Horsetail 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Horsetail – 100 g ($12.99), 50 g ($8.99), 25 g ($5.99)

Nutrients
When you hear the term horsetail, you probably envision the backside of an equine, but did you know there is a powerful natural herb of the same name? It’s true, and it’s one of the hidden natural treasures for health.

In fact, research shows the vast array of beneficial components horsetail holds, including: (1)

• Vitamin C
• Thiamine (vitamin B1)
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
• Niacin (vitamin B3)
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
• Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
• Folate
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Zinc
• Copper
• Phenolic compounds
• Selenium
• Silica
• Kynurenic acid
• Styrylpyrones
• Chlorophyll

What a list, right? With all that, it’s no wonder that horsetail is used for such a large variety of health problems, including urinary tract infections, edema, joint diseases, hair loss, brittle nails, skin health, diabetes, osteoporosis and more! (2, 3)

Bone  Horsetail is rich in silica, which strengthens connective tissue and combats arthritis. Silicon is a vital component for bone and cartilage formation. Research suggests that horsetail aids bone healing.

Through bone metabolism, bone cells called osteoclasts and osteoblasts continuously remodel your bones to avoid imbalances that could cause brittle bones. Osteoblasts handle bone synthesis, while osteoclasts break down bone through resorption.

Test-tube studies show that horsetail may inhibit osteoclasts and stimulate osteoblasts. This suggests that it’s useful for bone diseases such as osteoporosis, which is characterized by overly active osteoclasts that result in fragile bones (1, 5).

One study in rats found that a daily dose of 55 mg of horsetail extract per pound (120 mg per kg) of body weight significantly improved bone density, compared with a control group (6).

Researchers believe that horsetail’s bone-remodeling effect is mostly due to its high silica content. In fact, up to 25% of its dry weight is silica. No other plant boasts as high of a concentration of this mineral (1, 5).

Silica, which is also present in bones, improves the formation, density, and consistency of bone and cartilage tissue by enhancing collagen synthesis and improving the absorption and use of calcium (6, 7).

Wound Healing, Nails  One of horsetail’s well-known uses is for brittle nails — topically, internally or both. Numerous anecdotal reports tell of this herb’s ability to help improve brittle nails. This is due to its high content of silicic acid and silicates, which provide about two percent to three percent elemental silicon, a nutrient known for boosting skin, hair and nail health. (4)

Scientific research confirms that Equisetum arvense is definitely rich in organic silica, including a report published in the Journal of Plastic Dermatology that encompassed two clinical trials. One clinical trail combined horsetail with a sulfur donor in a water-alcohol solution and applied it nightly for 28 days to the nails of 36 women with nail plate alterations.

What happened? The researchers observed a significant decrease in longitudinal grooves as well as an 85 percent reduction in patients reporting lamellar splitting of treated nails. Meanwhile, the untreated controls experienced no significant change in nail health.

In another study, 22 women with nail plate alterations applied the test product containing horsetail randomly on the nails of one hand only, on alternating days, for 14 days. Overall, the test product significantly improved splitting, fragility and longitudinal grooves. (5)

Horsetail contains silica, which combines silicon and oxygen. Silicon is believed to be key to optimal synthesis of collagen, a key skin building block that is essential to strength and elasticity.

Multiple studies have shown that horsetail is beneficial for wound healing. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial published in 2015 in the Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal found that a 3 percent horsetail ointment promoted wound healing and relieved pain during the 10-day time period following an episiotomy. (9) Another study done in Turkey using animal subjects published in 2013 found that ointments containing 5 percent to 10 percent horsetail provided a significant boost to diabetic wound healing. (10)

To treat burns and wounds, horsetail herb is often applied directly to the affected area of skin. (11) The topical application of horsetail ointment promotes wound healing.

