Plant Comparison
Field Horsetail vs Eyebright
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Field Horsetail and Eyebright: they share 6 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, cancer (anticancer research), infection (general), …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Field Horsetail | Eyebright | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 5/10 | 1/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Cancer (anticancer research) | 2/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Infection (general) | 5/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Inflammation (general) | 5/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Skin irritation | 5/10 | 1/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
| Wounds | 5/10 | 1/10 | Stronger for Field Horsetail |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
Field horsetail is exceptionally rich in silica, concentrated in the stem, and is a signature source of this mineral in Western herbal medicine.
Antioxidant flavonoids contributing to the plant's anti-inflammatory activity.
An enzyme that degrades vitamin B1 (thiamine); the basis of the caution against prolonged or excessive use.
Give the plant its anti-inflammatory action on irritated tissue.
Pharmacological Actions
Astringent and anti-inflammatory for eye irritation, redness and conjunctivitis (traditional, as an eye compress or bath) - an open prospective cohort of Euphrasia single-dose eye drops reported recovery or clear improvement in most patients with conjunctivitis
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-rheumatic action
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
Eases eye strain and watery, itchy eyes from allergy (hay fever / allergic conjunctivitis)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
Soothes upper-respiratory catarrh and mild infection (traditional)
Astringent and anti-inflammatory for eye irritation, redness and conjunctivitis (traditional, as an eye compress or bath) - an open prospective cohort of Euphrasia single-dose eye drops reported recovery or clear improvement in most patients with conjunctivitis; Eases eye strain and watery, itchy eyes from allergy (hay fever / allergic conjunctivitis)
Eases eye strain and watery, itchy eyes from allergy (hay fever / allergic conjunctivitis)
Soothes upper-respiratory catarrh and mild infection (traditional)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Soothes upper-respiratory catarrh and mild infection (traditional)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Field horsetail contains thiaminase, an enzyme that degrades thiamine (vitamin B1); prolonged or excessive use can cause thiamine deficiency — symptoms include neurological problems and weight loss. This risk is greatest with repeated large doses or prolonged use. The plant also contains nicotine at low levels and silica compounds. Not recommended for children or during pregnancy and breastfeeding. People with impaired kidney function should avoid use, as diuretic effects may worsen fluid and electrolyte imbalance. Caution with concurrent diuretic medications. The EMA herbal monograph recognises traditional use at appropriate short-term doses in adults only (European Medicines Agency, 2016; Sandhu et al., 2010).
Duke (2002) rates horsetail as + (moderate caution) and notes clinical evidence (score 2) for its diuretic and wound-healing (vulnerary) activities, consistent with Commission E approval. High silica content may strengthen connective tissue, hair, and nails. Dose: 6 g dried herb daily as tea or in capsules. Horsetail contains thiaminase (breaks down vitamin B1) and an unidentified neurotoxin — it should not be taken long-term or in large quantities. Not for use in patients with edema due to cardiac or renal insufficiency, and avoid in children under 12 (Duke, 2002).
CRITICAL: do not put non-sterile, homemade eyebright preparations directly into the eye - this risks serious eye infection. Use only commercially prepared sterile products in the eye, or apply a strained, cooled infusion as a compress over closed eyelids.
Traditional use only; persistent eye symptoms, pain, discharge or vision change need assessment by an eye-care professional. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not established.
External Ids
Botanical Description
Perennial, spore-bearing (non-flowering) plant with two distinct stem types arising from a deep, black, jointed rhizome. In early spring, unbranched, pale brownish fertile stems appear first, each topped with a spore-bearing cone, and die back once spores are shed; these are followed by the familiar green, hollow, jointed, ridged sterile stems bearing whorls of thin, needle-like branches at each node, giving a bottlebrush appearance.
Small, semi-parasitic annual herb (drawing some nutrients from the roots of neighbouring grasses) with tiny, opposite, toothed leaves and delicate, two-lipped white to pale lilac flowers marked with purple veins and a yellow throat spot, giving a bright, eye-like appearance that inspired both its common and Latin names.[11]
Habitat
Grows in damp grassland, waste ground, riverbanks, roadsides and disturbed soil on a wide range of soils; native and common across the temperate Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Asia, North America).
Grows in short, unimproved grassland, pastures, meadows and dunes on well-drained soils, always in association with grasses on which it partially parasitises; native to Europe.[11]
Harvesting
The green sterile stems are cut in summer, at their most vigorous, and dried quickly in a warm, shaded, airy place; careful identification against the more toxic marsh horsetail (Equisetum palustre), which grows in similar damp ground, is essential before wild-harvesting.
The flowering aerial parts are cut in summer while in flower and dried in a warm, shaded, airy place.[11]
Traditional Uses
Field horsetail has a long European folk history as a diuretic remedy for urinary gravel and mild fluid retention, as an astringent, anti-inflammatory and vulnerary herb for wounds and connective-tissue support, and, owing to its very high silica content, as a traditional tonic for hair, nails and skin.[11]
Preparations
Dried sterile stem simmered or infused in hot water as a traditional diuretic and connective-tissue-support tea.
