American chestnut
American chestnut

Background

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, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
When taken by mouth: American chestnut leaf is LIKELY SAFE for most people in the amounts used to flavor foods and beverages. The nut is also LIKELY SAFE when consumed in the amounts found in food. It is not known if American chestnut leaf, nut, or bark are 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.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if American chestnut is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Effectiveness

NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Likely effective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
Likely ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions
  • Cough.
  • Arthritis-like pain (rheumatism).
  • Swelling.
  • Promoting calmness.
  • Sore throat, when used as a gargle.
  • Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of American chestnut for these uses.

Dosing & administration

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.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

It is not known if American Chestnut interacts with any medicines. Before taking American Chestnut, talk with your healthcare professional if you take any medications.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.

Interactions with foods

There are no known interactions with foods.

Action

American chestnut contains chemicals called tannins, which help reduce swelling.
vital.ly has licensed monographs from TRC Healthcare.
This monograph was last reviewed on 07/12/2023 11:00:00 and last updated on 21/12/2012 19:45:52. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.
Natural Medicines disclaims any responsibility related to medical consequences of using any medical product. Effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this monograph is accurate at the time it was published. Consumers and medical professionals who consult this monograph are cautioned that any medical or product related decision is the sole responsibility of the consumer and/or the health care professional. A legal License Agreement sets limitations on downloading, storing, or printing content from this Database. No reproduction of this monograph or any content from this Database is permitted without written permission from the publisher. It is unlawful to download, store, or distribute content from this site.