One 10-day study in 108 postpartum women who had undergone an episiotomy during labor — a surgical cut to facilitate childbirth — showed that applying an ointment containing 3% horsetail extract promoted wound healing and helped relieve pain (11). The study also found that wound redness, swelling, and discharge improved significantly compared with a control group. Scientists attributed these positive effects to the plant’s silica content.

In older rat studies, those treated with ointments containing 5% and 10% horsetail extract showed a wound closure ratio of 95–99%, as well as greater skin regeneration, compared with control groups (12, 13). Additionally, horsetail may be used in nail polish for the management of nail psoriasis, a skin condition that causes nail deformities.

One study found that using a nail lacquer made up of a mixture of horsetail extract and other nail-hardening agents decreased signs of nail psoriasis (14, 15).

Hair  Research suggests that horsetail may also benefit your hair, likely thanks to its silicon and antioxidant content.

First, antioxidants help reduce micro-inflammation and the aging of hair fibers caused by free radicals. Second, a higher silicon content in hair fibers results in a lower rate of hair loss, as well as increased brightness (16, 17, 18).

For example, in a 3-month study in women with self-perceived hair thinning, those who took two daily capsules containing dried horsetail and other ingredients had increased hair growth and strength compared with a control group (19). Other studies looking at the effects of different blends containing horsetail-derived silica found similar results (20, 21). Because most studies focus on a mixture of hair growth compounds, research on horsetail alone is limited.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology in 2012, daily administration of a proprietary nutritional supplement containing silica derived from horsetail significantly increased hair growth after 90 and 180 days. The subjects of the study were women between the ages of 21 to 75 years old with self-perceived thinning hair. (6) Further research published by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology also suggests that hair strands with higher silicon content tend to have a lower fall-out rate as well as greater brightness. (7)

According to some beauty experts, horsetail is one of the best sources of silica on Earth, and it provides our hair with luster and our skin with softness. You can take a horsetail tincture or horsetail tea internally for hair health. You can also use a strongly brewed batch of horsetail tea as a DIY hair rinse. (8)

Inflammation. Test-tube studies show that horsetail may inhibit lymphocytes, the main type of defense cells involved in inflammatory immune diseases (4, 22, 23).

Diuretic  Horsetail is widely recognized as a natural diuretic (a “water pill”), helping to increase urine production. This helps flush out excess fluid and salt, which can be useful for managing edema or fluid retention. Diuretics are substances that increase your body’s excretion of urine. Horsetail’s diuretic effect is one of this fern’s most sought-after properties in folk medicine (8, 9).

One small study in 36 healthy men determined that a daily dose of 900 mg of dried horsetail extract in capsule form had a more potent diuretic effect than a classic diuretic drug. This was attributed to the plant’s high antioxidant and mineral salt concentrations (9). The plant also demonstrated potential as a therapy for urinary incontinence, urgency, and nocturia — when you wake up in the night to urinate (10). A 2021 review of research found that horsetail may have potential as a therapy for kidney conditions, including urethritis and kidney stones (8).

Its diuretic action may help reduce the concentration of stone-forming substances and assist in flushing out small kidney stones or “gravel”. Some studies suggest its silica content might also inhibit stone growth.

Unlike some conventional diuretics, small human studies have shown that horsetail may increase urine output without causing excessive loss of essential electrolytes like potassium.

Urinary Tract Infections   Horsetail is often used as a complementary therapy for minor urinary tract issues. Its mild anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties may help soothe the urinary tract lining, though it is not a substitute for antibiotics in treating infections. Horsetail has a history of use in traditional medicine for kidney and urinary tract conditions. However, human studies are limited.  A 2022 study suggests that horsetail may increase urine flow and help treat urinary tract infections. It may also reduce “kidney gravel,” which can lead to kidney stones. (29)

Edema  Horsetail is a natural diuretic that has also been shown to improve peripheral edema. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial published in 2014 in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine had volunteers alternately take a standardized dried extract of Equisetum arvense at a dose of 900 milligrams per day, a placebo of cornstarch at the same dose or hydrochlorothiazide (a conventional edema treatment) at a dose of 25 milligrams per day for four consecutive days, separated by a 10-day washout period.

