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Uses of this Herb
Burns
Kidney stones
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sprains and strains
Tuberculosis
Urinary tract infection in women
Wounds

Drugs that Interact
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Digoxin

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Herbal medicine

Horsetail

Also listed as: Bottle-brush; Equisetum arvense; Horse willow; Paddock-pipes; Pewterwort; Scouring rush; Shave grass; Toadpipe


Overview

Horsetail ( Equisetum arvense ), an herbal remedy dating back to at least ancient Roman and Greek medicine, was used traditionally to stop bleeding, heal ulcers and wounds, and treat tuberculosis and kidney problems. The name Equisetum is derived from the Latin roots equus , meaning "horse," and seta , meaning "bristle."

Today, horsetail continues to have medicinal value. The plant's stems are rich in silica and silicic acids, which help mend broken bones and form collagen, an important protein found in connective tissue, skin, bone, cartilage, and ligaments. Therefore, horsetail is used as a supplement to treat and prevent osteoporosis.


Plant Description

Horsetail is a descendent of huge, tree-like plants that thrived 400 million years ago during the Paleozoic era. A close relative of the fern, horsetail is a non-flowering weed found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. The plant is a perennial (returns each year) with hollow stems and shoots that look like asparagus. As the plant dries, silica crystals that form in the stems and branches give the plant a scratching effect, thus accounting for its historic use in polishing metal, particularly pewter.


Parts Used

The aboveground parts of horsetail (fresh or dried) are used for medicinal purposes.


Medicinal Uses and Indications

Horsetail has not been extensively studied in people, but professional herbalists recognize that the herb has diuretic (promotes the excretion of urine) properties that may be useful for the following health problems:

Horsetail may also be effective in supportive therapy for osteoporosis, increasing bone density. Horsetail also can be applied externally to treat the following conditions:

In one study in people in 1999, 122 Italian women took horsetail dry extract or Osteosil calcium 270 mg twice daily (a horsetail-calcium combination used in Italy for osteoporosis and fractures). After a year of therapy, a statistically significant improvement in bone density was reported in both the horsetail and Osteosil calcium groups, with an average improvement of 2.3 % in vertebral bone density in the Osteosil group.

Horsetail is also used to treat infections of the urinary tract, kidney, and bladder stones; and as an antioxidant.

Some studies have found that horsetail also may help improve memory and cognitive function. It may also have anticonvulsant properties.


Available Forms

Horsetail is available in the following forms:

Horsetail preparations should be stored in well-sealed containers to ensure protection from light.


How to Take It

Pediatric

For fractures, adjust the recommended adult dose to account for the child's weight. Most herbal dosages for adults are calculated on the basis of a 150 lb (70 kg) adult. Therefore, if the child weighs 50 lb (20 - 25 kg), the appropriate dose of horsetail for this child would be 1/3 of the adult dosage.

Adult

Adequate fluid should be consumed when taking horsetail preparations by mouth.


Precautions

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain components that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a qualified health care provider trained in the field of botanical medicine.

Horsetail remedies prepared from Equisetum arvense are generally considered safe. Another species of horsetail, however, called Equisetum palustre is poisonous to horses. Although it is not known for certain that E. palustre would have the same effect on people, it should never be ingested. Most commercial preparations of horsetail are not contaminated with E. palustre. However, be sure to buy products made by an established company with a good reputation that distributes their products through trustworthy and knowledgeable establishments. Whenever possible, select products with guaranteed potency or standardized extracts.

Prolonged use of even the safe form of horsetail ( E. arvense ) is also not advised.

Taking horsetail by mouth may deplete vitamin B6 (thiamin) from the body. It is recommended that if you take horsetail on a regular basis, you should also take a quality multiple vitamin or at least a B complex supplement daily.

People with heart or kidney disorders should not use horsetail. If you drink alcohol on a regular basis, it is not advised to take horsetail due to vitamin B6 (thiamin) depletion by the herb.


Possible Interactions

The diuretic effects of horsetail may enhance the toxic effects of certain medications, such as digoxin (used to treat congestive heart failure), phenytoin (for seizures), anticoagulants, and others. For this reason, people taking prescription medications should not take horsetail without first consulting a health care provider.


Supporting Research

Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000:208-211.

Bradley P, ed. British Herbal Compendium . Vol. I. Dorset (Great Britain): British Herbal Medicine Association; 1992: 92-94.

Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions . 2nd ed. Sandy, Ore: Eclectic Medical; 1998:85.

Corletto F. [Female climacteric osteoporosis therapy with titrated horsetail (Equisetum arvense) extract plus calcium (osteosil calcium): randomized double blind study]. Miner Ortoped Traumatol 1999;50:201-206.

D'Agostino M, Dini A, Pizza C, et al. Sterols from Equisetum arvense. Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper 1984;60(12):2241-2245.

Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler's Honest Herbal . 4th ed. New York: The Haworth Herbal Press; 1999:219-220.

Gibelli C. The hemostatic action of Equisetum. Arch Intern Pharmacodynam 1931;41:419-429.

Graefe EU, Veit M. Urinary metabolites of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids in humans after application of a crude extract from Equisetum arvense. Phytomedicine 1999;6(4):239-246.

Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Christof J. PDR for Herbal Medicines . 2nd ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company; 2000: 409-410.

Henderson JA, Evans EV, McIntosh RA. The antithiamine action of Equisetum. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 1952;120:375-378.

LaValle JB, Krinsky DL, Hawkins EB, et al. Natural Therapeutics Pocket Guide . Hudson, OH:LexiComp; 2000: 459-460.

Maeda H, Miyamoto K, Sano T. Occurrence of dermatitis in rats fed a cholesterol diet containing field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 1997;43(5):553-563.

Nitta A, Yoshida S, Tagaeto T. A comparative study of crude drugs in Southeast Asia. X. Crude drugs derived from Equisetum species. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1977;25(5):1135-1139.

Perez Gutierrez RM, Laguna GY, Walkowski A. Diuretic activity of Mexican equisetum. J Ethnopharmacol 1985;14(2-3):269-272.

Sudan BJ. Seborrhoeic dermatitis induced by nicotine of horsetails (Equisetum arvense L.). Contact Dermatitis 1985;13(3):201-202.

Tiktinskii OL, Bablumian IA. [Therapeutic action of Java tea and field horsetail in uric acid diathesis]. Urol Nefrol (Mosk) 1983;3(1):47-50.

White L, Mavor S. Kids, Herbs, Health . Loveland, Colo: Interweave Press; 1998:22, 33.


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