The flowering of chestnuts is one of the most beautiful phenomena in nature. Candle-shaped tree flowers are considered not only a unique symbol of the May flowering of spring, but also enjoy great success in the field of alternative medicine as a medicine for many diseases.
How are chestnut flowers useful?
Chestnut is a deciduous plant of the Beech family, with a spreading crown and large leaves. 
In May, large, bisexual, bell-shaped flowers of white or pink-white color appear on its branches, along the edges with fringed petals.
Chestnut is not only a tree, but also edible useful fruits - nuts - chestnuts. Read more about how to germinate chestnut nut, how to plant and care for edible chestnut, also read the list of all types of chestnuts.
They are neatly connected to erect, racemes with a two-layer floral coloring.
Chestnut flowers are fragrant, aesthetically attractive cones with a huge range of healing properties. The chemical composition is represented by B vitamins, ascorbic acid, tannins, carotenoids, flavonoids, which have an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, sedative, rejuvenating effect.
They are used to:
- strengthen the immune system and increase the protective functions of the body;
- the active formation of hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands;
- cleansing of organs, excretion of slags, toxins, salt deposits;
- increase stress resistance;
- normalization of sleep, getting rid of insomnia;
- normalization of the digestive system, gastrointestinal tract;
- relieving the clinical symptoms of mastitis;
- detoxification.
Also, the tool is used for the prevention of cardiovascular, catarrhal and viral diseases, treatment of depression, and nervous disorders. Flowers treat gastritis, arthritis, gout, arthrosis, varicose veins, hemorrhoids.Did you know? Chestnut flowers have the ability to absorb exhaust gases in large amounts and neutralize the effects of radiation. Due to such properties, they are used to treat illnesses associated with obtaining excess radioactive radiation.
Is there any harm?
Chestnut flowers, along with high healing properties, in some cases can be harmful. Contraindications to their use are:
- bleeding tendency;
- diseases associated with blood clotting;
- thrombocytopenia;
- kidney disease;
- stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
Before using the product, you should always consult a doctor for pregnant and lactating women, diabetics.Important! Do not use leksredstva children up to 6 years. Children older than six years of age should use drugs only under the supervision of a pediatrician.
When and where to collect medical raw materials
Traditional medicine recommends using chestnut flowers as a remedy in spring and autumn. Of course, during the flowering of shrubs the best option is to use fresh raw materials. But in the autumn it is recommended to use dry color.
When chestnuts are blooming
Flowering tree falls on May-June. It is at this time that it is recommended to harvest raw materials for further use.
Choosing the right place
Since chestnut flowers tend to actively, in large quantities absorb exhaust gases, harmful substances, toxins that poison the air in large cities, on highways, near factories, it is necessary to collect raw materials away from such places.
The best option would be landing, located outside the city, in villages, towns and other environmentally friendly, safe places. 
Flower procurement rules
Procurement of raw materials is carried out in late May, early June. Flowers can be cut off individually or with branches, but it is very important to keep them completely intact.
The collected raw materials are recommended to be dried. For this:
- inflorescences laid out in a thin layer on a clean sheet of paper or parchment paper and placed under the rays of the sun;
- dried raw materials for 3-4 days, periodically turned over;
- when the flowers become brittle and begin to crumble, they are put in a paper bag and stored in a dark place at a temperature of 18-22 ° C.
Dried chestnut flowers have a pleasant, slightly tart flavor and a sweetish aftertaste, so they are perfect for making delicious infusions, decoctions and medicinal teas.
Did you know? Spiders never weave cobwebs in chestnut wood buildings. That is why so many European castles were built using chestnut beams.
Is it necessary to harvest
Chestnut inflorescences are characterized by unique properties that allow to achieve positive results in the treatment of diseases associated with the defeat of veins, hemorrhoids, skin ulcers, endarteritis, etc. 
The beneficial effect is not only freshly harvested raw materials, but also dry inflorescences harvested in time. Dried properly plants in their useful properties and valuable chemical composition is not inferior to fresh flowers and also successfully used in traditional medicine.
What is useful fresh juice
An excellent tool for the prevention and treatment of colds, bacterial and viral diseases, strengthening the immune system is fresh juice from inflorescences. It allows:
- strengthen the immune system;
- increase the body's resistance to viruses, bacteria and infections;
- strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
- prevent diseases of the cardiovascular system.
The products that enhance immunity include: onion, garlic, horseradish, mustard, black radish, turnip.
To make juice, you should:
- flowers washed with clean water, grind in a blender to a state of gruel;
- squeeze the resulting mixture using a sieve or pieces of gauze;
- pour the juice into a clean glass container, put it in the fridge.
It is recommended to apply the agent daily 3 times a day, 30 minutes before a meal, 1 tsp, diluted with water. The course is one month. Regular consumption of juice will allow you to rejuvenate the body, calm the nervous system, to establish sleep.
Therapeutic forms of preparation and their benefits
In alternative medicine, medicinal infusions and tinctures based on shrub blossoms are highly valued.
How to make tincture
Tincture is an effective drug for the treatment of hemorrhoids, joints, gastrointestinal diseases, thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, tumors in the brain, leg ulcers, uterine bleeding. 
