20% aescin. In most studies, the dosage used is 100–150 mg of aescin per day.
How long does horse chestnut take 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. Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
Does horse chestnut have side effects?
Signs of horse chestnut poisoning may include weakness, depressed mood, loss of coordination, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, little or no urinating, muscle twitching, or loss of movement in any part of the body.
Does horse chestnut get rid of spider veins?
So, what's the bottom line in using horse chestnut for vein diseases? It should not be used for spider veins. There is no evidence that it works for this problem. There is some contradictory evidence that it works for varicose veins.
Does horse chestnut help prevent blood clots?
The seed of the horse chestnut is a small brown nut. Unprocessed horse chestnut seeds contain a toxin called esculin (also spelled aesculin). This toxin may increase the risk of bleeding due to its ability to prevent blood clots from forming.
Is horse chestnut seed extract safe?
As such, some people may use it to treat varicose veins. However, while the seed extract appears to be safe for short-term use, raw materials from the horse chestnut may contain toxic compounds.
Does horse chestnut affect blood pressure?
Horse chestnut extract appears to impair the action of platelets (important components of blood clotting). It also inhibits a range of chemicals in the blood, including cyclo-oxygenase, lipoxygenase and a range of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These effects result in reduced inflammation and reduced blood pressure.
Is horse chestnut good for arthritis?
Horse chestnut leaf is used for eczema, menstrual pain, soft tissue swelling from bone fracture and sprains, cough, arthritis, and joint pain.
Is horse chestnut good for hair growth?
Horse chestnut lotions and creams have been used by traditional healers to speed healing of blunt sports injuries; the herb has also been used to treat aging skin, cellulite, and hair loss, though little research exists to support that its active compounds are absorbed through the skin.
Before Taking This Medicine
Before using horse chestnut, talk to your healthcare provider. You may not be able to use horse chestnut if you have certain medical conditions, su...
How Should I Use Horse Chestnut?
When considering the use of herbal supplements, seek the advice of your doctor. You may also consider consulting a practitioner who is trained in t...
What Happens If I Miss A Dose?
Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra horse chestnut to make up the missed dose.
What Happens If I Overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. The use of raw horse chestnut (seeds, flowers, stems, leaves) can...
What Should I Avoid While Taking Horse Chestnut?
Avoid the use of raw horse chestnut seed, bark, flower, or leaves. These items are not safe to take by mouth and may cause fatal side effects.Avoid...
Horse Chestnut Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue,...
What Other Drugs Will Affect Horse Chestnut?
Do not take horse chestnut without medical advice if you are using any of the following medications: 1. insulin or oral diabetes medicine; 2. medic...
How long does horse chestnut extract take to get pregnant?
Early research shows that taking horse chestnut seed extract twice daily for 2 months increases sperm density, but does not improve sperm movement, in men with fertility problems.
Why do people take horse chestnuts?
This information applies to Aesculus hippocastanum only. Horse chestnut seed extracts are most commonly taken by mouth to treat poor circulation that can cause the legs to swell (chronic venous insufficiency or CVI).
What is horse chestnut?
Horse chestnut is a tree. Its seed, bark, flower, and leaves are used to make medicine. Horse chestnut contains significant amounts of a poison called esculin and can cause death if eaten raw. Be careful not to confuse Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse chestnut) with Aesculus californica (California buckeye) or Aesculus glabra (Ohio buckeye).
Does chestnut oil lower blood sugar?
Horse chestnut might decrease blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking horse chestnut along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.
Is horse chestnut safe to take?
When given as a shot: There isn't enough reliable information to know if horse chestnut is safe. It might cause side effects such as liver and kidney problems. Special Precautions and Warnings. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Taking the raw seed, bark, flower or leaf is UNSAFE and can lead to death.
Does horse chestnut affect lithium?
Lithium interacts with HORSE CHESTNUT. Horse chestnut might have an effect like a water pill or "diuretic.". Taking horse chestnut might decrease how well the body gets rid of lithium. This could increase how much lithium is in the body and result in serious side effects.
Can chestnuts cause bowel problems?
