Mistletoe (Viscum album)

Atherosclerosis

Hypertension

Mistletoe is known to relieve pain from headaches caused by high blood pressure. Mistletoe reduces the heart rate, and at the same time strengthens the capillary walls. Its cardiotonic action is thought to be due to the lignans, while the hypotensive action is believed to be due to a choline derivative related to acetylcholine. Choline derivatives bring about parasympathetic stimulation and vasodilatation.

AIDS / Risk

A German study examined the use of Iscador, a mistletoe extract, in 40 HIV-positive patients with less than 200 T4 cells/ml. Patients injected themselves subcutaneously with 0.01mg to 10mg of Iscador twice per week for eighteen weeks. The only toxicities were transient fever on the day of injection and soreness at the injection site. The researchers of this small, unblinded and unreviewed study reported that 28 of the 36 patients (77%) had increases in T4 levels of greater than 20%. Iscador should only be administered under the supervision of a doctor familiar with its use. [Gorter R, et al. Abstract PO-B28-2167. IX International Conference on AIDS. Berlin. June 1993]

Neuritis/Neuropathy

Mistletoe has a history of use in the treatment of neuritis, an inflammatory condition of the nerves or nerve sheath resulting in shooting or other pains throughout the body. It has been used for those with vertigo attacks and “pins and needles” sensations in the limbs.

Diabetes Type II

Test tube and animal studies suggest that European Mistletoe extracts can stimulate insulin secretion from pancreas cells, and may improve blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Given both Mistletoe’s tradition around the world for helping people with diabetes, and these promising pre-clinical results, human clinical trials are certainly needed to establish Mistletoe’s potential for this condition.

Increased Risk of Colon Cancer

The news (Dec 11, 2012) of a potential new cure could all the same come as a relief to many at-risk American patients of both genders, as according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, colon cancer is the second leading type of cancer that affects men and women in the United States.

Mistletoe’s potential alternate use was reportedly discovered by student Zahra Lotfollahi, who completed a research project comparing three different types of mistletoe extract to chemotherapy on colon cancer cells. She additionally compared the impact of mistletoe extract and chemotherapy on healthy cells, the news website learned.

Lotfollahi found that one type of mistletoe extract known as Fraxini was not only highly effective in combating colon cancer cells, but was also gentler on healthy cells than chemotherapy.

“Of the three extracts tested, and compared with chemotherapy, Fraxini was the only one that showed a reduced impact on healthy intestinal cells,” she was quoted as saying. “This is an important result because we know that chemotherapy is effective as killing healthy cells as well as cancer cells.”

She noted that the mistletoe chemical could come with its own set of negative side effects, including ulcers in the mouth and hair loss.

According to her supervisor, Professor Gordon Howarth:

“Although mistletoe grown on the ash tree was the most effective of the three extracts tested, there is a possibility that mistletoe grown on other, as yet untested, trees or plants could be even more effective.

“This is just the first important step in what we hope will lead to further research, and eventually clinical trials, of mistletoe extract in Australia,”

Howarth claims the extract has been available in Europe and other countries overseas, but not in the the United States or Australia, hence the need for research. I’m sure much has to do with big pharma, since there’s not any money to be made with natural alternatives, but hopefully something will come of this.

Colon Cancer

The news (Dec 11, 2012) of a potential new cure could all the same come as a relief to many at-risk American patients of both genders, as according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, colon cancer is the second leading type of cancer that affects men and women in the United States.

Mistletoe’s potential alternate use was reportedly discovered by student Zahra Lotfollahi, who completed a research project comparing three different types of mistletoe extract to chemotherapy on colon cancer cells. She additionally compared the impact of mistletoe extract and chemotherapy on healthy cells, the news website learned.

Lotfollahi found that one type of mistletoe extract known as Fraxini was not only highly effective in combating colon cancer cells, but was also gentler on healthy cells than chemotherapy.

“Of the three extracts tested, and compared with chemotherapy, Fraxini was the only one that showed a reduced impact on healthy intestinal cells,” she was quoted as saying. “This is an important result because we know that chemotherapy is effective as killing healthy cells as well as cancer cells.”

She noted that the mistletoe chemical could come with its own set of negative side effects, including ulcers in the mouth and hair loss.

According to her supervisor, Professor Gordon Howarth:

“Although mistletoe grown on the ash tree was the most effective of the three extracts tested, there is a possibility that mistletoe grown on other, as yet untested, trees or plants could be even more effective.

“This is just the first important step in what we hope will lead to further research, and eventually clinical trials, of mistletoe extract in Australia,”

Howarth claims the extract has been available in Europe and other countries overseas, but not in the the United States or Australia, hence the need for research. I’m sure much has to do with big pharma, since there’s not any money to be made with natural alternatives, but hopefully something will come of this.