Label: Beneficial Botanicals
Botanical Name: Equisetum arvense / Urtica sp.
Parts Used: fresh leaves and tender stems of horsetail and nettle
Organic: Yes Origin: USA
Menstruum: food grade alcohol
Tincture Ratio: 1:3
Known Uses (combination): strengthen bones, repair joint cartilage, strengthen fingernails, stimulate hair growth
[tab name="Overview"]
Horsetail : The young fertile stems bearing strobili of some species are cooked and eaten by people in Japan as a dish similar to asparagus called tsukushi. The people of ancient Rome would also eat meadow horsetail in this manner as well as making a tea with or using it as thickening powder. Indians of the North American Pacific Northwest eat the young shoots of this plant raw. An extract is often used to provide silica for supplementation.
Stinging Nettle : The plant has a long history of use as a food source as well as a medicine. Nettle leaf is a herb that has a long tradition of use as an adjuvant remedy in the treatment of arthritis in Germany. Nettle leaf extract contains active compounds that reduce inflammatory cytokines. It has been demonstrated that nettle leaf lowers TNF levels by potently inhibiting the genetic transcription factor that activates TNF-a and IL-1B in the synovial tissue that lines the joint. Nettle root extracts have been extensively studied in human clinical trials as a treatment for symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These extracts have been shown to help relieve symptoms compared to placebo both by themselves and when combined with other herbal medicines. Because it contains 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran, certain extracts of the nettle are used by bodybuilders in an effort to increase free testosterone by occupying sex-hormone binding globulin. Fresh nettle is used in folk remedies to stop bleeding because of its high Vitamin K content.
[tab name="Use / Dosage"]
The combination of Horsetail and Stinging Nettle is used for the building of strong bones*, repair of joint cartilage, to strengthen fingernails, and/or stimulate hair growth. Horsetail's predominant element, natural occurring silicon (up to 70%) is the key ingredient to its curative properties while Stinging Nettles contains a very high source of digestible iron.
*Bone growth involves the process of adding calcium for hardness, plus increasing collagen. Silicon (silica plus oxygen form silica, more correctly noted as silicon dioxide) is essential for both of these processes. An important study conducted at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shows that silicon-supplemented bones have a one hundred percent increase in collagen when compared with low-silicon bones.
Known Dosage (for Adults)
1/2 tsp. tincture three times daily with each meal (10-15% silica)
[tab name="Precautions"]
Do not use Horsetail in combination with anti-hypertensive drugs, digitalis, corticosteroids, heparin, or lithium. If taking Horsetail for a prolonged time, supplement thiamine (Vitamin B1) in your diet, because it will interfere with thiamine absorption. Avoid taking the thiamine at the same time as the Horsetail. Because horsetail can also cause low levels of thiamin, you should not take horsetail if you drink heavily. Horsetail contains some nicotine, and should not be used if you are also using nicotine replacement patches or chewing gum.
[tab name="References"]
Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000:208-211.
Bradley P, ed. British Herbal Compendium. Vol. I. Dorset (Great Britain): British Herbal Medicine Association; 1992:92-94.
Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical; 1998:85.
Cetojevic-Simin DD. Antioxidative and antiproliferative activities of different horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) extracts. J Med Food. 2010;13(2):452-9.
Corletto F. [Female climacteric osteoporosis therapy with titrated horsetail (Equisetum arvense) extract plus calcium (osteosil calcium): randomized double blind study]. Miner Ortoped Traumatol. 1999;50:201-206.
D'Agostino M, Dini A, Pizza C, et al. Sterols from Equisetum arvense. Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper. 1984;60(12):2241-2245.
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photo credits: commons.wikimedia.org
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information provided here is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist or other healthcare provider and should not be construed to indicate that the use of this herbal product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. Consult your healthcare provider before taking this herbal product.