PHARMACY UPDATE: No game of conkers.(horse chestnut seed extract helps chronic venous insufficiency)

There is good evidence that horse chestnut seed extract helps chronic venous insufficiency, according to Professor Edzard Ernst

Everyone knows the horse chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum (genus Asculus). It was introduced into northern Europe in 1576 by the botanist, Charles de L'Ecluse, who brought seeds from Constantinople. The name allegedly comes from the fact that horse chestnut seeds were fed to horses when they suffered from respiratory problems.

The seeds are also the part of the plant that is used for human medicines. These chestnuts or `conkers' are poisonous but the toxic ingredients are removed from the extract that is used medicinally. Traditionally, seeds were recommended for oral use to …