Horsetail
Introduction
This fact sheet provides essential information about horsetail, a plant native to Europe, North America, North Africa, and northern Asia. Horsetail is a pteridophyte, more closely related to ferns than flowering plants, and produces visible spore sacs from March through September. This small, deep-rooted, rush-like perennial typically grows to about 0.3 meters in height, featuring hollow, pointed stems and scale-like leaves, with no flowers. Horsetail thrives in moist, shady areas.
Traditionally, horsetail has been used as a diuretic and antitubercular agent for treating genitourinary and respiratory disorders, arthritis, and bleeding ulcers. Due to its high silica content, horsetail has also been employed for cleaning dishes, sanding wood, and polishing metal. Externally, it is used in cosmetics and as an astringent to stop bleeding and promote wound healing.
Common Names
- Horsetail
- Bottle Brush
- Scouring Rush
- Shave Grass
- Dutch Rush
- Pewterwort
Latin Names
- Equisetum arvense
What It Is Used For
- Horsetail has been utilized as a diuretic, for kidney and bladder ailments, as an astringent to stop bleeding and stimulate healing, as an antitubercular drug, and as a cosmetic ingredient. However, clinical trials supporting these uses are lacking.
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How It Is Used
- A tea can be prepared by pouring boiled water over 2 to 3 grams of horsetail herb, cooking for five minutes, and straining after 10 to 15 minutes. It is recommended that you drink this tea during the day between meals.
- An infusion for internal use can be made by adding 1.5 grams of horsetail herb to 1 cup of boiling water and letting it steep for 30 to 40 minutes.
Dosages:
- Internal: 6 g daily (as recommended by the German Commission E monograph)
- Herbal infusion: 4 oz three times daily
- Tincture (1:5): 1 to 4 mL three times daily
- External (compresses): 10 g of herb per 1 liter of water daily
What the Science Says
- Research has not provided animal or clinical data supporting the diuretic effects of horsetail.
- Historical claims regarding horsetail’s effectiveness in treating urological disorders, tuberculosis, or enhancing wound healing have not been confirmed or disproved.
Side Effects and Cautions
- The FDA classifies horsetail as an herb of undefined safety. Ingesting large amounts may be toxic, and there have been reports of children being poisoned by using the stems as blowguns or whistles.
- Crude horsetail contains the enzyme thiaminase, which can destroy the B-vitamin thiamine.
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