Page 244 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

yellow color slowly changes pink-red as the bloom ma-
tures. Flower clusters are 5 to 12 inches (12.5 cm to 20
cm) across with 20 to 50 flowers in each cluster. Leaves
are palmately compound with 5 to 7 oval leaflets. Leaf-
lets are doubly serrated and 4 to 10 inches (10 cm to 25
cm) long, and the entire leaf is 12 to 24 inches (30 cm
to 60 cm) long. The trunk and branches develop exfo-
liating bark as the tree matures, with outer bark peel-
ing away to show the orange bark below.
Each flower cluster produces one to five fruits. The
fruits are about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and are
covered with a light green spiny shell that turns brown
as the nuts mature. The spiny shell contains one or two Solipsist, CC by SA 2.0
nut-like seeds. Each glossy brown seed is 1 to 2 inches

(2.5 cm to 5 cm) in diameter with a light-colored scar Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Horse chestnut
at the base. is used as a treatment for venous insufficiency; use

Edible Use: Horse chestnuts are not edible. The carefully dosed seed tinctures. Medicinal preparations
seeds are slightly poisonous and cause illness when can be made at home but should be used with care,
eaten. starting at low doses and increasing slowly as impli-
cated.

Lowers Blood Sugar: Horse chestnut lowers
blood sugar and can be beneficial for people with dia-
betes when used carefully and blood sugar is closely
monitored. Monitoring is necessary for anyone taking
horse chestnut because hypoglycemia can result from
overdosing. There are better choices.

Varicose Veins: Horse chestnut seed is a treatment
for varicose veins. It reduces pain and swelling in the
legs and strengthens the veins.

Harvesting: Only harvest nuts that have dropped to
the ground and released their seed. Nuts that are still
on the tree are not mature.
Medicinal Use: Horse chestnut is a tonic that is
used specifically to treat vascular system problems. It Warning: The horse chestnut is known to be mildly
helps control varicose veins and hemorrhoids, and it toxic, but carefully prepared seed extracts are safe
improves the general tone of veins. Used both topically when used properly. Do not use on children, during
and internally. pregnancy, or while nursing.
Use cautiously with people taking blood-thinning
medications. Monitor blood sugar levels closely, espe-
cially when beginning treatment or when increasing
dose.

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