Herbaceous plant without flowers, the Horsetail evokes the tail of the horse. Like ferns and lycopods, it belongs to the archaic branch of vascular cryptogams,
It is the most active of the horsetails found in cool and temperate places in the northern hemisphere. The horsetail stem is so rich in crystallized silica (90%) that its powder, very abrasive, is used to polish metals and certain hard woods.
The crystals in the powder are so aggressive that the peasants keep their herds away from the fields where horsetail grows, fearing for their animals very painful lithiasis phenomena.
This is why folk medicine uses horsetail in the form of aqueous extracts.
Indeed, infusion and dry extracts contain soluble organic silica and many other minerals and trace elements (potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper) which acting in synergy will revive the enzymatic processes of the cell contributing to the synthesis collagen.
The wear and tear of the cartilage due to the slowing down of the production of collagen which constitutes it causes pain. Horsetail promotes collagen production and may be recommended for osteoarthritis.
Some observations have shown that horsetail extract can help build up the callus in case of limb fractures that have difficulty calcifying. It can therefore be recommended to promote the repair of fractures.
Likewise, horsetail has remineralizing, hemostatic, hypocoagulant and vascular eutropic properties. It also has a natriuric diuretic power and facilitates the renal and digestive elimination functions.
Horsetail is thus used in cases of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, fractures, demineralization and metrorrhagia.
These mechanisms of action give the plant its traditional properties based on mineralizing, diuretic and hemostatic activities.
Latin name: Equisetum arvense
Family: Equisétacées
Vernacular names: Rat tail, ponytail, fox tail, small horsetail
Origin: Europe
Part used: Stem and leaf
Activities: Traditionally used to facilitate the elimination functions of the organism
Alternation:
- Algae: remineralizing
- Java Tea: elimination of water