Horse chestnut is a plant used in medicine.

In the spring flowering chestnuts adorn the streets of many cities and villages. Their flowers, gathered in inflorescences, reminiscent of candles, for several weeks in May pleasing the eye. In the fall, green "hedgehogs" are formed in the place of flowers - the pericarp, in which there are fruits that look like large nuts, covered with a beautiful shiny brown shell instead of a shell.

Horse chestnut was imported to us in 1812. The birthplace of this tree is the Balkan Mountains, from where the horse chestnut spread all over the world. These trees are beautiful not only during flowering. The powerful crown of a tree with large leaves in the summer creates a thick shadow. In autumn, the leaves of the chestnut are painted bright yellow, and the fruits fall to the ground with a crash during windy weather.

In addition to beauty, horse chestnut possesses many other useful qualities. The wood of this tree is used in the production of furniture, musical instruments are made of it. Of the fruits of chestnut in some countries produce alcohol. But the most famous is the use of flowers, bark and chestnut fruits in folk medicine and in the production of medicines.

Application of horse chestnut in medicine

Horse chestnut has antibacterial, wound healing and anti-inflammatory action. But its main quality is the effect on blood coagulability, which is used in the treatment of vascular diseases.

The chestnut fruits contain saponins, represented by esculin, escin, artrescin and fractin, flavonoins, starch, protein, fatty oils, and vitamins B, C and K. The leaves and flowers of horse chestnut are rich in tannins, carotenoids, flavonoids, contain rutin, Spirozid and astragalin. In the bark of the tree, tannic substances and saponins (escin and esculin) are found in large quantities.

Pharmaceutical preparations made by their chestnut fruit, affect the protein composition of the blood, reduce its coagulability. The drugs used to strengthen the capillaries, expand the arteries, restore blood microcirculation in the tissues. Their use is indicated for hemorrhagic diathesis, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, for the prevention of bleeding at high blood pressure, hemorrhoids and trophic ulcers.

The use of preparations from horse chestnut is contraindicated with low blood viscosity, chronic and acute liver and kidney diseases with the development of insufficiency, low blood pressure and during pregnancy.

Horse chestnut extract is used in some cosmetics. For example, he enters the "Horse Balm" - a cream for grooming, removing fatigue, heaviness and pain in the legs. A gel for the care of the skin around the eyes, the use of which is shown in dark circles, swelling of the tissues, also contains horse chestnut.

The use of horse chestnut in folk medicine

In folk medicine, infusions and tinctures of flowers and chestnut fruits have long been used. Alcoholic tincture of horse chestnut is indicated for external use with varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, arthritis, gout. Tincture is applied to the skin of the affected area and slightly rubbed with massaging movements. From above you can wrap it with a warm kerchief that will strengthen the effect of the tincture.

From fresh chestnut flowers , juice is prepared, which is used for hemorrhoids and thrombophlebitis. It helps to reduce puffiness and the disappearance of pain, hemorrhoids become smaller in size.

Decoction from the bark is indicated for use in inflammation of the gallbladder, hepatitis, anemia, swelling of soft tissues. Such a decoction helps relieve inflammation of the bronchi and lungs, is used in the complex treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Fruit broth is also used in gynecology for syringing with whites.