The researchers measured the diuretic effect of the horsetail supplement by monitoring the volunteers’ water balance over a 24-hour period. They found that the horsetail pills produced a diuretic effect equal to that of the conventional diuretic medicine hydrochlorothiazide without any significant changes to liver or kidney function, or to electrolyte elimination. (12) This is a noteworthy finding since many conventional diuretics are known for causing electrolyte imbalances. (13)

Gout: As a natural diuretic, horsetail increases urine output, which may help the kidneys flush out excess uric acid, the primary cause of gout. The herb contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as bioflavonoids and phenolic acids, which may help calm the swelling and joint pain associated with gout flares. High levels of silica (silicic acid) in horsetail are believed to support the health of ligaments, tendons, and cartilage often damaged by chronic gout. 

Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis   Horsetail has been used in complementary and traditional medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis and relieve inflammation related to osteoarthritis. One published review noted that horsetail contains kynurenic acid, which has an anti-inflammatory effect. Levels of kynurenic acid are lower in human subjects with rheumatoid arthritis, leading researchers to suggest that horsetail may be able to help restore levels to provide some relief. (31)

Joint Diseases   Known to hold anti-inflammatory properties and with a long history of use for calming inflammation, it’s no wonder that studies show that this herb can help with inflammatory and degenerative joint disease, as research out of the Center for Complementary Medicine, Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Freiburg’s Medical Center in Germany confirms. (14)

A scientific study out of Poland published in 2013 in the Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine finds that horsetail herb is one of several herbs that contain kynurenic acid (KYNA), which is known to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and pain-relieving abilities. Out of the nine herbs studies, horsetail was actually put into a group of four herbs (along with peppermint, stinging nettle and birch leaf) that possessed the highest KYNA content.

Previous research had shown that the amount of KYNA in the synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is lower than in patients with osteoarthritis. Overall, the researchers conclude that “the use of herbal preparations containing a high level of KYNA can be considered as a supplementary measure in rheumatoid arthritis therapy, as well as in rheumatic diseases prevention.” (15)

Using an in vivo model of acute inflammation, another study published in the Open Rheumatology Journal looked at the effects of a horsetail extract as a form of immunomodulatory therapy on antigen-induced arthritis in mice subjects.

The researchers found that the extract showed “anti-inflammatory potential” along with an immunomodulatory effect on both B and T lymphocytes. (16) These lymphocytes are also called B-cells (bone marrow cells) and T-cells (thymus cells), and they are considered to be the “special ops of the immune system,” making this a very significant research finding for autoimmune arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis. (17)

In vitro and animals research has even shown that horsetail may help boost bone regeneration and reverse bone changes resulting from osteoporosis. In fact, one study out of Portugal concluded that “results showed that E. arvense extracts elicited inductive effects on human osteoblasts while inhibiting activity of S. aureus, suggesting a potentially interesting profile regarding bone regeneration strategies.” (18, 19)

Antimicrobial  Research shows that Equisetum arvense essential oil is a super impressive antimicrobial agent. A study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research out of the University of Nis in Serbia and Montenegro tested the oil against a wide variety of harmful, disease-causing bacteria and fungi, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. A 1:10 dilution of the Equisetum arvense essential oil “was shown to possess a broad spectrum of a very strong antimicrobial activity against all tested strains.” (20) Horsetail seems to have potent activity against bacteria and fungi, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans (4, 24).

Blood Pressure   In a 2022 study of 58 people with high blood pressure, those given horsetail experienced a significant reduction in blood pressure compared to those given hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic used for treatment. (32) More research with larger participant groups is needed to confirm horsetail’s effectiveness for high blood pressure.