Bleeding disorders: Horse chestnut might slow blood clotting. Taking horse chestnut might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding in people with bleeding disorders. Digestion problems: Horse chestnut seeds and bark can irritate the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Don't use it if you have a bowel or stomach disorder.
How much aescin is in horse chestnut?
Horse chestnut extract typically contains 16–20% aescin. In most studies, the dosage used is 100–150 mg of aescin per day. Hence, potential toxic effects of higher doses are unknown.
What is horse chestnut seed?
Unprocessed horse chestnut seeds contain a compound called aesculin, which is considered unsafe to ingest by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Signs of poisoning include depression, muscle twitching, paralysis, coma, and death ( 3. Trusted Source. , 29 ).
Does horse chestnut extract help with hemorrhoids?
Summary Horse chestnut extract may help relieve hemorrhoid symptoms by reducing pain and swelling, but more research is needed. 5. Has antioxidant properties.
Does horse chestnut seed help with varicose veins?
May treat varicose veins. Varicose veins are swollen, bulging veins that typically occur in the legs and can be caused by CVI. Horse chestnut seed extract may improve venous tone by improving blood flow in your legs ( 7. Trusted Source.
Is horse chestnut extract good for CVI?
These studies show that horse chestnut extract may be effective for treating CVI short term, but more research is needed to determine its long-term effects. Summary Horse chestnut extract may be an effective short-term treatment for CVI, a condition that can cause varicose veins, swelling of the legs, and leg pain. 2.
Does horse chestnut cause diabetes?
Horse chestnut may slow blood clotting and increase the effects of blood thinners like Coumadin. Insulin or oral diabetes medicine. Horse chestnut may lower blood sugar and cause levels to become too low if taken with diabetes medication.
Is horse chestnut oil safe to take?
The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of horse chestnut make it a popular natural treatment for a variety of conditions. The extract is generally considered safe to take but comes with potential side effects and may interact with certain medications.
What are the side effects of horse chestnut?
People with the following conditions should not take horse chestnut: (19) 1 Pregnant or nursing mothers (not enough evidence about safety) 2 Bleeding disorders (can cause slow clotting) 3 Diabetes (may lower blood sugar) 4 Digestive problems (could irritate GI tract) 5 Latex allergy (those with this allergy may also be allergic to horse chestnut) 6 Liver disease (may exacerbate symptoms) 7 Kidney disease (may exacerbate symptoms) 8 Surgery (may interfere with proper blood flow and clotting before or after surgery)
When was the first horse chestnut tree discovered?
The first recorded horse chestnut tree was mentioned in a 1557 letter, but it wasn’t widely known or appreciated until the 1800s. These trees don’t live an extremely long life and do not have wood useful for building, which may be one reason they were often under-appreciated. (16)
How much escin should I take daily?
Much more important is the escin component (the active compound), which should be between 100–150 milligrams per day. (18) Some sources offer horse chestnut cream, which can be applied to problematic vein areas directly, or a combo horse chestnut/butcher’s broom cream used for varicose veins or hemorrhoids.
How many horse chestnut trees are there in the UK?
Some sources say that the two million trees currently in Britain might be gone by 2031. ( 14)
Why is a horse chestnut called a horse chestnut?
Although the origin of the name “horse chestnut” is usually based on their use with horses, another potential contributing factor is the fact that the leaf stalk leaves a “scar” on the tree after falling that resembles an inverted horseshoe with nail holes.
Where did horse chestnuts originate?
History & Interesting Facts about Horse Chestnut. The most common form of horse chestnut originated in the Balkans but is now found in all temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. You may hear this referred to by various names, though; for example, horse chestnuts native to the U.S. are called “buckeyes.”.
Does horse chestnut extract kill cancer cells?
In a laboratory setting, horse chestnut extract has shown cancer-fighting effects on cells related to leukemia, cervical cancer and breast cancer. The most drastic of these were Jurkat cells, used to test a type of cancer known as acute T-cell leukemia, in which the lab tests found a cell death rate of nearly 94 percent. (5) 3.
How long does it take for horse chestnut to work?
