Horsetail (Shavegrass)

Western Bulk Herbs – Horsetail

Horsetail is a popular herb for foraging and contains a high amount of silica. Used traditionally to support connective tissues, the urinary tract and the kidneys. Horsetail is also a good source of the flavonoids; quercetin 3 glucoside and luteolin.

High doses of horsetail will have sedative and anticonvulsant effects. It’s mostly used as a diuretic (increase urine flow). It flushes out bacteria without upsetting the body’s chemical balance. It’s also been used for age-related memory problems.

Latin Name:
Equisetum arvense

Common Names:
Field Horsetail, scouring rush, and shavegrass. Plus, common horsetail, field horsetail, corn horsetail, Dutch rushes, horsetail rush, mare’s tail, pewterwort, scouring rush, vara de oro, Bottlebrush

Parts Used:
Above-ground parts of the plant

Properties:
Anti-inflammatory, anodyne, antihemorrhagic, antiseptic, astringent, cardiac, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactagogue, hemostatic, nervine, vulnerary

Traditional Uses:
Teas, tinctures and capsules.

Topical Uses / Applications:

Culinary Uses:
Not normally used in cooking.

Folk Lore:
One of oldest known healing herbs that can be dated back to the Devonian period. That’s almost 350 million years ago. They used it for polishing metal. As a medical herb they used it for kidney and bladder problems. Plus, they used it for shampoos, skincare, gout, and gonorrhea.

In China, they use it for dysentery (inflammatory disorder of the intestine), sore throat, and malaria. Modern herbalists and The German E commission recommend it for kidney stones, urinary tract infections, inflamed prostates, and anemia.

Chemical Properties:
Primarily silica and potassium salts. Horsetail from European sources contains the anti-allergy compound quercetin, but the same herb from North American and Asian sources usually does not. The plant also contains small amounts of nicotine.

Cautions:
Do not use horsetail if you have kidney or heart disorders. Not appropriate for children because of high inorganic silica content. Do not use for prolonged periods of time. Horsetail causes breakdown of thiamine and may interact with cardiac medications.

*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Resources:
PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2000. Medical Economics Company, Montvale, New Jersey.

The New Holistic Herbal. David Hoffmann, 1990. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.

A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Grieve, (Dover Publications, New York, 1971)

Major Herbs of Ayurvedic.Compiled by Dahur Research Foundation and Dahur Ayurvet Limited, Ghaziabad, India., 2002. Churchill Livingstone, London, England.

Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition, Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, 1986. Eastland Press, Seattle, WA.