Blood Sugar   A study on diabetic rats showed that horsetail extract had a beneficial effect on blood sugar and insulin resistance. However, further investigation is needed to determine the exact mechanisms behind the effects. (30) The study was conducted in rats, it is unclear if the results can be applied to humans with diabetes.

Antioxidant. Research shows horsetail is rich in phenolic compounds, a group of powerful antioxidants that inhibit oxidative damage to cellular membranes (4, 25, 26).

Antidiabetic. Animal and test-tube studies suggest that horsetail extract may help lower blood sugar levels and regenerate damaged pancreatic tissue (27, 28).

Bronchitis, Emphysema. The silica in horsetail promotes tissue repair and healing for people with breathing difficulties such as bronchitis and emphysema.

Recommended Use
You should not use horsetail if you are pregnant or nursing. The herb’s high selenium content can cause birth defects. Adults over sixty-five and children between two and twelve years old should use low-dose formulas. You should not give horsetail to a child under two years of age, and you should not let a child put the stalks in his or her mouth. The plant contains small amounts of nicotine and other alkaloids that may cause a toxic reaction.

People with cardiac disease or high blood pressure should use horsetail only under a physician’s care. Do not take horsetail internally for an extended period of time and do not exceed the recommended dosage. Extended use may cause kidney or heart damage. Do not use horsetail for irrigation therapy if you suffer from edema due to poor kidney or heart function. Notify a doctor if you use the herb as a bath additive and you develop skin lesions, fever, or heart problems.

Botanical Name: Equisetum arvense
English: Horsetail
Also, known as: Shavegrass, Horse pipes, Horsetail, Horsetail grass, Horsetail rush, Horse willow, Hvoshtsh, Jeinsol, Jointed rush, Kannenkraut, Kattestaart, Kilkah asb, Kloelfting, Koniogon, Kosa tiruma, Krypfraken, Librus, Macho, Mare’s tail, Meadow pine, Acker- schachtelhalm, acherschachtelhalm, ager-padderokke, Akersnelle, Akerfräken, Ackerschachtelhalm, Dhanab al khail, Dhanab el khayl, Dhanab et faras, Dutch rushes, Equiseto menor, Equiseto dei boschi, Equiseto dei campi, Equisette, Equisetto, Erva carnuda, False horse- tail, Field horsetail, Foxtail, Akkerpaardestaart, At kuyrugi, Baimbap, At quyroughi, Belcho, Bottlebrush, Brusca, Cauda de cavalo, Chieh hsu ts ao, Coada calului, Coda cavallina, Coda equine, Cola de caballo, Common horsetail, Corn horsetail, Gongbangcho, Heermoes, Horse- pipe, Moeraspaardestaart, Mokjeok, Moonhyung, Scouring rush, Shvita, Snake grass, Soettgi, Soksae, Sugina, Toadpipe, Tolkatshnik, Tomahwang, Tsukushi, Vara de oro, Wen ching, Western horsetail, Paddockpipes, Peltokorte, Pest’shi, Petite prele, Pewterwort, Pildoochae, Pildooyeup, Pine grass, Pinetop, Polevaja sosenka, Prele, Prele des champs, Poldosi, Queue de cheval, Queue de rat, Queue de renard, Rabo de cavalo, Rasperella, Ravrumpa, Zinngras, Zinnkraut, Bottlebrush, and Ashwa-puchha
Habitat: Europe, Asia, and North America
Origin: Macedonia
Harvested: Wild or cultivated
Parts Used: Stems

General Information:
Horsetail is a perennial plant belonging to the genus Equisetum. There are at least 15 different species of Equisetum around the world, and “horsetail” is often used to describe the entire group. In general, the above-ground parts of the horsetail plant are used to make medicine. The common horsetail plant (Equisetum arvense) is the variety most often used medicinally.

