Mistletoe Herb

Wild Crafted - USA

Also Known As - Viscum album

Introduction - Mistletoe is an evergreen hemiparasitic plant. It grows on the branches of host deciduous trees and forms clusters or “bushes” from 20 to 60 inches (50-150 cm) in diameter, drawing all its nourishment from the tree on which it grows. Small flowers mature into berries which are sticky to the touch and whitish in color. They remain on the plant throughout the winter.

Mistletoe has historically been associated with peace; According to legend, any enemy who stepped under mistletoe was required to lay down their arms and declare a truce until the next day. Mistletoe was also thought to be the “golden bough” written about in the Aenid by Virgil.

Kissing under the mistletoe is a winter tradition that began with the Greek festival of Saturnalia, celebrated in late December. The Druids believed that mistletoe protected its possessors from misfortune and used it as an aphrodisiac, an antidote for poison, and to bestow long life and fertility.

In Norse mythology, Balder, the son of Odin, was killed by an arrow made of a mistletoe branch shot by the Norse trickster Loki, who knew that this was the one tree that Balder’s mother Frigga had not enchanted to do her son no harm. One strain of Christian myth teaches that the mistletoe was once a tree and was used for the lumber to make the cross; the plant was said to have shriveled in shame and become a parasite.

Medicinal Uses - Mistletoe preparations have been used medicinally in Europe for centuries to treat epilepsy, infertility, hypertension, and arthritis. The Celtic priests, known as Druids, revered the oak tree and the mistletoe that grew on it, according to Roman author and naturalist Gaius Plinius Secundus (also known as Pliny the Elder). At the winter celebration of Samhain, the sacred oaks were bare except for the green boughs of mistletoe, and this was taken as a sign of eternal fertility. The Celts placed a sprig of mistletoe above the door of their houses and its sacred nature prohibited fighting beneath it. This evolved over centuries into the custom of kissing underneath mistletoe at Christmas. In 1921, the Austrian anthroposophical spiritual leader Rudolf Steiner suggested that mistletoe might be used to treat cancer, based on the observation that mistletoe, like cancer, is parasitic and lethal to its host. Swiss and German clinics were founded to implement this idea and still actively use a mistletoe preparation fermented with a strain of Lactobacillus for 3 days. Mistletoe extracts contain several toxic proteins, several of which are lectins, or proteins capable of binding to specific sugars.

Mistletoe has been used to treat cancer, although there is a lack of quality clinical trials and no evidence of an effect. Most evidence is ancedotal and based on case reports. Further study is needed. In folk medicine, it has been used for its cardiovascular properties, but its clinical efficacy has not been established. Injectable mistletoe extract is widely used in Europe but is not licensed for use in the United States.

Parts Used - The entire plant, dried.

Preparations - Traditionally used as a tea or tincture.

Disclaimer - The information presented herein by Mountain Maus’ Remedies is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.