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A parasitic plant that lives off of oaks, elms, pines and other trees; Mistletoe is steeped in ancient traditions; it’s mostcommonly known as the plant people kiss under during the holidays a tradition believed to have begun during Victorian times.
Yet there are many other traditions surrounding Mistletoe; in Norse mythology Frigga and Odin’s son was killed with an arrow made of Mistletoe. When his life was restored Frigga gave Mistletoe to the goddess of love and made it a sacred plant that would bring love instead of death proclaiming anyone who walked under it should be kissed.
First century Druids believed Mistletoe to be both medicinal and mystical. In their language Mistletoe means “all-healing” with Druid priests gathering Mistletoe on the 6th day of the moon giving it out amongst the group for their safety through out the year protecting them from evil spirits, storms and from all that could make them ill. In Celtic tradition Mistletoewas believed to hold the spirit of the tree it grew on since it remained green all year long and during the Middle Ages it was hung over the door to scare away demons.
Behind the traditional stories of Mistletoe’s protective properties are stories of its healing properties which still hold true for today.
Drinking 3 cups of tea made with Mistletoe, Motherwort, Hawthorn and Linden helps to improve circulation, this can help normalize blood pressure, reduce a high heart rate or an irregular heart beat. In the respiratory system Mistletoe has anti-infl ammatory effects aiding asthma, whooping cough or a dry cough and in the digestive system it helps to ease diarrhea and calms ulcers.
When combined with Black Cohosh, Mistletoe helps to reduce anxiety, palpitations, hot fl ashes, ovarian cysts and heavy menstrual flow and for the nervous system when mixed with Lemon Balm and Gota Kola Mistletoe helps reduce anxiety, panic attacks, migraines, depression and insomnia.
For centuries Mistletoe has been thought of as an herb for cancer; in the past 25years there have been studies done showing it inhibits tumor growth. When studies were done in Europe they found Mistletoe contains viscotoxins, glycoproteins, fl avanoids and lignans which have been shown to have anti-tumor and anti-cancer activities.
Breast cancer is a hot topic in the news yet herbs rarely get as much attention as Mistletoe has. Suzanne Somers made even more people aware of Mistletoe when it became part of her cancer protocol even though it has not yet been approved by the American Cancer Society or the FDA. When a study was done in a 2001 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine concerning Mistletoe and traditional western medicine it found that Mistletoe along with traditional cancer protocols for breast cancer were much more effective then just western medicine but unfortunately it didn’t work as well for other forms of cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with any form of cancer , working with a doctor and doing your own research is your best bet. An informed patient has the best odds.
