Horse chestnut can be seen in any park or alley, but it is used not only for landscaping. Horse chestnut is not used directly for food, but it serves as the basis for the preparation of various healing infusions, which are actively used in folk medicine to treat many serious diseases. For example, alcohol tincture of horse chestnut is used to strengthen the walls of blood vessels (during the treatment of varicose veins or thrombophlebitis).
Horse chestnut: description and beneficial properties
Chestnut is a luxurious deciduous tree of the beech family, which has a massive base (up to 90 cm in diameter) and wide spreading bark. Some trees reach 20 m in height. The root system of the chestnut is very strong, the roots branch strongly in different directions, due to which the tree is resistant to strong gusts of wind. The beneficial properties of chestnut are due to the inclusion of many useful substances and minerals in its composition.
| The name of the substance that is part of horse chestnut | Description and beneficial properties of the substance |
| B vitamins | Normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular, nervous and endocrine systems. Improves hemoglobin synthesis and participates in metabolism. Have a positive effect on the condition of brain and muscle cells |
| Vitamin A (retinol) | Significantly strengthens the immune system, promotes restoration and strengthening of the epidermis. Retinol is necessary to prevent cancer |
| Vitamin K | Improves the functioning of the urinary system (helps cleanse the blood and remove metabolic products from the body). Prevents the development of bleeding |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | Promotes the production of hormones and improves immunity. Eliminates any inflammatory processes |
| Coumarins (esculin, fraxin) | Responsible for reducing blood clotting and slowing down the division of cancer cells |
| Minerals (potassium, calcium and iron) | Ensure the formation of dental and bone tissues, regulate cellular metabolism, maintain normal heart rhythm |
| Escin | Relieves inflammatory processes, eliminates venous congestion, reduces lymph flow, prevents hemorrhages |
| Tannins (morinotannic acid, tannin) | They have pronounced bactericidal properties |
| Flavonoids (P-vitamins) | Eliminates fragility of blood vessels, making them more elastic, activates the formation of bile and facilitates allergic reactions. |
Not only the fruits have healing properties, but also all other parts of the plant: seeds, flowers, leaves and bark.
Thanks to the combination of many substances that have positive healing properties, chestnuts are of particular benefit in the treatment of joint diseases.
What are the consequences of varicose veins?
The disease is unpleasant, insidious. Cosmetic defects repel possible gentlemen; disruption of the circulatory system provokes thrombosis, fraught with strokes, heart attacks, and necrosis. It is impossible to stop an advanced disease; it is better to prevent a nightmare. An added bonus: bleeding nodes, constantly trying to fall out. Infection of varicose wounds can lead to gangrene requiring amputation.
It is difficult to avoid painful adventures; women have natural weakness, increased permeability of the vascular walls, and valve insufficiency. Pregnancy, childbirth, bags filled to the brim with food, nursing a child (well-fed children love to saddle a thin mother), excess weight, long periods of standing, a sedentary lifestyle, and sedentary work provoke the beginning of a thorny path. Special exercises can only briefly slow down the development of varicose veins.
Humanity found a way out a long time ago. Horse chestnuts are a gift from kind Nature, a real living pharmacy. A close examination of the plant's medicinal characteristics is striking. The healing power and the range of diseases that can be affected are enormous.
Treatment of varicose veins with horse chestnut is a good old method available to everyone. Smooth, beautiful seeds of a powerful tree have the rare property of toning the relaxed walls of veins, while thinning the blood. Horse chestnut collected in early autumn can be infused with alcohol and brewed with water to obtain an effective remedy for varicose veins on any part of the body.
Collection of preparations for tinctures
Before preparing chestnut tincture for joints, it is important to properly collect all its components .
Only high-quality ingredients are suitable for use in tinctures, collected at the appropriate time and in an environmentally friendly place (preferably in a forest), away from roads and other objects that pollute the air (for example, industrial buildings). Chestnut blossoms begin in late spring; at this time you can begin to collect its flowers and leaves. The buds are collected in early spring (late March), and the fruits (circular shell with spikes) closer to mid-autumn (early October). One fruit contains 2-3 seeds of bright brown color and flattened shape.
How to prepare raw materials
The medicine can be prepared at any time of the year, but the raw materials should be taken care of in advance. Flowers are harvested in May, in the first days of flowering, fruits - in the fall, after they are fully ripe.
The flowers are picked from the inflorescences and dried in the shade in the air. Can also be dried indoors. To do this, the flowers are laid out on paper and stirred periodically.
The fruits are freed from the pericarp and dried, scattered on racks. Drying takes about a month. You can use a dryer. The temperature in it should be 40-600C. In this case, the drying time is reduced to 2-3 days. Raw materials are stored for 2 years in linen bags.
