This is one of the earliest wild plants, ruled the planet since the time of dinosaurs and reached an enormous size. Today is one of the most widely consumed herbs in the world, has many therapeutic and aesthetic properties, but mainly is known for its regenerative properties of cellular tissues, for its cleansing effect and great effects for beauty and health skin.
This is a plant without flowers, and stems have two types: one is fertile and is between 10-20 inches tall. Appears at the beginning of the spring and it does not branch put ends in a pin beige colored with spores. The other stems are sterile, which have many uses in herbal medicine. They measure between 20 to nearly 80 inches, are green and hollow, with a sort of Scaled knots where leaves sprout.
This plant can be found primarily on moist sites in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America, especially in clay soils, usually on the banks of rivers and streams or flooded fields or around the pasture.
Uses of stems
The sterile stems of this plant are harvested during the summer, and are allowed to dry in the shade, hung in bunches, discarding any discolored parts. Once dried, they are put in bags for storage. If you take one of these bags and the smell, you will notice that it smells very similar to chamomile. These bags are dried and well crushed to make all preparations for health and beauty, from tea, fresh juice, decoctions, essences, syrups, powders, fluid extracts, tinctures and capsules to ointments, creams , lotions, and sprays water for enemas.
Properties of Horsetail
It is rich in minerals such as silicon and potassium. Also has very healthy active substances as flavonoids and alkaloids, including nicotine, many of which have proven both preventive and curative effects.
Its properties and uses in medicine:
- It is diuretic: helps eliminate fluids.
- Skin: significantly helps fight herpes, fungus, eczema and herpes among others. (See effects in beauty)
- Bones: remineralizes the skeletal system
- Healing: helps heal wounds. Cell Regenerator
- Tendons: a parent of ancient medicine, boiled used to cure sore tendons.
- Lose weight: helps you lose weight because it eliminates body fluids and they also eliminates excess toxins.
- Genitourinary problems: it helps in cases of kidney stones, urinary tract infections, inflammation of the bladder or prostate, cystitis and urethritis.
- Bleeding: very useful to control and cure bleeding due to astringent effect, tightens tissues due to its tannin content, making it well suited for rapidly heal the bleeding wounds close, brake and control and cure nosebleeds skin ulcers.
- Diarrhea: is very useful in diarrhea.
- Inflammation: is good for it. Enuresis.
- Athletes: a positive effect on the flexibility of tendons and vascular walls. The horsetail, component of this plant is a good tonic for athletes or people who submit their ordeals ligaments, such as tennis players, cyclists, dancers and so on.
- Hormones: It is very useful to help level hormonal imbalances.
Its uses in aesthetics:
- Strengthens nails significantly: for its high content of silicon.
- Skin: this plant has great benefits to the skin. Its high silicon content helps maintain and restore the health of connective tissue that forms the skin. On the other hand, detoxifies and cleanses the urinary tract and blood, and this inner cleansing helps prevent the accumulation of toxins and bacterial growth that damage the skin and generate a series of disease such as those mentioned in the health of skin. In addition, the cleaning effect prevents wrinkles, reduces stretch marks and regenerates damaged tissue weight variations.
- Cellulite: as mentioned above (the cleaning effect), this herb helps prevent and fight cellulite, as it helps to eliminate toxins, excess fat and accumulated and waste material.
- General: Rejuvenates, nourishes and invigorates the skin and hair.
- Avoid the gray: it will increase hair growth and improve its appearance, prevents appear gray due to its rich content of silicon, an essential component of connective tissue.
Even though it provides great advantages for health and beauty, we must emphasize the importance of balance in consumption of this herb. Experts advise against consumption for more than six weeks, and if it will be used for medicinal purposes, should be guided by a professional procedure, since the plant could irritate the digestive tract.
Pregnant and lactating women should avoid consumption.
Also avoid use in cases of:
- Irritated gastric mucosal
- If have ingested too much alcohol or irritants like spicy
- When you have consumed drugs like aspirin or anti-inflammatory.