Horse chestnut: medicinal properties, how to grow

The healing properties of horse chestnut and contraindications have been known to people for more than one hundred years. From time immemorial, chestnut fruits have been used to treat many diseases. Tinctures, ointments, decoctions are prepared from it, and all the constituent parts of the plant are used as the basis for them: flowers, bark, kernels, leaves. Especially highly valued in modern folk medicine is the healing property of horse chestnut, as the ability to improve the protein composition of the blood, which prevents the formation of blood clots in the 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 distinguishing features of the horse chestnut is a developed root system, which goes several meters deep. The stem of the plant is dark brown. It is quite powerful and ends with a lush spreading crown of a domed shape.

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 dark brown surface.

The leaves of the horse chestnut have a soft green tones and are distinguished by transverse venation. The leaf blade is palmate, with smooth edges. Each leaf is held on petioles of medium length. The leaf arrangement of horse chestnut is opposite.

The photo below shows a young horse chestnut, whose height reaches 15 m.

Where does horse chestnut grow?

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

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 – the bark of the tree, leaves, flowers, roots, horse chestnut seeds and even the shell of the nut are also considered medicinal.

Horse chestnut affects the human body as follows:

• tones the condition of the veins;
• prevents blood clots;
• accelerates blood flow;
• lowers blood viscosity;
• dulls acute pain;
• heals minor wounds;
• removes puffiness;
• has a diuretic effect;
• reduces body temperature;
• removes cholesterol;
• promotes the removal of toxins and salts of heavy metals;
• reduces the risk of developing tumors;
• relieves inflammation;
• normalizes the acidity of the stomach;
• normalizes the work of the digestive tract;
• lowers blood pressure.

All components of the plant are rich in vitamins, acids, beneficial trace elements 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 rubbing ointments. Their properties are used to treat:

• joint pains;
• 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 the preparation of medicines, they must be dried – for this, the flowers are first laid out in a sunny place, and then dried in the shade.

Medicinal properties of horse chestnut fruit

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

Unripe fruits can be harmful to human health. Raw materials are harvested when the fruits themselves fall to the ground.

Medicinal properties of leaves

Chestnut leaves are rich in pectins and carotenoids. They are used as the basis for decoctions and infusions for the treatment of vascular diseases, the elimination of gynecological problems and uterine bleeding. Among the medicinal properties of the leaves is primarily an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect on the human body.

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

The healing properties of the bark

Horse chestnut bark contains vitamin B1, tannins and fraxin. Fees, which include the bark, have antipyretic and astringent effects.

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;
• diseases of the gallbladder;
• uterine bleeding;
• thrombophlebitis;
• chronic venous insufficiency;
• hemorrhoids;
• recovery of the body after radiation therapy;
• venous stasis;
• 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 on festering wounds, alleviate the consequences of extensive burns and frostbite.

Horse chestnut for prostatitis

The peel of horse chestnut fruits is widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of prostatitis in men. The following recipe for chestnut tincture is quite popular:

1. The peel of chestnuts is removed from the fruit, dried and ground to a state of fine-grained powder.
2. 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.
3. The solution is thoroughly mixed and left to infuse. If the composition of the mixture includes alcohol, then stand for 2 weeks. Tincture on vodka must be insisted for a month.

Take a tincture of horse chestnut in 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 the level of blood density, which prevents the formation of blood clots in the vessels. This quality is especially valuable in the treatment of capillary fragility and thrombophlebitis.

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

1. 50 g of chestnut flowers are poured into 500 ml of vodka.
2. The liquid is kept for 2 weeks, periodically shaking the vessel.
3. After this period, the tincture is filtered through gauze, after which it is ready for use.

Take this tincture in a course of 4 weeks. Recommended dosage: daily 3 times 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 the 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 a decoction of chestnut bark are useful for veins. To do this, chestnut raw materials are poured with water in a proportion of 50 g per 1 liter of water and boiled 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 raw materials from horse chestnut 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:

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

For the treatment of joints, decoctions of chestnut leaves are also used. The cooking scheme looks like this:

1. 1 st. l. raw materials pour 500 ml of water.
2. The mixture is boiled over low heat or a water bath for 20-25 minutes.
3. 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 broth also helps with disruption of the digestive tract, rehabilitation after tuberculosis and the first manifestations of gout.