Collect raw materials only from trees that grow away from busy highways.
Recipes and areas of application of chestnut liqueurs
Chestnut tinctures have a positive effect on the entire body. They can be consumed not only orally, but also as compresses or lotions. To prepare the extract, use pure (medicinal) alcohol or vodka. Such tinctures are used to treat varicose veins, joint diseases and other pathologies. They restore the elasticity of the joints and give ease of movement. Alcoholic chestnut extract has a number of beneficial effects on the body: anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous, hypolipidemic and antioxidant. Chestnut is present in drugs that help get rid of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Chestnut-based products have a calming effect, so it is used for excited and stressed states, headaches (migraines). Since healing substances are contained in all components of the chestnut, tinctures are made from different parts of the tree.
Self-treatment with chestnut tinctures does not always produce the desired result; it is recommended to use it in conjunction with conservative methods.
Tips before the start
- Horse chestnut flower mass is harvested at the end of spring, seeds - at the end of summer or early autumn.
- To prepare alcoholic and aqueous tinctures, inflorescences and fruits are used as a basis.
- Chestnut alcohol is taken orally to treat atherosclerosis, gastric and gynecological pathologies, gout, hemorrhoids, and improve blood circulation. Apply rubbing and compresses to the area of inflamed joints, muscles, damaged skin, and dilated veins.
- Before using the tincture, it is recommended to dilute it with water in equal proportions. It would be a good idea to consult your doctor.
- When properly stored, horse chestnut liquor retains its beneficial properties for quite a long time.
Tinctures from chestnut fruits and leaves
A mixture of horse chestnut fruits and good vodka is the most common strengthening chestnut tincture for joints; the recipe for its preparation is simple:
- Take a glass container (for example, a bowl or bottle) with a volume of about 500 ml, place approximately 350-450 g of chestnut fruits (pre-peeled and cut into 2 parts) into it.
- Fill completely with good quality vodka or alcohol.
- Place in a dark, cool place for 10-14 days, shake the product daily.
After the specified period, the tincture can be used to treat joints in 2 ways:
- 15 drops orally several times a day before meals;
- Apply daily lotions to painful areas for 3-5 months.
Very often, chestnut tinctures with alcohol are used for topical use as lotions for rheumatic pain (during arthritis, rheumatism). Prepare as follows:
- 40-60 g of finely ground chestnut fruits are poured with 600 ml of pure alcohol (96%).
- Leave to infuse at room temperature for at least 10 days.
- The infused extract is filtered, applied to a cotton pad or cloth and applied to the affected area. This horse chestnut tincture is suitable for treating joints.
In addition to alcohol extracts, chestnut tinctures for joints in water are in great demand. Its recipe:
- Dried chestnut fruits (20 g) along with the peel are cut into 4 parts and placed in a pan with boiling water (500 ml).
- Simmer for 30 minutes in a water bath. During this time, some of the water will evaporate; it is topped up to the original volume.
- The resulting extract is filtered through cheesecloth and consumed after meals according to a special scheme: the first 7 days - 10 g 1 time per day, the second 7 days - 15 g 2 times a day, the third 7 days - 20 g 3 times a day. The total course of treatment will be 21 days.
A tincture of chestnut fruits in ammonia helps to relieve pain in the joints due to rheumatism. They are taken in a ratio of 1:10 to alcohol, peeled in advance and cut into 2 parts. Infusion period is 1 week. After the specified period has expired, gauze or a cotton pad is moistened in the solution and applied to the damaged area, wrapped with a bandage. It is recommended to carry out procedures every day for 60-90 minutes.
In addition to chestnut fruits, a decoction based on a mixture of chestnut fruits and leaves gives a good effect. The leaves are dried in the spring; they should be green in color and have a pleasant smell. How to prepare the decoction:
- Take 10 g of raw materials and pour warm water (not boiling water).
- Heat in a water bath for half an hour.
- During the cooking process, the volume will evaporate moderately, so it is brought to the original level.
Begin to use the product 2 teaspoons 1 time per day with a gradual increase in the dose to 4 teaspoons 3 times a day. It helps well not only with joint pain, but also with nervous system problems.
Content
- Application of chestnut fruit tincture
- How to make tincture from horse chestnut fruits
- Tinctures for the treatment of joints
- Tincture of chestnut fruits for rheumatism
- Tincture of ammonia for the treatment of blood vessels
- Tincture for the treatment of varicose veins
- Tincture for the treatment of heart diseases
- Tincture for the treatment of male problems
- Tincture for uterine fibroids
- Tincture for the treatment of sinusitis
- Water tincture of chestnut fruit
- Chestnut kvass to improve health
- Contraindications to the use of horse chestnut fruit tincture
Chestnut flower tinctures
An alcoholic tincture of chestnut flowers has a positive effect on well-being. Let's look at the simplest cooking method:
- 15 g of dried chestnut flowers are crushed and placed in 500 ml of high quality vodka, tightly closed with a lid.
