Horse chestnut extract is a less-talked about herbal supplement that can be very beneficial to your health. Coming from the horse chestnut herb, it has shown a wide variety of applications as a supplement. It harbors anti-inflammatory properties which act as anti oxidants and help to protect your body from the harmful effects that free radicals can have by breaking down your body’s cell walls. Because of its anti inflammatory properties, it has been used to treat hemorrhoids. Its landmark feature, however, has to do with your veins. Horse chestnut extract has been shown to help improve vein health by eliminating such symptoms as pain, lethargy, and heaviness in the legs that come with poor vein health. Many people take horse chestnut extract for its ability to help varicose veins, the unsightly condition caused by fragile blood vessels and poor circulation. A compound known as aescin is found in horse chestnut extract, which appears to ‘patch up’ tiny leaks in blood vessels and capillaries, improving their health, strength, and elasticity. If you are beginning to think about taking horse chestnut extract yourself, it’s important to start on the right path. Make sure you buy only pharmaceutical grade horse chestnut extract, which should contain somewhere between 15 and 20 percent aescin. A commonly used dosage for the extract is 50mg per supplement. As always, remember to ask a doctor if you are taking any medications that the horse chestnut extract may interfere with. For instance, horse chestnut extract has been shown to be detrimental to the effect of blood thinners, which can cause serious complications if taken in tandem. Also, if you are pregnant or nursing, you’d be best avoiding the horse chestnut extract as to not test the waters with the young one. We hope you’ve learned all you want to know about horse chestnut extract!