Check the label to be sure your product does not contain a toxic substance called "esculin.". 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. Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
How do you know if you have horse chestnut poisoning?
Signs of horse chestnut poisoning may include weakness, depressed mood, loss of coordination, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, little or no urinating, muscle twitching, or loss of movement in any part of the body.
What to do if you overdose on Venastat?
If you think you or someone else may have overdosed on: Horse Chestnut (Venastat) , call your doctor or the Poison Control center. (800) 222-1222. If someone collapses or isn't breathing after taking Horse Chestnut (Venastat), call 911. 911.
Can you take horse chestnuts by mouth?
These items are not safe to take by mouth and may cause fatal side effects. Avoid using horse chestnut together with other herbal/health supplements that can lower blood sugar, such as alpha-lipoic acid, chromium, devil's claw, fenugreek, garlic, guar gum, Panax ginseng, psyllium, Siberian ginseng, and others.
Can horse chestnuts be used in breast milk?
Horse chestnut may pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this product if you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without medical advice.
Can you use horse chestnut if you are pregnant?
It is not known whether horse chestnut will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this product if you are pregnant . Horse chestnut may pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.
Is horse chestnut good for sprains?
Other uses not proven with research have included fever, cough, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, enlarged prostate, menstrual cramps, and swelling caused by arthritis, sprains, or bone fractures. It is not certain whether horse chestnut is effective in treating any medical condition. Medicinal use of this product has not been approved by the FDA.
How to use horse chestnut extract?
How to use Horse Chestnut. Take this product by mouth as directed. Follow all directions on the product package. Check the label carefully to make sure you have the correct product. Horse chestnut seed extract is different than whole horse chestnut seeds. Do not take the raw seeds, bark, flowers, or leaves of horse chestnut by mouth ...
How to report horse chestnut side effects?
You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345. Precautions. Before taking horse chestnut, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies.
Why is horse chestnut used?
Uses. Horse chestnut has been used for swelling and pain due to varicose veins and poor circulation in the legs.Some herbal/ dietary supplement products have been found to contain possibly harmful impurities/additives. Check with your pharmacist for more details about the brand you use.The FDA has not reviewed this product for safety ...
Can you take horse chestnut if you are allergic to latex?
People allergic to latex should not take horse chestnut because they may be at greater risk of having an allergic reaction to it. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
What is horse chestnut extract used for?
Used for: Horse chestnut seed extract has been extensively studied for chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a circulation problem in which the veins do not efficiently return blood from the legs to the heart. This condition is associated with varicose veins, pain, ankle swelling, itching, and nighttime leg cramping.
Where do horse chestnuts come from?
The trees are native to Eastern Europe but can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Is horse chestnut oil good for hemorrhoids?
One study actually found it as effective as compression stockings. Horse chestnut seed extract is also used to treat hemorrhoids. One small study showed that horse chestnut extract providing 120 mg of horse chestnut seed extract per day significantly improved symptoms of pain, itching, burning, and swelling.
Does horse chestnut extract slow blood clotting?
Horse chestnut extract might slow blood clotting, increasing the risk of bruising and bleeding in people taking aspirin, ibuprofen, coumadin or other drugs that slow clotting. Horse chestnut may slow the process by which the body eliminates lithium, a drug used to treat the manic side of bipolar disorder. This effect could lead to serious side ...
Is horse chestnut safe for breastfeeding?
The safety of using horse chestnut for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding hasn’t been established. Horse chestnut has been widely used in Germany for decades, and in all that time, there have been no reports of serious harmful effects from properly prepared products.
Does horse chestnut lower blood sugar?
This effect could lead to serious side effects. Horse chestnut may lower blood sugar, which could amplify the effects of drugs that lower blood sugar in people with diabetes.
Can horse chestnut seed help with varicose veins?
Horse chestnut is a promising alternative, and clinical studies have demonstrated that supplementing with horse chestnut seed extract may help relieve the pain and swelling of varicosities. The seeds’ active compounds appear to inhibit enzymes that can damage capillary walls, and this also helps strengthen veins.