For respiratory diseases

Decoctions for diseases of the respiratory tract are prepared on the basis of 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:

1. Raw materials dried in advance are ground to a state of powder or slurry in a blender or coffee grinder.
2. 100 of the resulting powder is poured into 1,5 liters of water.
3. The solution is thoroughly stirred and boiled to a boil, after which it is kept on low heat for another 20-30 minutes.
4. Then the broth is infused until completely cooled.

With hemorrhoids

For the treatment of hemorrhoids, first of all, an ointment from chestnut fruits is used. Prepare it as follows:

1. The fruits are peeled and finely chopped.
2. 50 g of raw materials are poured into 250 g of melted lard.
3. All this is thoroughly stirred and diluted with 250 g of badger fat, after which the mixture is stirred again.
4. The resulting workpiece is brought to a boil and kept on low heat for another half hour.
5. Then the ointment is slightly cooled, filtered through gauze and poured into a pre-sterilized container.

Противопоказания

Despite the extensive list of useful properties of horse chestnut, excessive use of preparations 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 cycle disorders;
• colitis;
• intestinal atony;
• reduced blood clotting;
• kidney failure;
• constipation;
• liver disease;
• gastritis.

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

Possible side effects after using medicines from chestnut raw materials:

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

At the first sign of an allergy, you should immediately stop taking the drug and seek medical help.

How to grow horse chestnut from walnut

Horse chestnuts are grown both from seedlings and from nuts. In the second case, only 1 pc will be enough.

The process of growing horse chestnut from walnut is as follows:

1. 1 mature chestnut that has fallen to the ground is peeled and soaked in water.
2. A walnut swollen from moisture will sprout in 12-14 days. The grown seedling is taken out and moved to a pot with soil.
3. The container is cleaned in a cool room before the onset of spring.
4. In the last days of May, the grown seedlings are planted in open ground. To do this, choose a cloudy cool day. In extreme heat, planting horse chestnut is not recommended.

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

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

Planting and caring for a plant in open ground

Before planting a horse chestnut in a garden plot, it is necessary to choose the right place for future plantings. This should be an open, well-lit area where the 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 does not really matter, 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:

1. In the selected area, they dig a hole with a depth of 50-60 cm.
2. A mixture of the top layer of earth, humus and dolomite flour is placed at the bottom of the pit.
3. A layer of fertilizer is sprinkled with a thin layer of earth and the roots of the seedling are laid out on top.
4. Then the hole is covered with earth and lightly pressed down by tamping it.
5. Finish planting with watering. If desired, to support the plant, you can install a peg next to the seedling.

Horse chestnut care primarily involves periodic watering. The soil in the region of the near-stem circle should not dry out and be covered with cracks. During prolonged rains, watering is reduced or completely suspended, since stagnant water can cause rotting of the root system of the tree.

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

Diseases and pests

One of the key advantages of horse chestnut is the excellent immunity and resistance of the tree to most diseases and pests. Landings practically do not suffer from anthracnose and spotting. Insects also rarely annoy trees, only occasionally there are invasions of baggers and drillers, but they can be quickly eliminated with the help of Karbofos. As a preventive measure against planting diseases, they 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 mining moth. Measures to combat this insect are little studied, so getting rid of it is very difficult.

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 in winter they most often freeze completely. In order to reduce the likelihood of landings being damaged by mining moths, it is necessary to regularly remove fallen leaves under the trees, as insect pupae hide in a pile of leaves. All garbage is then incinerated. If the chestnut is still sick, chemicals are used in the form of injections right under the bark of the tree.

Feedback on the use of horse chestnut

Conclusion

The healing 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, you can not eat fresh horse chestnut fruits – raw materials must be processed. Also, the medicinal properties of the plant can turn into harm if abused. Excessive consumption of drugs based on it can cause extensive skin irritation.

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