Medicinal features of mistletoe

A semi-parasitic plant, mistletoe grows on a variety of common trees including apple, oak, elm and pine. As a traditional medicine, mistletoe was used by the Druids and the ancient Greeks, and was widely regarded as something of a cure-all, Fox News reports.

The plant has been used for centuries in European herbalism for treating epilepsy, hypertension, headaches, menopausal symptoms, infertility, arthritis and rheumatism.

Since the 1920s, mistletoe has also been studied for its applications in treating various forms of cancer, especially solid tumors.

For people undergoing cancer treatments, the widely studied plant is often used as a complementary-based therapy. In Europe, mistletoe preparations are regularly prescribed for various types of cancers as its extract demonstrates anti-cancer activity when used against cancerous cells in the lab.

Mistletoe extract enhances immune function, which increases the production of the immune cells. When administered as a form of therapy for cancer, the extracts are given by injection under the skin, into a vein or directly into a tumor. 

Human clinical studies on mistletoe and cancer have been conducted in Europe, primarily in Germany. In a number of studies, mistletoe has demonstrated efficacy against cancer. However, critics in the United States regard these studies as either too small or improperly designed.

In one study conducted between 1993 and 2000, researchers examined the use of a mistletoe extract by the brand name Iscador in 800 patients with colorectal cancer. They were all treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Researchers found the patients treated with Iscador had fewer adverse events, better symptom relief and improved disease-free survival compared to patients who did not receive the mistletoe extract as adjuvant therapy.

This finding concurs with other research, that mistletoe therapy reduces the discomfort and undesirable symptoms of other traditional therapies, such as chemotherapy.

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