Viscum album, commonly known as
Mistletoe is a parasitic evergreen plant that has been used for
centuries for its medicinal properties. Mistletoe was initially
used by the ancient Greeks and has been used ever since for its
medicinal properties. The Druids, a Celtic religious order believed
that Mistletoe was a panacea, which means a cure for everything.
Mistletoe was proposed for the treatment of cancer
in 1920 by Ruldolph Steiner who founded the Society for Cancer Research
to promote mistletoe extracts and anthroposophical medicine. (1)
Mistletoe is used in the treatment of cancer,
inflammatory conditions, AIDS, epilepsy, infertility, menopausal
symptoms, nervous tension, asthma, hypertension, headache and dermatitis.
Various clinical trials and studies have been done to research the
efficacy of Mistletoe and any side effects that the plant may have.(2)
Viscotoxins and lectins have both been found as
active components in Mistletoe, although most research has been
on lectins. Mistletoe has been found to stimulate the immune system.
A study that Gorter at el carried out in1999 showed that Mistletoe
induces immunomodulation in HIV positive and healthy individuals
and may inhibit the progression of the disease.(3)
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