Horse chestnut is suggested to treat varicose veins cosmetically, but to date, this complementary and alternative therapy appears beneficial for one purpose: chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that affects the veins in the legs. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration regulates horse chestnut products as dietary supplements that cannot purport to treat or cure any medical condition. Before you use horse chestnut or another natural remedy for your health, please talk to your doctor.
More About Horse Chestnut
The horse chestnut tree is a native of the Balkan Peninsula, but thrives all over the Northern hemisphere, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) also goes by its other common names, Spanish chestnut and buckeye, although it's not the same species as the buckeye trees of Ohio or California. The seeds, leaves, bark and flowers of the horse chestnut tree have been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years, states NCCAM.
Properties & Preparations
Horse chestnut products use the seed's extract, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. An active constituent in horse chestnut is aescin, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and purportedly strengthens the veins, as well as reduces the release of certain enzymes that cause chronic vein disease. Another active constituent, aesculetin, has the same properties as an anticoagulant. The cancer center indicates that consumer horse chestnut products generally do not contain aesculetin. Standardized preparations of horse chestnut extract contain between 16 to 20 percent aescin, according to NCCAM.
Modern Uses
According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, suggested uses for horse chestnut are for diarrhea, hemorrhoids, phlebitis and varicose veins; however, there is no clinical evidence to indicate that it's helpful for these purposes. Several short-term studies--less than three months--suggest that horse chestnut, when taken internally, is beneficial for chronic venous insufficiency, a condition in which the veins can't pump the blood back to the heart, therefore resulting in blood pooling in the lower extremities. The cancer center indicates that a 12-week clinical trial comparing horse chestnut extract to the effects of compression stockings for edema, or swelling, of the legs suggests that both yielded similar benefits. The cancer center concludes that more long-term studies are needed.
Cautions & Concerns
The FDA classifies horse chestnut as an unsafe herb, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Side effects may include nausea and vomiting; taking too much of this herb may be toxic and result in diarrhea, muscle twitches, dilated pupils, paralysis and depression. Due to the possibility that horse chestnut products may have blood-thinning effects, don't take it before speaking with your doctor if you have a history of a blood clotting disorder; colitis or a related illness; diabetes; heart, liver or kidney disease; low blood pressure or poor circulation, advises the University of Michigan Health System. Don't take horse chestnut if you're pregnant or nursing. Don't give horse chestnut or any other herbal remedy to a child without first speaking with a pediatrician.
Drug Interactions
Taking horse chestnut in conjunction with other medications or herbs may increase your risk for bleeding, cautions the University of Michigan Health System. Avoid horse chestnut if you take aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen. You also should not take horse chestnut along with clopidogrel, cilostazol, dipyridamole, warfarin, heparin, dalteparin, danaparoid, enoxaparin, tinzaparin, feverfew, garlic, ginger or danshen.
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