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Chestnut is a tree that is used both in the medicinal and cosmetic industries. Its bark, fruits and flowers contain many valuable substances, on the basis of which creams for couperose skin, preparations for varicose veins, better digestion and cellulite are made. In addition to the horse chestnut, which is popular in Poland, the chestnut stands out, whose fruits, as the name says, can be eaten even raw.
Common chestnut contains, among others, are potent flavonoids, tannins, sugars, carotenoids, starch, minerals and sterols. Originally comes from Greece, Iran and the southern part of Asia. In Poland, it is planted in parks, along avenues and roads and is treated as an ornamental tree.
Application and properties of horse chestnut
The escins present in this tree have properties that restore elasticity and seal blood vessels. Thanks to them, the blood in the veins flows more efficiently and clots and stagnation are not formed. That is why chestnut fruits are used in the production of ointments and medicines for hemorrhoids, lower limbs and prevention of thrombophlebitis. They are also used for digestive ailments, e.g. with enteritis or gastritis, because they have antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Chestnut fruit extracts can also be used in the form compressesbut not on open wounds. They will help with mild frostbite, burns, relieve sprains, swellings and bruises. In cosmetics, chestnuts are used to produce preparations for couperose skin, as well as those acting on wrinkles and sagging skin, as the ingredients contained in them can improve its elasticity.
How to use ordinary chestnuts for medicinal purposes in your home?
For example, using a self-made one tinctures: put ten unripe, crushed chestnuts into a large jar, pour four glasses of vodka, then leave the mixture tightly closed for half a month. Shake the jar from time to time, and after two weeks you can pour the finished tincture into bottles. You can drink it before a hearty meal and rub it on aching joints and muscles. Best stored in the refrigerator.
Chestnuts will help with such ailments as:
- Swelling – chestnut preparations are recommended for people suffering from pain and heaviness in the legs, who have a sedentary or standing work mode, do not move much.
- Dilated capillaries – chestnut extract is used in the production of masks, creams and tonics for couperose skin, because the escin present in them improves the elasticity and tightness of capillaries. Thanks to this, they do not crack and do not expand.
- Skin sagging – increase skin tension, improve its elasticity and prevent the formation of wrinkles, which is why they are a component of many anti-aging cosmetics.
- Venous stasis and blood clots – they will help with hemorrhoids, blood circulation disorders (e.g. tingling sensation and cramps), thrombophlebitis, venous stasis, varicose veins.
- cellulite – improve blood circulation in the skin, thanks to which it removes toxins and swelling caused by cellulite.