Mistletoe Herb 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Mistletoe Herb – 100 g ($13.99), 50 g ($9.99), 25 g ($6.99)

Benefits:
The lectins, polypeptides, and mucilages in mistletoe have shown immune-stimulating activity in humans when extracts are given by injection. Numerous clinical trials have found that injections of mistletoe extract are beneficial for treating cancer of various organs. There is no evidence that giving mistletoe orally would benefit those with cancer. Depending upon the part of the plant, historical uses vary. The fruits were used for treatment of internal bleeding, epilepsy, heart disease, cramps, and gout. The stems were used to produce a calming effect, treat mental and physical exhaustion, and as an antianxiety agent. It is approved by the German Commission E for degenerative inflammation of the joints and as a palliative therapy for malignant tumors. The tea version may be used for high blood pressure, whooping cough, asthma, amenorrhea, diarrhea, nervous tachycardia, and nervousness.

Cancer. Mistletoe was introduced into the treatment of cancer in 1917. Today, extracts from the plant, usually given as an injection, are widely used as a supplemental treatment in cancer therapy in Europe. The herb’s most important active agents are the lectins, which poison cancer cells and stimulate the immune system.

One meta-analysis combining ten studies on mistletoe and cancer failed to show that it was beneficial as palliative treatment. However, more recent reports suggest that mistletoe is helpful, especially for quality of life. When Iscador, a subcutaneously administered mistletoe extract, was randomly assigned to patients with different forms of cancer, those who got the mistletoe extract lived significantly longer (6 months to 1.7 years) than a group that did not get the treatment. All patients were receiving their usual chemotherapy regimen at the same time. A Swiss study of fourteen breast cancer patients showed that Iscador increased the rate at which breast cells were able to repair their DNA. Repairing DNA prevents mutations that can result in the formation of cancerous cells. At the beginning of the study, the rate at which cancer patients’ cells repaired DNA damage was only 16 percent of that in healthy individuals. After just nine days of treatment, the rate increased to nearly 50 percent.

In one study, another drug made from mistletoe extract, Eurixor, did not help patients with head and neck cancer. However, when this same drug was used for patients with advanced breast cancer, there was evidence of increased natural killer (NK) cell activity. Patients with other forms of cancer—such as bladder and colorectal—seem also to benefit from extracts of mistletoe. In animal studies, mistletoe extracts prevent the spread of melanoma to lung tissue by approximately 80 percent. However, the extract must be used before the cancer spreads to the lung. Studies in animals have confirmed that mistletoe lectins reduce the risk of leukopenia, or white blood cell deficiency, during chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar). Mistletoe also prolongs survival time and reduces risk of leukopenia after exposure to or treatment with radiation.

Recommended Use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists this plant as “unsafe.” Mistletoe should be used only under professional medical supervision as part of an overall treatment plan. At least three standardized injectable extracts have been studied in Europe: Iscador, Helixor, and Eurixor. These products are not designed for self-treatment and are not commercially available in the United States, although they can be bought online. Iscador is the only fermented extract of the three. Each is standardized in a different way. People interested in other injectable forms of mistletoe should consult with a physician.

Commercial mistletoe extracts, which are generally given by injection, have minimal side effects. In rare cases, however, allergic symptoms, including reactions leading to shock, have been reported. An injection usually produces an increase in body temperature and flulike symptoms that indicate the herb is taking effect. The injection site can become inflamed, and abdominal pain with nausea may occur. For both the injectable form and the herb, other side effects include chills, fever, headache, chest pain, low blood pressure, diarrhea, and vomiting. In addition, long-term use of mistletoe extracts may reduce immune cell function in cancer patients. People who take monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors for depression or Parkinson’s disease should not receive lectin injections. In addition, those who use blood pressure–lowering medications, digoxin, or heart medicine to control arrhythmias should avoid the extracts as well. Patients with chronic progressive infections like tuberculosis should avoid mistletoe. Pregnant women should not use mistletoe, as it stimulates uterine contractions. Those who are lactating should avoid it as well. Mistletoe can form a complex with iron and create a toxin in the blood, so if you are taking both, allow two hours between each.

Botanical Name: Viscum album
English: European Mistletoe
Also, known as: Mistel, Gui blanc, Liga, Olma, Banda, Visco quercino, Kishmish-j-kawaliyan, San-thing chi-sheng. Birdlime Mistletoe, Herbe de la Croix, Myatyldene, Lignum Crucis
Ayurvedic: Bandaaka, Suvarnabandaaka, Vrikshandani
Unani: Kishmish Kaabuli
Habitat: Native to Europe
Origin: Albania
Harvested: Wild
Parts used: Leaves & stems

General Information:
Mistletoe is found throughout Europe, and in this country is particularly common in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The well-known Mistletoe is an evergreen parasitic plant, growing on the branches of trees, where it forms pendent bushes, 2 to 5 feet in diameter. It will grow and has been found on almost any deciduous tree. preferring those with soft bark, and being, perhaps, commonest on old Apple trees, though it is frequently found on the Ash, Hawthorn, Lime and other trees. On the Oak, it grows very seldom It has been found on the Cedar of Lebanon and on the Larch, but very rarely on the Pear tree,

The stem is yellowish and smooth, freely forked, separating when dead into bone-like joints. The leaves are tongue shaped, broader towards the end, 1 to 3 inches long, very thick and leathery, of a dull yellow-green color, arranged in pairs, with very short footstalks. The flowers, small and inconspicuous, are arranged in threes, in close short spikces or clusters in the forks of the branches, and are of two varieties, the male and female occurring on different plants Neither male nor female flowers have a corolla, the parts of the fructification springing from the yellowish calyx. They open in May. The fruit is a globular, smooth white berry, ripening in December.

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.