Horse chestnut may aid circulation

Horse chestnut trees are native to the mountains of the Middle East and Balkans but are now grown worldwide. Some horse chestnut supplements are made from the tree’s dried leaves and nut oil, but if there’s any medicinal power in the plant, it’s in the nuts themselves. Fresh and unprocessed, the nuts contain poisonous components (unlike edible chestnuts), but preparations made from the dried nuts have been used for centuries in Europe to treat a variety of conditions.

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Uses: Horse chestnut is sometimes used to treat venous insufficiency, or poor circulation in the veins, a condition marked by leg pain, night cramps and swelling. Naturopaths and folk medicine practitioners sometimes recommend the herb for eczema, hemorrhoids, menstrual discomfort, lower back pain, coughing and varicose veins.

Dose: Horse chestnut comes in capsules, pills, liquid extracts and teas. The recommended oral dose is about 250 to 350 milligrams taken twice daily. Horse chestnut lotions and ointments are also available for treating varicose veins.

Precautions: Recommended oral doses of the supplement can cause nausea, and overdoses can lead to vomiting and diarrhea. In one case, a patient who received an injection of horse chestnut extract ended up with liver damage. Horse chestnut can interact with blood thinners and other drugs.

Research: Animal experiments and a few human studies have suggested that horse chestnut is as good as standard treatments for combating the pain and swelling caused by venous insufficiency, but further studies are needed. There’s

no rigorous evidence to support any of horse chestnut’s other uses.

Dietary supplement makers are not required by the U.S. government to demonstrate that their products are safe or effective. Ask your healthcare provider for advice on selecting a brand.

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-- Elena Conis