- Leave to infuse in a cool place for 2 weeks.
The resulting infusion is taken orally, 25-35 drops. It helps women suffering from mastopathy and relieves pain in the legs due to varicose veins. For a more noticeable effect on the painful area, it is recommended to apply lotions or compresses.
A good general strengthening remedy is prepared from fresh flowers, which is used to prevent colds and viral diseases (for example, influenza and ARVI). It normalizes blood pressure and restores the functioning of the nervous system. Recipe:
- Fresh flowers (about 30 g) are washed and ground using a blender, rolling pin or meat grinder until mushy.
- The pulp is squeezed out and the resulting juice is drained.
- The resulting liquid is filtered through a cloth or cotton-gauze bandage.
It is recommended to store the product in opaque glass and in a cool place at a temperature of 5-10°C. Take 30 drops, regardless of meals, 2-3 times a day.
For diseases of the joints and tissues (gout), alcohol tinctures of fresh chestnut flowers in pure alcohol help well. Cooking method:
- 20 g of fresh chestnut flowers are poured with 400 ml of pure medical alcohol.
- Leave to infuse in a glass container for at least 24 hours in a place where there is no exposure to ultraviolet rays.
Apply a lotion product. They are applied to painful areas 1-2 times a day during severe attacks.
Tinctures on chestnut peel and rind
Chestnut tincture for joints on the peel is popular due to its effectiveness and ease of preparation:
- Take the peel of the fruit (30 g) and grind it in a blender (or using a mixer).
- Fill with pure alcohol or vodka (300 ml), close tightly, and put in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks.
- The finished product is filtered through cheesecloth and consumed 15 drops 2 times a day for 10 days.
In addition to the benefits for joints, this tincture is used to treat varicose veins, but not orally, but as compresses. The cloth is moistened in the resulting mixture and applied to the affected area for an hour, wrapped with a bandage.
Tinctures of water are also used - the recipe is the simplest:
- Take 1 tablespoon of crushed horse chestnut bark.
- Boil a glass of water (250 ml) and place the prepared ingredient there.
- Leave to infuse for about 24-48 hours in the refrigerator, covering the glass with a lid.
Strain, consume 3 tablespoons at least 2 times a day. This helps get rid of gastrointestinal disorders and gallbladder diseases.
Compresses
To prepare a compress based on chestnut, you will need several fruits.
Compositions are made from chestnuts, which are subsequently used to apply compresses to sore joints. There are many recipes for their preparation. The most popular options are:
- 5 fruits must be peeled, then crushed and poured with alcohol (0.5 l). The product must be infused in a cool room for 7 days. In this composition, you need to thoroughly moisten a piece of gauze, which is then applied to the problem area. The compress must be secured on top with a bandage. Leave it on the joint for 2 hours;
- Chestnut flowers and bark (50 g each) must be thoroughly chopped and poured with 0.5 liters of water. Infuse the product for 3-4 hours. Afterwards it needs to be boiled over low heat. Upon completion of the preparation stages, a piece of gauze is moistened in the composition, which must be applied to the sore joint. From above it is wrapped with film and a woolen scarf. It is recommended to keep this compress for 3 hours.
Chestnut compresses can be combined with pharmaceutical products for the treatment of joints.
Infusion on water
Contraindications to the use of chestnut
To avoid negative consequences, consult a specialist before using folk remedies.
Since horse chestnut has a rich chemical composition, there are contraindications to its use:
- people suffering from low blood viscosity and blood pressure (hypotension) are not recommended to use chestnut-based products, since the product helps lower blood pressure and makes the blood more fluid;
- for diseases that impair the normal functioning of the kidneys (for example, renal failure);
- for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (for example, acute gastritis);
- the first trimester of pregnancy and the entire period of breastfeeding;
- period of bleeding of various kinds;
- poor blood clotting;
- individual intolerance to the components in its composition;
- children's age (up to 18 years).
Reviews
Alexey, 41 years old I tried to treat sore joints with chestnut tincture. I took it according to the regimen indicated in the instructions. There were no side effects, which I was very happy about. As for the effect of the folk remedy, I was never able to evaluate it. After 2 weeks of treatment, no positive changes occurred.
Katerina, 39 years old, my mother told me about the beneficial properties of chestnut for joints. I decided to take a tincture of the fruits of this tree to supplement the treatment prescribed by the doctor. After completing the course I noticed a decrease in swelling. The joints themselves no longer hurt very much, so I can say that the folk remedy does its job well.