This herb can be found growing in moist, rich soil throughout the temperate climate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, including Asia, North America and Europe. The reeds often grow wild near wetlands and other low-lying areas throughout the world. Horsetail grass or horsetail reed (Equisetum hyemale) is often used as an ornamental plant in gardens or in contained ponds.

These plants have two distinctive types of stems. The first stem grows in early spring and looks similar to asparagus, but it’s brown rather than green and has spore-containing cones on top. The mature horsetail herb comes out in the summer with branched, thin, green stems that look like a feathery tail. The horsetail grass plant and all varieties of this herb are known for spreading quickly and being very invasive. (3)

Equisetum arvense, is among the many species of Horsetail, is an herbaceous perennial root-stock and rhizome which can extend to 2 meters below ground. Two kinds of annual stems are produced from this root-stock fertile and barren. The separate sterile, non-reproductive and fertile spore bearing stems growing from a perenimal underground rhizomatous steam system. The fertile stem appears after the now thaws. The fertile stems are produced in early spring and are non-photosynthetic, while the green sterile steras start to grow after the fertile stems have wilted and persist through the summer until the first snow thaws. The fertile stems are produced in early spring and are non-photosynthetic, while the green sterile stems start to grow after the fertile stems have wilted and persist through the summer until the first autumn frosts. This pencil-thick fruiting stem is unbranched and grows to a height of around 12-15 cm; it is pale brown to reddish in color. The stems bear a characteristic brownish-colored, terminal cone-shaped catkin containing whorls of the closely packed palate on which the sporophylls are to be found. At the nodes or joints of the stem, the sheaths are to be found which can grow to a length of up to 2 cm and bear between six to twelve blackish-brown teeth or tips. As soon as the fertile stem withers, a pale green, barren frond appears in the same place, which can grow to a height of 40 cm Unlike the fruiting stem, whorls of four or five-winged side branches arise from the internodes of the barren stem. The barren stem is furrowed and rough on the surface, this roughness is due to deposits of silicic acid inside the stem.

The plant grows in sand and gravel, along roadsides and railway tracks and in wet places. The Indians and Mexicans used the stems for scouring pots, can also be used for polishing hardwood, ivory, and brass. The name “horsetail”, often used for the entire group, arose because the branched species somewhat resemble a horse’s tail.

Horsetail is a descendant of giant fern-like plants that covered the earth some 200 million years ago. It has two distinctive types of stems. One variety of stem grows early in spring and looks like asparagus. The mature form of the herb has branched, feathery stems that look like a horse’s tail. The other variety sends up hollow, jointed, leafless bamboo-like stalks that reach six feet (two meters) in length. At the top, there are spore-bearing structures that resemble horsetails. This plant is widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere including Europe, but grows in Asia and as far south as Turkey and Iran. The plant is also found in the Himalayas, central and northern China, and Japan. The aerial (above ground) parts of the non-fruiting stems are used in herbal medicine and can be eaten as a vegetable; they can be used dried or fresh.

Horsetail was originally recommended by Galen, one of the first renowned physicians of ancient times. Since then, several cultures have used this herb for kidney and bladder problems, arthritis, bleeding ulcers, and tuberculosis. The topical use of horsetail is said to stop the bleeding of wounds and promote rapid healing. Unproven folk medicine uses include treating tuberculosis, heavy menstrual flow, brittle fingernails, loss of hair, gout, and frostbite. Homeopathic remedies exist for urinary tract and kidney disorders. The German Commission E recommends that horsetail be used internally for post-traumatic and static edema, irrigation of a bacterial infection, and inflammation of the lower urinary tract and kidney stones. Externally it is used for treating poorly healing wounds.

 

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

How Much To Use
It is common that 10g of a fresh herb = 1g when dehydrated.
Recommended daily amount: 1–2 teaspoons (2-4 g) of dried horsetail herb. This can be added to food or to make tea.
Due to potential kidney irritation and vitamin B1 deficiency, avoid long-term daily use; limit to 3–4 weeks.