The chestnut tree is a native tree of Smaller Asia, than it comes cultivating from immemorial time. Greek and the Romans extended it by Europe, and later he was taken to the New World. The chestnut tree is not in a hurry in growing. The 25 or 30 years it begins to fructify, and it reaches his maturity as of the 100 or 150 years. Cases of brown are counted that have lived more than 1,000 years.
Habitat: one grows up in graníticos or pizarrosos lands, but not in the calcáreos, of mountainous regions. Common, as much in the center and the south of Europe, like in America.
Description: robust tree and of heavy trunk, of the family of the Fagáceas, that reaches up to 20 meters of height. The leaves, you expire, lanceoladas and they are teethed in mountain range; they are born of one in one, and not in groups of 5 like in the chestnut tree of Indians. The seeds (brown) lodge in groups of 2 or 3 within a thorny shell (sprocket wheel).
Used parts: the crust, the leaves and the seeds (brown).
Properties and indications: The crust of the tree, and in smaller proportion the leaves are very rich in tannin, besides to contain sugars, pectina, essential oil, and other active principles. Their two more outstanding properties are:
Astringents, that is to say, that dry and desinflaman the mucous. For that reason they turn out very useful to cut the acute diarreas and to make mouthwashes and gárgaras in cases of inflammation of the mouth and the throat.
Antitusígenas: as much applied locally in garglings, as in tisane form, they calm the rebellious cough due to irritation of high the respiratory routes (béquica action). The crust and the leaves of chestnut tree also are used successfully in case of ferina cough.
The chestnuts are rich in glúcidos (more of the 40 /o), and contain small amounts, although very usable, of mineral fat and proteins, as well as vitamins To, B and G and salts. Their more interesting properties are:
They contribute to alcalinizantes substances that neutralize the excess of acids in the blood and facilitate their elimination by tinkles it, which is specially useful to those who they suffer reumatismo by excess of úrico acid (arthritism) and to that consume meat in abundance.
Very under sodium content (l milligram percent grams of eatable part), and high proportion of potassium (710 milligrams by each 100 grams). For that reason they are useful in the hypertense diets from and the cardiac ones.
Use: decocción with 50 grams of crushed crust and other 50 of leaves by each liter of water (also it can take control single of leaves, in which case 100 grams by liter of water are put); to boil during 15 minutes, to leak and to sweeten, preferably with honey; to take 3 or 4 cups to the day until the diarrea is cut or disappears the cough. The chestnuts can be taken crude, roasted or cooked. For the children one is prepared papilla very nutritious with boiled and crushed chestnuts affluent.
Externally it is applied in rinsings and garglings that are made with the same described decocción para.uso.interno. In case of wishing to sweeten it, it is recommended to use honey.