Strained, cooled infusion applied as a compress over closed eyelids, or used (only when sterile, commercially prepared) as an eyewash for irritated or red eyes.
Commercially prepared, sterile Euphrasia eye drops used for conjunctivitis; a prospective clinical cohort found improvement in most users.
Dosage
The EU herbal monograph gives a single dose of 1-4 g of the comminuted herb in 150 mL of boiling water as an infusion or decoction (5-15 minutes), 3-4 times daily, for a daily dose of 3-12 g, in adolescents, adults and elderly; traditionally used over a period of 2 to 4 weeks. For cutaneous use, 10 g in 1 L of water as a decoction for impregnated dressings and irrigation. Not recommended under 12 years. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
No dose is given here because no official posology exists. The HMPC assessed eyebright and DECLINED to establish a herbal monograph, concluding that the efficacy of the claimed uses is undocumented and that external eye application of ex tempore (home-prepared) preparations is 'not hygienic and not safe', so therapeutic use cannot be recommended. Traditional sources describe a strained, cooled infusion used as a compress, but that is precisely the practice the HMPC advised against; nothing home-prepared should be put in or on the eye. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
Not documented
References & Sources
- Hegedus, C., Muresan, M., Badale, A., Bombicz, M. and others (2020) 'SIRT1 Activation by Equisetum arvense L. (Horsetail) Modulates Insulin Sensitivity in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats', Molecules, 25(11), pp. 2541. doi:10.3390/molecules25112541 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25112541 - Dragos, D., Gilca, M., Gaman, L., Vlad, A., Iosif, L. et al (2017) 'Phytomedicine in Joint Disorders', Nutrients, 9(1), pp. 70. doi:10.3390/nu9010070 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9010070 - Grundemann, C., Lengen, K., Sauer, B., Garcia-Kaufer, M. and others (2014) 'Equisetum arvense (common horsetail) modulates the function of inflammatory immunocompetent cells', BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 14, pp. 283. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-283 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-283 - Wang, L., Zhang, L., Zheng, G. and Luo, H (2021) 'Equisetum arvense L aqueous extract: a novel chemotherapeutic supplement for treatment of human colon carcinoma', Archives of Medical Science, 19(5), pp. 1472-1478. doi:10.5114/aoms/138146 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.5114/aoms/138146 - Jeong, S.Y., Yu, H.S., Ra, M.J., Jung, S.M. and others (2023) 'Phytochemical Investigation of Equisetum arvense and Evaluation of Their Anti-Inflammatory Potential in TNFalpha/INFgamma-Stimulated Keratinocytes', Pharmaceuticals, 16(10), pp. 1478. doi:10.3390/ph16101478 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16101478 - Klncalp, S., Ekiz, F., Basar, O., Coban, S. and others (2012) 'Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail)-induced liver injury', European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 24(2), pp. 213-214. doi:10.1097/MEG.0b013e32834e7ff0 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1097/MEG.0b013e32834e7ff0 - Maeda, H., Miyamoto, K. and Sano, T (1997) 'Occurrence of dermatitis in rats fed a cholesterol diet containing field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.)', Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 43(5), pp. 553-563. doi:10.3177/jnsv.43.553 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.43.553 - Saslis-Lagoudakis, C.H., Bruun-Lund, S., Iwanycki, N.E., Seberg, O. and others (2015) 'Identification of common horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.; Equisetaceae) using Thin Layer Chromatography versus DNA barcoding', Scientific Reports, 5, pp. 11942. doi:10.1038/srep11942 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep11942 - Mimica-Dukic, N., Simin, N., Cvejic, J., Jovin, E. and others (2008) 'Phenolic compounds in field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) as natural antioxidants', Molecules, 13(7), pp. 1455-1464. doi:10.3390/molecules13071455 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules13071455 - Tufarelli, V., Baghban-Kanani, P., Azimi-Youvalari, S., Hosseintabar-Ghasemabad, B. and others (2021) 'Effects of Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) and Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) Dietary Supplementation on Laying Hens Productivity and Oxidative Status', Animals, 11(2), pp. 335. doi:10.3390/ani11020335 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020335 - Carneiro, D.M., Marques, L.C., Velasques, L.O. et al (2016) 'Randomized, double-blind clinical trial to assess the acute diuretic effect of Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail) in healthy volunteers'. doi:10.1155/2014/760683 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/760683 - European Medicines Agency (2016) 'European Union herbal monograph on Equisetum arvense L., herba'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-equisetum-arvense-l-herba_en.pdf Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-equisetum-arvense-l-herba_en.pdf - http://LatvijasDaba.lv (n.d.) 'tīruma kosa – Equisetum arvense L'. Available at: http://LatvijasDaba.lv Traditional / reference
