Sources & Additional Links

Horsetail. 2006. University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). Retrieved from

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/horsetail-000257.htm

Davis, C. (n.d) Horsetail (Equisetum arvense). Retrieved from

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-horsetail.html

Raczuk J, Biardzka E, Daruk J. (2008). The content of Ca, Mg, Fe and Cu in selected species of herbs and herb infusions. [Pubmed abstract] Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig.59(1):33-40. Available from Epub.

Dos Santos JG Jr, Blanco MM, Do Monte FH, et al. (2005). Sedative and anticonvulsant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Equisetum arvense. Fitoterapia. 76:508-13

Cetojević-Simin DD, Canadanović-Brunet JM, Bogdanović GM, Djilas SM, Cetković GS, Tumbas VT, Stojiljković BT. (2010). Antioxidative and antiproliferative activities of different horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) extracts. J Med Food. 13(2):452-9.

Adverse Effects/Cautions/Cross Drug/Herb Interactions

Remedies prepared from Epuisetum arvense are generally safe, but just like many other herbs, horsetail contains chemical components that can bring adverse effects when taken with other herbs and supplements, or enhance the effects of certain medications. For these reasons, it is advised that horsetail is taken under the supervision of a qualified health care provider, especially when taking prescriptions.

            First of all, it is not advised to take horsetail for a long-term because it contains enzyme that destroys vitamin B1, lowering thiamine level in human body. Therefore, chronic drinkers and those who have low levels of vitamin B1 must accompany with multivitamin supplements. Otherwise, cooking and tincturing is recommended, for such processes destroy the enzyme. Second, horsetail has traces of nicotine, thus not recommended to children or people using nicotine replacement patches or chewing gum. Third, horsetail tends to result in hypokalemia therefore those who have heart arrhythmias and are taking digoxin should refrain from using horsetail. Last, horsetail’s diuretic properties will remove excess fluid for people who are under diuretics, leading to dehydration or low hypokalemia.

Current Use & What the Science Says?

            Horsetail is still used for various medicinal purposes, but unfortunately, not much scientific evidence exists to prove its efficacy. Therefore, the following list of current uses is for your information only.  

First, horsetail is known to be used to increase diuresis and to remove kidney stones. The herb seems to have an affinity for the urinary tract so it can be used to treat urinary tract inflammation, cystic ulceration, and other general infections. Second, it is also known to strengthen bones due to its silicon content, which is an important mineral for bone health and connective tissues. Therefore, horsetail was suggested as a treatment for osteoporosis and brittle nails. However, only one study was done in Italy to examine its effect on osteoporosis and it was poorly designed that no positive conclusion can be drawn. Third, horsetail can be applied topically to heal minor wounds and burns, as well as to treat conjunctivitis and gingivitis. Lastly, a recent study in Russia demonstrated that horsetail can remove lead accumulations; however, further studies with a larger pool of samples are needed.

Here are two recent studies of horsetail on the CNS activity and cancer cells that discusses about its therapeutic uses, disease treatment, and its overall efficacy:

Dos Santos and his researchers tested the sedative effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Equiseteum arvese (HAE) on rats by feeding 200 and 400 mg/kg of either saline or the extract. According to the result, the sleeping time of rats increased by 46% and 74% respectively to the doses, the number of falls from a rota rod increased, while the percentage of convulsion by 50% and 25% in the pentylenetetrazole-seizure. The seizure was induced by the intraperitoneal administration of 60mg/kg of pentylenetetrazole. The HAE sample was prepared by evaporating ethanol and storing the extract at -20.8 C to avoid confounding effect by the alcohol. The Chi-square test with p = 0.01 showed the significance in the effect of HAE. Although the protocol seems sound and reasonable, the sample size of 8 is small and the measurement of seizure is too subjective.

·        Dos Santos JG Jr, Blanco MM, Do Monte FH, et al. (2005). Sedative and anticonvulsant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Equisetum arvense. Fitoterapia. 76:508-13

Another study by Cetojevic-Simin investigated antioxidative effect of horsetail by measuring with the electron spin resonance spectroscopy, while examining antiproliferative activity by using the sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay on the human cancer cell lines HeLa, HT-29, and MCF7. The extract was prepared using n-butalnol, methanol, ethyl acetate, and water. The test demonstrated the strong antioxidative effects in vitro, especially with ethyl acetate extract, as the extract prevented the formation of liqid peroxyl radicals. Similarly, the extract inhibited cell growth. This test was conducted extensively and the evidence was supported with statistical analysis and images of cell lines. Further studies in vivo supporting the use of horsetail as an antioxidant is needed, however.      

·         Cetojević-Simin DD, Canadanović-Brunet JM, Bogdanović GM, Djilas SM, Cetković GS, Tumbas VT, Stojiljković BT. (2010). Antioxidative and antiproliferative activities of different horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) extracts. J Med Food. 13(2):452-9.

Active Components and Preparation

Horsetail contains several active components that can give biological effect or interact with other substances. Examples of minerals are silicon, silica, calcium, manganese, magnesium, and sulphur. Other chemical constituents include phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, phytosterols, and tannin. Horsetail also contains alkaloids, such as equisetin, nicotine, palustrine, and palustrinine.   



source: santi-shop.com



Depending on the mode of administration, horsetail can be prepared in many ways. For internal application, horsetail is typically administered as herbal tea 3 times daily by pouring hot water onto 2-3 tsp of dried herb and steeping for 5-10 minutes, or similarly, 1-4ml of tincture can be administered 3 times daily. In addition, standardized capsule containing dried herb can be found over the counter. For external application, horsetail is prepared as a poultice with 10g of herb per 1 L of water to be used as a vulnerary, compressed on wounded and sore areas.

History/Traditional

Horsetail thrived during the Paleozoic era, about 400 millions ago, and during the Carboniferous Period, it was a predominant plant that was more than 40 feet tall. Horsetail was found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America, explaining its frequent appearance in traditional use of many parts of the world. 

Horsetail made its medicinal debut in ancient Roman and Greek, when the Roman physician, Galen, use horsetail to treat kidney and bladder troubles, arthritis, bleeding ulcers, and tuberculosis. Horsetail was continuously used in Mediterranean for the same purpose. Similarly in China, horsetail was traditionally used to cool fevers and for eye inflammation, such as swellings and haemorrhoids. Horsetail had a wide application from medicinal use to daily application of hairwash, foot soak, and mouth wash.     

Other than its medicinal use, horsetail was use to file and polish metal due to its silica crystals that form in the stems, giving a scratching effect. This explains why Horsetail is also known for ‘bottle-brush and shave grass’. Furthermore, horsetail was used for culinary purposes, for the inner pulp was eaten like seeds, shoots like asparagus from modern time, and roots as a vegetable. Also, the water from boiling young heads of horsetail was used to eliminate bitter principles.

For medicinal purposes, the fresh or dried aboveground parts of horsetail was traditionally grinded and administered as a herbal tea, otherwise it was also used as topical treatment to apply on affected areas.

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Hi. I am Horsetail. No, not that kind of horsetail but the other kind of horsetail used for herbal medicine.



My Latin name, Equiseteum arvense, means ‘horse tail of the fields’ but I am really a plant.

Come and join me to find out about me!