Herbs to watch Horse chestnut

Enlarge Image Image Gallery S. Foster

HORSE CHESTNUTS—also known by the colorful name “conkers”—have a long history of folk use for healing. While modern minds may find conkers an unlikely source of medicine, scientific researchers suggest the idea may not be so far-fetched—except it’s probably better to take your conker as a pill.

“Conker” is British slang; they’re also known in some regions of the United States as buckeyes. In European tradition, horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is best known for its ability to help with circulation ­problems such as chronic venous insufficiency, hemorrhoids, and in particular, varicose veins.

Varicose veins are enlarged superficial veins in the legs thought to be caused by weakness in the vein walls. Symptoms include aching, bulging veins or veins that appear twisted, as well as itching skin over the vein. Conventional treatments include support hose, injecting medicine into the vein (sclerotherapy), laser therapy, and, for more serious cases, surgery.

Studies attest to horse chestnut’s ability to improve circulation and reduce fra­gility of blood vessel walls. The largest of these studies—a randomized, double-blind, ­placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the April 1996 issue of the British Journal Lancet—showed that horse chestnut extract was almost as effective as compression stockings for 240 patients with chronic venous insufficiency. The extract contained 50 mg of aescin—the main active constituent in the seed—taken twice daily.

Aescin is an anti-inflammatory compound 300 times as strong as the bioflavonoid rutin, according to medical herbalist Amanda McQuade Crawford. Researchers have reported success using aescin, which is a complex mixture of triterpenoid saponin glycosides, for cerebral tumors, meningitis, encephalitis, cerebral edemas resulting from cranial trauma, and other brain-fluid problems.