BENEFITS OF CHESNUT

Chestnuts, when cooked, are valuable food for persons with weak digestive powers.

They should be put on the fire in a saucepan of cold water and cooked for twenty minutes from the time the water first boils.  John Evelyn, F.R.S., a seventeenth century writer, says of them: “They are a lusty and masculine food for rustics at all times, and of better nourishment for husbandmen than cole and rusty bacon, yea, or beans to boot.”

The extract of horse chestnut can be used in managing inflammatory conditions like arthritis as well as fever. Other common uses of horse chestnut are seen in the treatment of edema and varicose veins.

Horse chestnut works by reducing inflammation, thereby reducing symptoms of pain, swelling, and fatigue that are commonly experience in conditions like edema. It also increases blood flow through the vessels, making it comparable to the value of compression stockings in the treatment of edema of the legs.

The recommended daily dose of horse chestnut extract is 250 to 325 mg to be taken twice daily. The dosage should be able to give the body about 90-150 of aescin. Once there is an improvement seen in the symptoms, the dosage can be reduced and readjusted.