| Horsetail has been used for healing in both Chinese | | | | blood and decreasing blood flow. An externally-applied |
| and Asian cultures. During times of famine, the | | | | decoction has the ability to stop bleeding of wounds |
| Romans ate horsetail shoots, while Native Americans | | | | and help with healing. Horsetail can also be used as a |
| used horsetail as a diuretic for kidney problems, | | | | mouthwash for mouth infections. Often found in |
| cancer, and dropsy to increase blood circulation. The | | | | calcium combinations, horsetail is helpful in building the |
| Hopi tribe in New Mexico mixed horsetail and | | | | skeletal system and improving bone structure. The |
| cornmeal as a mush and in their bread. One of the | | | | silica that is found in horsetail also helps in healing |
| oldest plants on the earth, horsetail is approximately | | | | bones, keeping the arteries clean, and facilitating the |
| two hundred million years old. It used to be a giant | | | | absorption of calcium in the body. |
| fernlike plant. However, there are now around | | | | This herb is known for its antibiotic properties and its |
| twenty species of the original plant living today. | | | | contribution to the overall healing process. Horsetail is |
| These species are small in comparison to the original | | | | also thought to help with bleeding, urinary and |
| plant and are usually considered to be a nuisance. The | | | | prostate disorders, bed-wetting, skin problems, and |
| species Equisetum arvense is a small perennial fern | | | | lung disease. Horsetail also possesses a weak diuretic |
| plant that is most common in North America. | | | | effect, which is most notably due to the equisetonin |
| The horsetail plant is a descendent of huge tree-like | | | | and the flavone glycosides. |
| plants that thrived 400 million years ago during the | | | | In short, the entire horsetail herb is used to provide |
| Paleozoic era. The plant is a non-flowering weed that | | | | alterative, antilithic, antineoplastic, astringent, diuretic, |
| can be found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, the | | | | emmenagogue, galactogogue, lithotriptic, nephritic, |
| Middle East, and North America. This plant returns | | | | nutritive, and vulnerary properties. The primary |
| each year with hollow stems and shoots that | | | | nutrients found in this herb are flavonoids, iodine, iron, |
| resemble asparagus. As the plant dries, silica crystals, | | | | manganese, PABA, pantothenic acid, silicon, sodium, |
| which form in the stems and branches, give the plant | | | | and vitamin E. Primarily, this herb is extremely |
| the scratching effect that made it historically useful | | | | beneficial in treating arthritis, poor circulation, diabetes, |
| for polishing metal. | | | | glandular problems, weak hair, kidney stones, weak |
| Horsetail is believed to aid the immune system and | | | | nails, nervousness, osteoporosis, parasites, |
| the nervous system because of its silica content. The | | | | rheumatism, and urinary problems. |
| nerves contain almost the same amount of silica as | | | | Additionally, this herb is very helpful in dealing with |
| does the albumin in the blood. The pancreas is | | | | edema, eyestrain, gas, gout, heart problems, |
| especially rich in silica. Silica is found combined with | | | | hemorrhage, incontinence, liver disorders, membrane |
| fluorine in the enamel of the teeth. Additionally, hair | | | | irritations, neuralgia, palsy, skin disorders, tumors, and |
| needs silica to grow, and it is needed as a protection | | | | water retention. For more information on the many |
| for the skin and cell walls. This herb helps in treating | | | | beneficial effects provided by horsetail, please feel |
| urinary tract problems. It contains silicic acid, which is | | | | free to contact a representative from your local |
| responsible for helping with circulation of the blood. | | | | health food store. |
| This herb is also credited with helping coagulate the | | | | |