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Horsetail is a very hardy, unpretentious perennial plant. It grows in many areas of our country, is well known to doctors and herbalists, and is used in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. But it is important before using this plant to learn more about its medicinal properties, indications for use and contraindications, possible effects that it exhibits and side effects, methods of preparing medicinal preparations.
Field horsetail: healing components
The composition of the plant contains a large number of various biologically active components, due to which it manifests its medicinal properties. First of all, it is worth highlighting the high content of bioflavonoids and antioxidants in it, including ascorbic acid. The plant is rich in organic acids – aconitic, malic, linoleic, oxalic, quinic acids. The presence of fumaric, glyceric, chicory and gluconic acids was also found. In addition, silicic acid and its organic salts have been found in horsetail, which help regulate the metabolic processes of the human body, help fight bacterial infections, help strengthen hair and nails, bones and skin.
The composition also contains carotene (this is pro-vitamin A), essential oils and fatty acids, resins and bitterness, a whole complex of tannins, saponins, in particular equizetonin, as well as alkaloids, polyhydroxyanthraquinones.
The biological composition of the plant is supplemented by various simple carbohydrates – arabinose, galactose, as well as xylose, glucose and pectins. In herbal medicine, secondary shoots of horsetail are used, which are formed instead of spore-bearing shoots. They look like Christmas trees. It is important to properly collect and store raw materials so that the plant does not lose its medicinal properties.
Medicinal properties of horsetail
Due to the combination of unique biologically active components, this medicinal plant has a number of serious beneficial therapeutic and prophylactic effects on the body. It is used as an anti-inflammatory agent, a drug to stimulate hematopoiesis and blood clotting (helps with bleeding). Phyto raw materials also have antibacterial and wound-healing activity, have a diuretic effect, antiparasitic, tonic, and are used as a tonic, immunostimulant and expectorant.
Various forms of horsetail are actively used by doctors in the treatment of various somatic diseases, as part of complex therapy.
Horsetail contraindications
Although horsetail is quite actively used in herbal medicine, it is not without certain contraindications. Therefore, before using herbal raw materials, you should consult with a specialist.
It is important to remember that the plant belongs to the category of poisonous, and it should not be consumed for a long time and in large volumes.
There are a number of pathologies, physiological conditions in which the use of horsetail is limited or not recommended, and with some diseases it is strictly prohibited. The strict ban applies to the entire period of pregnancy and the postpartum period, as well as all the time while the mother is breastfeeding. The plant contains potent components that can harm the fetus or newborn baby.
It is forbidden to use horsetail for hypotension, it sharply and actively reduces pressure, therefore, sharp collapses and loss of consciousness, serious damage to blood vessels and tissues are possible. It is also forbidden to use horsetail in case of elevated cholesterol, the drug can adversely affect lipid metabolism.
The drug is used with extreme caution in children under 3 years of age, without special need it is better not to use any fees with this plant.
Any form of phytopreparations is strictly prohibited in case of an allergy to a plant or its individual intolerance. Reactions can be unpredictable and dangerous to health.
Important! The drug should not be used for more than 3 months, breaks between course doses are important. Long-term consumption of horsetail leads to a deficiency of B vitamins.
The use of horsetail
Various infusions, decoctions or tinctures of horsetail or collections with it are used as herbal remedies in traditional medicine for the aftercare and prevention of various diseases.
Gastrointestinal problems
Horsetail preparations are often prescribed as an addition to basic therapy for the elimination of peptic ulcer, gastritis, pancreatitis or cholecystitis. It also helps in the fight against various forms of diarrhea (except for infectious diarrhea). Horsetail is included in the composition of antiparasitic fees, which help in the destruction of helminths in the intestines.
Horsetail tinctures in wine or alcohol can help in the elimination of benign neoplasms in the liver, stomach, help in recovery from serious poisoning and intoxication.
Pathologies of the urinary system
Reception of horsetail helps to eliminate protein from the urine, contributes to the treatment of acute and chronic forms of cystitis. It is actively used in the prevention of urolithiasis and at the initial stages of its development. Due to the diuretic effect, horsetail helps in the fight against edema, which can be triggered by kidney and heart problems.
