Every autumn, the shady horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) produces prickly fruits containing one to three large seeds, or "nuts." In the 1800s, European doctors figured out that an extract made from these seeds could help treat varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and other disorders caused by fragile veins and sluggish circulation.
Today, horse chestnut seed extract is still used for these conditions and is particularly popular in Germany, where it ranks among the most common prescription herbal remedies (after ginkgo biloba and St. John's wort).
Health Benefits
Scientists examining the seeds of the horse chestnut identified the main therapeutic ingredient, aescin, which is sometimes described as a group of chemically related substances called "escin."
Aescin reduces inflammation and tones up vein walls, allowing blood to flow back to the heart more easily. It appears to accomplish this by plugging up minute holes and microscopic leaks in the tiniest blood vessels, the venules, and in the capillaries. In reinforcing the strength of veins, horse chestnut is believed to also promote their elasticity and prevent swelling and long-term damage to them.
Specifically, horse chestnut seed extract may help to:
Treat the discomforts of varicose veins and other leg vein problems. Symptoms of varicose veins and the closely related condition known as chronic venous insufficiency swollen legs, pain, and heaviness in the legs, and calf cramps (especially at night) may well subside with horse chestnut treatment. In parts of Europe, the herbal extract has been intensively studied for this use in particular, with numerous clinical trials cited in the medical literature.
For example, a 1996 study involving 240 patients, reported that horse chestnut seed extract (aescin, 50 mg twice a day) provided the same relief from lower leg swelling (edema) as compression (support) stockings. Such stockings are typically considered the primary treatment for varicose veins and venous insufficiency, so the fact that the horse chestnut seed extract could perform with similar effectiveness was significant.
Investigators who reviewed the findings of 13 clinical trials done on the extract concluded it was clearly better than a placebo (dummy drug or sugar pill) in relieving vein-related leg problems such as varicose veins. The analysis was published in a 1998 issue of the well-known scientific journal Archives of Dermatology.
Reduce hemorrhoids. Painful and inflamed hemorrhoids may subside with horse chestnut seed extract for the same reasons that the remedy is so effective for varicose veins. By strengthening and toning the body's veins, as well as actually lessening swelling and fluid retention in the body, the hemorrhoid a swollen vein itself will be more likely to recede.
German health authorities approve of horse chestnut seed extract for hemorrhoids.