http://LatvijasDaba.lv - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.) 'Equisetum arvense L'. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:http://ipni.org:names:17003330-1 Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:http://ipni.org:names:17003330-1 - Sandhu, N.S., Kaur, S. and Chopra, D (2010) 'Equisetum arvense: pharmacology and phytochemistry — a review', 3(3), pp. 146--150. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Equisetum%20arvense%3A%20pharmacology%20and%20phytochemistry%20%E2%80%94%20a%20review - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - NatureSpot 'Marsh Horsetail - Equisetum palustre'. Available at: https://www.naturespot.org/species/marsh-horsetail Traditional / reference
https://www.naturespot.org/species/marsh-horsetail - Muller, J. and Puttich, P.M. and Beuerle, T (2020) 'Variation of the Main Alkaloid Content in Equisetum palustre L. in the Light of Its Ontogeny', Toxins, 12(11), pp. 710. doi:10.3390/toxins12110710 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12110710 - Ibi, A. and Du, M. and Beuerle, T. and Melchert, D. and Solnier, J. and Chang, C (2022) 'A Multi-Pronged Technique for Identifying Equisetum palustre and Equisetum arvense - Combining HPTLC, HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and Optimized DNA Barcoding Techniques', Plants, 11(19), pp. 2562. doi:10.3390/plants11192562 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192562
- Novy, P., Davidova, H., Serrano-Rojero, C.S., Rondevaldova, J. et al (2015) 'Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne Essential Oil', Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015, pp. 734101. doi:10.1155/2015/734101 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/734101 - D'Ambrosio, M., Ciocarlan, A. and Aricu, A (2020) 'Minor acetylated metabolites from Euphrasia rostkoviana', Natural Product Research, 34(2), pp. 290-295. doi:10.1080/14786419.2018.1530227 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2018.1530227 - Ververis, A., Kyriakou, S., Paraskeva, H., Panayiotidis, M.I. et al (2024) 'Chemical Characterization and Assessment of the Neuroprotective Potential of Euphrasia officinalis', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(23), pp. 12902. doi:10.3390/ijms252312902 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312902 - Meier-Girard, D., Gerstenberg, G., Stoffel, L., Kohler, T., Klein, S.D., Eschenmoser, M., Mitter, V.R., Nelle, M. and Wolf, U (2020) 'Euphrasia eye drops in preterm neonates with ocular discharge: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial', Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8, pp. 449. doi:10.3389/fped.2020.00449 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.00449 - Liu, Y., Hwang, E., Ngo, H.T.T., Perumalsamy, H., Kim, Y.J., Li, L. and Yi, T.H (2018) 'Protective effects of Euphrasia officinalis extract against ultraviolet B-induced photoaging in normal human dermal fibroblasts', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(11), pp. 3327. doi:10.3390/ijms19113327 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113327 - Porchezhian, E., Ansari, S.H. and Shreedharan, N.K (2000) 'Antihyperglycemic activity of Euphrasia officinale leaves', Fitoterapia, 71(5), pp. 522-526. doi:10.1016/s0367-326x(00)00204-5 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0367-326x(00)00204-5 - Sticher, O. and Salama, O (1981) 'Iridoid glucosides from Euphrasia rostkoviana', Planta Medica, 42(6), pp. 122-123. doi:10.1055/s-2007-971584 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-971584 - Lorenz, P., Knittel, D.N., Conrad, J., Lotter, E.M., Heilmann, J., Stintzing, F.C. and Kammerer, D.R (2016) '1-Acetyl-3-[(3R)-hydroxyfatty acyl]glycerols: lipid compounds from Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne and E. tetraquetra (Breb.) Arrond', Chemistry & Biodiversity, 13(5), pp. 602-612. doi:10.1002/cbdv.201500233 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.201500233 - Gawenda-Kempczynska, D., Olech, M., Balcerek, M., Nowak, R., Zaluski, T. and Zaluski, D (2022) 'Phenolic acids as chemotaxonomic markers able to differentiate the Euphrasia species', Phytochemistry, 203, pp. 113342. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113342 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113342 - Benedec, D., Oniga, I., Hanganu, D., Vlase, A.M., Ielciu, I., Crisan, G., Fit, N., Niculae, M., Bab, T., Pall, E. and Vlase, L (2024) 'Revealing the Phenolic Composition and the Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activities of Two Euphrasia sp. Extracts', Plants, 13(13), pp. 1790. doi:10.3390/plants13131790 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131790 - Herbal Reality (n.d.) 'Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis): Benefits, Uses, Safety'. Available at: https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/eyebright/ Traditional / reference
https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/eyebright/ - Paduch, R. and colleagues (2014) 'Assessment of Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis L.) Extract Activity in Relation to Human Corneal Cells Using In Vitro Tests'. doi:10.5152/balkanmedj.2014.8377 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.5152/balkanmedj.2014.8377 - Stoss, M., Michels, C., Peter, E., Beutke, R. and Gorter, R.W (2000) 'Prospective cohort trial of Euphrasia single-dose eye drops in conjunctivitis', Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 6(6), pp. 499--508. doi:10.1089/acm.2000.6.499 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2000.6.499 - European Medicines Agency (HMPC) (2010) 'Public statement on Euphrasia officinalis L. and Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne, herba'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-public-statement-euphrasia-officinalis-l-and-euphrasia-rostkoviana-hayne-herba_en.pdf Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-public-statement-euphrasia-officinalis-l-and-euphrasia-rostkoviana-hayne-herba_en.pdf
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.