100% Natural Horse Chestnut Extract 98% Aescin /Aesculin /Esculin

Every autumn, the shady horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) produces prickly fruits containing one to three large seeds, or "nuts." In the 1800s, European doctors figured out that an extract made from these seeds could help treat varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and other disorders caused by fragile veins and sluggish circulation.

Today, horse chestnut seed extract is still used for these conditions and is particularly popular in Germany, where it ranks among the most common prescription herbal remedies (after ginkgo biloba and St. John's wort).

The horse chestnut is also known as the Spanish chestnut. Never take the seeds right off the tree to make a home remedy; the seeds (and other parts of the tree) are poisonous. To be safe, they must be carefully treated to extract the active ingredient.

Also, don't confuse seeds from the horse chestnut with seeds ("nuts") of the sweet chestnut (Castanea vesca), a tree that bears delicious chestnuts, ideal for roasting and stuffing into holiday turkeys.

Scientists examining the seeds of the horse chestnut identified the main therapeutic ingredient, aescin, which is sometimes described as a group of chemically related substances called "escin."

Aescin reduces inflammation and tones up vein walls, allowing blood to flow back to the heart more easily. It appears to accomplish this by plugging up minute holes and microscopic leaks in the tiniest blood vessels, the venules, and in the capillaries. In reinforcing the strength of veins, horse chestnut is believed to also promote their elasticity and prevent swelling and long-term damage to them.