MEDICINAL USES:
Equisetum
is a mild astringent, diuretic, and urinary antiseptic. In addition, it offers an easily assimilable source of silica
(many foods are high in silica, but most often in non-soluble, non-digestible
forms), and calcium. Both are
important supplements in aiding the prevention of osteoporosis, and in speeding
healing from joint and tendon injuries.
The
German Commission E recognizes Horsetail as a diuretic and approves it for the
treatment of oedema, urinary tract disease and kidney stones. As an astringent
diuretic, it is recommended for bleeding or in cases where urination is
suppressed and painful or where irritation creates a constant desire to urinate.
It is a tonic to the urinary system and can help to treat incontinence
and bedwetting.
As
a general tonic, it aids in the absorption of nutrients and helps to balance and
stimulate liver function. Its
astringent properties make it useful in the treatment of benign prostate
enlargement. It also makes and
excellent an astringent to treat ulcers, bleeding gums and sore throat.
The
mature forms no good for harvest, as the silicon has become crystalline and much
less absorbable. In fact, mature
horsetail may irritate the urinary tract and even cause bleeding.
One should harvest only the fresh, soft new growth for medicinal
purposes. Many consider an infusion
of the fresh plant to be the most effective form of dosage.
As
a dietary supplement, some recommend only small daily doses (not to exceed 2
grams), though the German Commission E allows for 6 grams of the dried herb or
the equivalent concentrate.
CAUTION: Do not harvest Marsh Horsetail (Equisetum palustre) as it contains at least one toxic alkaloid and has been implicated in livestock poisonings. Its stems have deep furrows, leaving a small central cavity in the stem. The teeth around the stem joints are black with conspicuous white margins. No mature Horsetail of any species is good for medicine. Do not take older, gritty, Horsetail of any kind internally as it can irritate the urinary tract.