Horse Chestnut and Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Horse Chestnut and Chronic Venous Insufficiency

What Is Horse Chestnut?

Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a type of tree that grows throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In herbal medicine, horse chestnut seeds, leaves, bark, and flowers have long been used in treatment of various health conditions.

Horse chestnut contains a compound called aescin, which has been found to produce an anti-inflammatory effect.

Uses for Horse Chestnut

In folk medicine, horse chestnut is used to relieve symptoms such as swelling and inflammation and strengthen blood vessel walls. Health claims for horse chestnut include the treatment of the following problems:

circulatory disorders

diarrhea

hemorrhoids

varicose veins

Horse Chestnut and Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Research suggests that horse chestnut seed extract may be useful in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. In a systematic review published in 2006, for instance, researchers analyzed seven clinical trials and concluded that horse chestnut seed extract is "an efficacious and safe short-term treatment" for chronic venous insufficiency.

A condition in which the veins do not efficiently return blood from the legs to the heart, chronic venous insufficiency is linked to problems such as varicose veins, ankle swelling, and nighttime leg cramping.

Other Health Benefits of Horse Chestnut

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of horse chestnut seed, leaf, or bark for any conditions besides chronic venous insufficiency. However, a review published in 2001 concluded that supplementation with horse chestnut "may prevent time-consuming, painful, and expensive complications of varicose veins and hemorrhoids."

Horse Chestnut Side Effects

Although horse chestnut extract is generally considered safe, it may produce a number of adverse effects, including itching, nausea, or gastrointestinal upset.

Is Horse Chestnut Safe?

In order to ensure safe use of horse chestnut, make sure to consult your physician if you're considering using the herb in treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (or any other chronic health condition).

When combined with certain medications (such as anticoagulants and antiplatelets), horse chestnut may produce potentially harmful effects.

Do you want to treat your hemorrhoids naturally and without surgery? Then perhaps what you have been looking for is the Hemorrhoids Miracle. Click here for more about H-Miracle.

POST COMMENT

Is Your Horse Getting the Proper Amount of Minerals and Nutrients? The Correct Way to Measure Your Horse for a Horse Blanket Wild Horses Bring Wild Fun Horse Race Betting - What You Need to Know to Get a Winning System! How to Win Betting on Horses - 97% of the Time Three Famous Horse Films Famous Racehorses of the Twentieth Century Three Ways to Lose at the Horse Races - Things to Avoid The Two Length Rule for Pace and Winners a Good Horse Race Angle Finding Good Horse Race Bets Problem Handicapping Reveals Good Priced Winners in Horse Race Betting Horse Fence Jumps What Are They Composed Of Horse Jumps And Hurdles Hurdles What Are They Made Of