American Chestnut

• Overview
• Uses
• Side Effects
• Precautions
• Interactions
• Dosing

American chestnut is a plant. The leaves and bark of the plant are used to make medicine.

People take American chestnut as a tea for cough, breathing problems, arthritis-like pain (rheumatism), and swelling. They also take it for its calming effects (as a sedative).

Some people gargle with American chestnut for sore throat.

In foods, an extract of American chestnut is used in beverages.

How does it work?

American chestnut contains chemicals called tannins, which help reduce swelling.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Cough.
• Arthritis-like pain (rheumatism).
• Swelling.
• Promoting calmness.
• Sore throat, when used as a gargle.
• Other conditions.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

American chestnut is safe for most people in the amounts found in food and beverages. It is not known if American chestnut is safe in the larger amounts typically used as medicine. American chestnut might cause some side effects such as stomach and intestinal problems, kidney and liver damage, and certain cancers.

American chestnut contains a large amount of chemicals called tannins. Tannins absorb substances in the stomach and intestines. Taking American chestnut along with medications taken by mouth can decrease how much medicine your body absorbs, and decrease the effectiveness of your medicine. To prevent this interaction, take American chestnut at least 1 hour after medications you take by mouth.

The appropriate dose of American chestnut depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for American chestnut. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.