Page 84England contained a skeleton covered with oak branches and mistletoe. The two
plants have been associated with one another and held sacred in Britain since
prehistoric times.
Mistletoe is, of course, very toxic and needs caution in use. It acts on the central
nervous system: causing numbness, slowing of the heartbeat and is a specific
against epilepsy: small doses stop spasms and convulsions. It is also prescribed
as a diuretic, for high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and chilblains.
Definitely not recommended as a contraceptive, even if it does work!
Anti-cancer properties
The tumor-fighting possibilities of mistletoe have been known for centuries.
As I reported, the use of mistletoe is still widespread in Europe, where it does
not need to prove itself. Many cancer patients use natural supplements in
conjunction^ with cytotoxic chemotherapy, but little is known about their^ potential
interaction.
One survey showed that over^ 60% of all German cancer patients used mistletoe
in some form—frequently^ in conjunction with standard cancer treatments such as
radiation,^ chemotherapy, or surgery.^ [Bussing A: Mistletoe: A story with an open
end. Anticancer Drugs 8:S1-S2, 1997 (suppl 1)]
Formulations are sometimes labeled based on the^ tree from which the mistletoe
was harvested; M for Malus (apple);^ P for Pinus (pine); Q for Quercus (oak);
and U for Ulmus (elm)^ with different effects attributed to each. Each varietal is
considered right for different cancers.
So what about scientific proof?
I was coming to that. Surprisingly, conventional literature is littered with
references to the use of various forms of mistletoe. I’ve resorted to just a few.
Multiple scientific reports suggest that Iscador augments the^ immune response.
Iscador has been shown to increase natural-killer^ cell function and antibody
dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.^ It enhance cytotoxicity of granulocytes and
macrophages, and heighten^ delayed-type^ hyerpsensitivity response. Iscador has
also been shown to stimulate T lymphocyte^ migration in vitro.
A landmark study was published in 2001 in the journal Alternative Therapies
in Health and Medicine. It was designed to assess any improvement in