Chestnut – Health Benefits for Your Well-Being
Horse chestnut has long been used in folk medicine to treat various ailments due to its remarkable healing properties. However, official medicine recognized its therapeutic effects relatively recently.
For instance, horse chestnut is a key ingredient in medicinal ointments aimed at treating varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Some of the most well-known products include Escuzan, Escuvit, Venitan Gel, and others.
Health Benefits of Chestnut
The beneficial properties of chestnut are evident not only when applied externally but also when taken internally. It is used to treat:
- Bile formation disorders
- Chronic digestive issues
- Catarrh (inflammation of mucous membranes)
- Gout
- Thrombophlebitis
- Varicose veins
- Ulcers
- Radiculitis and sciatica
Chestnut extract is often added to baths to relieve muscle pain and neuralgia. It is known that compounds found in horse chestnut help reduce blood clotting, strengthen capillary walls, relieve vascular spasms, and act as natural thrombolytics and anticoagulants.
Beneficial Substances in Chestnuts
Edible chestnuts are consumed as food, offering both taste and health benefits. In 100g of chestnuts, there are approximately 3.6g of protein, 2.2g of fat, and 42g of carbohydrates. Due to their relatively low-fat content and high protein levels, chestnuts are a favorite among vegetarians. However, because of their high calorie content, they are not recommended for people struggling with excess weight.
Chestnuts are rich in various compounds that contribute to their well-known health benefits, including flavonoids, oils, pectins, starch, and tannins.
- Escin, a key component, has a beneficial effect on veins.
- Flavonoids strengthen capillary walls.
- Vitamins and minerals present in chestnuts boost immunity.
The quality and effectiveness of these properties depend on the maturity of the chestnut: the riper the chestnut, the higher its concentration of beneficial compounds.
Parts of Chestnut Used in Folk Medicine
Although horse chestnut is not edible, it possesses significant medicinal properties. Various parts of the tree—bark, leaves, flowers, and fruits—are used in the preparation of remedies. Even raw chestnut fruits have a healing effect. Folk medicine advises carrying them in pockets to help with radiculitis, uterine bleeding, and malignant tumors.
Chestnut leaves are rich in glycosides, pectins, vitamin K, and tannins, making them suitable for consumption. Extracts from chestnut fruits stimulate blood circulation, expand constricted arteries, and improve vascular elasticity, making veins more resilient and reducing varicose swelling.
Both dried and fresh leaves can be used to prepare decoctions that treat pharyngitis, laryngitis, and tracheitis. Additionally, chestnut leaf decoction can ease severe coughing episodes, such as those caused by whooping cough.
The bark, when combined with chestnut fruits, helps reduce kidney swelling and is also used to stop nosebleeds. A decoction of bark and chestnuts aids digestion and can be applied externally to treat boils and abscesses.
Alcohol-based tinctures made from horse chestnut flowers are recommended for dysentery and bladder inflammation. Infusions from bark, flowers, and seeds have antipyretic and astringent properties and are used to treat rheumatism, cholecystitis, varicose veins, and digestive disorders.
Chestnut flowers are also used to produce honey with strong antimicrobial properties. This honey supports heart health, improves digestion, and boosts immunity, which explains its widespread popularity in Europe.
Are There Any Precautions?
Despite its many health benefits, chestnut has some contraindications:
- Hypoacidic gastritis (low stomach acid levels)
- Scanty or irregular menstruation
- Poor blood clotting
- Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)
An overdose of chestnut-based medications may cause numbness and tingling in the fingers.
Ways to Prepare Chestnuts
The most common way to enjoy edible chestnuts is roasting—a method that retains their beneficial properties.
How to Roast Chestnuts
- Make a 1 cm incision on one side of each chestnut.
- Place the chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast at 240°C (464°F) for 30 minutes.
- The incision prevents the chestnuts from exploding in the oven.
Roasted chestnuts pair well with sugar or salt.
The most traditional method of preparing chestnuts is roasting them over an open fire. In Europe, it is common to gather in the fall, throw a handful of chestnuts into a fire, and eat them hot while sipping slightly fermented grape juice.