It is used for varicose veins, arthritis, rheumatism, mastitis, edema of various etiologies.
Read more about how to make tincture of horse chestnut, as well as learn how in traditional medicine apply the tincture of sabelnik, bison, beeches, aconite and propolis.
The drug can be purchased in finished form in pharmacies, and you can prepare yourself:
- g dried flowers pour 1 liter of alcohol.
- Leave in a dark, cool, not wet place for two weeks.
- Strain, take 3 times a day, 25 drops before meals. The course is 30 days. For severe illnesses, the tincture is consumed for 2 months, then a break is taken for a month.
To prepare alcohol tinctures from fresh raw materials, you need:
- Rinse the cut flowers well, stretch them with your fingers to get the juice, put them in a glass container.
- Raw materials pour vodka or alcohol in the ratio of 1:10.
- Insist for 20 days in the refrigerator in a closed form.
- Shake the mixture well, squeeze and strain.
The medicine can be applied in and out. In the latter case, the drug rubbed sore spots with varicose veins. Also, the tincture is applied as a compress to the affected skin, diseased vessels, etc.
Video: how to make alcohol tincture of chestnut flowers
Cooking infusion (decoction)
Not less useful features has an infusion of chestnut flowers. It is prepared according to this recipe:
- g of dry raw materials pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, insist 2-3 hours.
- Infusion filter, use 150 ml in the morning and evening.
Important! Such a drink should be prepared immediately before use and not preserved, because it loses its beneficial properties.
Often inflorescences insist on a water bath. To do this, 50 g of raw material is poured 250 ml of boiling water, put in a water bath and roasted for 20 minutes. Cool and filter. In this form, the product is more concentrated, so use it on 1/3 cup twice a day.
Cream recipe
For the purpose of treatment, chestnut inflorescences are used to prepare various preparations, including cream, which makes it possible to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, restore the integrity and structure of the skin. Also, the tool serves as an excellent prevention of varicose veins, makes it possible to restore skin tone.
The technology of preparation of the cream is simple:
- Pre-cook the extract, insisting the flowers on alcohol. You can, as an option, grind fresh inflorescences to a state of gruel.
- Two teaspoons of extract or fresh gruel mixed with a small amount of baby or any fatty cream.
The finished cream is recommended to apply on the damaged and diseased areas twice a day. 
Flower based ointment
The ointment prepared on the basis of flowers will eliminate venous diseases, relieve puffiness, inflammation, reduce pain in the joints. To make it you need:
- 50 g of flowers chop and pour 300 ml of vegetable or olive oil;
- put the flower-oil mixture on the fire and simmer for one hour, avoiding "violent" boiling;
- cool the mixture, pour into a clean glass container.
Ointment is recommended to rub with venous dilation, burns, skin ulcers. Make compresses with hemorrhoids.
Familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of hemorrhoid treatment with the help of the coopen, laconosa, swimsuit, purslane, milkweed, momordiki, couch grass and euphorbia.
Methods of application of therapeutic forms
Horse chestnut-based folk remedies are effective, affordable and inexpensive. However, in order for it to benefit, healing agents must be used correctly, strictly following the dosage.
Inside
- Tea. Prepare a drink just like regular tea: dried herbs pour boiling water, insist 15 minutes. Use tea 2-3 times a day. It activates metabolic processes, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, has a tonic and calming effect.
- Decoction. Perfect for normalizing the nervous system, improving the stability of blood vessels, slowing blood clotting, strengthening the immune system. Drink decoction to ½ cup a day, morning and evening.
- Fresh juice. It is recommended to consume with inflammation of hemorrhoids, varicose veins in the legs. Drink juice 1 tbsp. l after meals, 3 times a day.
- Tincture. The crushed raw material is poured with vodka or alcohol, insist for two weeks. Apply tincture of 25-35 drops before meals 3 times a day. The tool is great for rheumatism, arthritis and arthrosis.
Chestnut Flower TeaOutwardly
Outwardly, chestnut flowers are used in the form:
- cream. To restore the structure of the skin, with burns and wounds, to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, with venous expansion. Apply a thin layer of cream on the painful areas several times a day;
- ointment. Excellent relieves inflammation, pain in the joints, eliminates venous dilatation. Ointment is rubbed into the affected areas 2-3 times a day;
- compresses. Helps to improve skin tone, heal wounds and ulcers, reduce joint pain. Use as applications on places of a swelling of veins, a mastopathy;
- baths. Baths with the addition of a decoction of flowers are great for the treatment of venous diseases, healing of wounds and burns, relieving nervous tension. Such procedures have a tonic, calming effect, normalize sleep, help to overcome stress. Bath should be taken once a week, the duration - no more than 20 minutes.
Bath with the addition of decoction of chestnut flowersAlso beneficial to the nervous system affect the bath of pine needles, marigolds and linden.
Horse chestnut is a unique, healing and stunningly beautiful plant that can be useful in treating many ailments. Decoctions, infusions, compresses, ointments of flowers have the most valuable properties that make it possible to achieve excellent results in the fight against diseases. But it is important to remember that you need to take funds in moderate dosages, after consulting with your doctor.