Respiratory tract lesions
The use of horsetail has a positive effect on the function of the respiratory system, especially in the presence of a cough caused by irritation or inflammation of the bronchi. Decoctions or infusions with horsetail are actively used in the treatment of respiratory infections, as well as in tuberculosis of the lungs.
Scientific studies have confirmed the property of horsetail to improve the delivery of oxygen to tissues. It is also used to reduce severe swelling in the pharynx and vocal cords in professional singers and announcers. It helps in the fight against laryngitis and hoarseness.
Pathologies of the heart and blood vessels
Due to the active influence of horsetail on the state of the vessels of the heart, it is actively used in the treatment of cardiac pathologies. It is often used to correct high blood pressure and normalize metabolism in patients with heart and vascular problems. Also, various versions of preparations with horsetail are used for bleeding and against the background of a reduced number of blood leukocytes.
Excess weight correction
Preparations containing horsetail help in the correction of excess weight and the treatment of severe obesity. They can normalize water-salt metabolism and help in the fight against excess appetite and fat deposits in problem areas.
Also, various preparations with this herbal raw material are used in the treatment of skin pathologies, acne, erosions and trophic ulcers. Decoctions with it help to strengthen the growth of hair and nails.
Healing compounds with horsetail
Most often, various types of infusions are prepared from field horsetail – cold or hot. According to the method of preparation and reception options, they differ slightly.
Cold infusion
3 art. spoons of dried plants pour 500 ml of boiled water at room temperature. Insist for a day, then squeeze and strain through a sieve.
Cold infusion is not taken orally, it is used only externally to treat various skin pathologies, joint and muscle pain, including rheumatism attacks. Also with this infusion make compresses and lotions, take baths.
hot infusion
1 st. a spoonful of dry grass and pour a glass of boiling water. Infuse for 30 minutes, then strain. Apply both externally and internally on the recommendation of a doctor. It determines the dosage and frequency of administration, the duration of the course, depending on the disease.
Tincture
20 g of dry grass pour 1 liter of red wine, insist in a dark dry place for a week under the lid, then strain. Take 2 tbsp. spoons before meals in the morning for 14 days.
The tincture is prepared not with traditional alcohol or good vodka, but with red wine. It is used to improve blood clotting and stop bleeding, strengthen the body, stimulate metabolism.
decoction
1 st. pour a spoonful of dry grass with 200 ml of water. Then boil the broth for 1 minute, leave for 30 minutes and strain. Take with edema 1 tbsp. spoon, making four doses per day and drink plenty of water.
Decoctions are used in diseases of the kidneys as a strong diuretic. But it is important that the doctor selects the dose and duration of treatment. If these are more concentrated decoctions (2-4 tablespoons of raw materials), they are used externally for the treatment of wounds and anesthesia.
Reviews of doctors about horsetail
Olga Zorina, pharmacist, teacher of pharmacology, chief editor of MedCorr:
– Horsetail is a strong diuretic, used in courses for diseases of the urinary tract (infectious and inflammatory nature). Not applicable for edema of cardiac origin.
Important! When using it, it is important to monitor your well-being, since the silicic acid and other active substances contained in the infusion can cause irritation of the urinary tract. Key contraindications are heart disease, renal dysfunction, glomerulonephritis.
Elena Korsun, Ph.D. head Department of Phytotherapy, ICM RUDN University, Head of the Educational and Health Center at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine:
– Horsetail is used as part of detoxification, diuretic, decongestant, hypocholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory preparations for atherosclerosis of the vessels of the heart and brain, hypertension, edema of various origins. The presence of silicic acid strengthens the walls of blood vessels, promotes the development of bone and cartilage tissue, forms protective colloids that prevent the formation of urinary stones in the kidneys. In urolithiasis, it is combined with plants with antispasmodic (mint, chamomile), enveloping (flax seed, marshmallow rhizomes, plantain leaf) and antimicrobial (St. John’s wort) properties.