Mistletoe — A Potent Cancer Treatment and You Thought it was Just for Kissing

JB Bardot

Viscum Album, more commonly known as mistletoe, is one of the most researched and widely used alternative cancer therapies, and it is regularly prescribed as a complementary therapy to treat cancer patients in Europe. Mistletoe has been used to heal many conditions for thousands of years. The Druids and ancient Greeks were well aware of its magical healing properties. Mistletoe is not currently available as an herbal cancer therapy in the United States because the FDA does not approve the sale of it as a cancer treatment. This is remarkable because approximately $59 million is spent on herbal mistletoe therapy in Europe each year, and patients in Germany are even able to claim treatment costs, which are then paid for by their health insurance. Is it possible that a humble Christmas decoration holds the cure for one of the most widely diagnosed diseases known to man? This article looks at mistletoe therapy as an alternative cancer treatment, and examines the origins of this so-called miracle plant.  

How Does Mistletoe Therapy Work?

Extract of mistletoe is said to jumpstart the immune system and cause cancer cell death, and is currently available as an injection marketed under the names Iscador, Eurixor, Helixor, Isorel, Iscucin, and Lektinol. The injections are prepared using mistletoe extract and a water-based solution, and the chemical makeup of each medicine depends on a wide number of factors. As mistletoe is a semi parasitic plant that grows on a host tree, different types of injections are available depending on which type of tree the mistletoe was taken from and what type of cancer is being treated.

Other factors include the exact species of mistletoe, what time of year it was harvested, whether the extract has been fermented, and what type of method was used to prepare it. Most forms of therapy involve injections of mistletoe extract given directly under the skin 2 – 3 times per week, and the length of treatment depends on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Many patients are taught to self-administer the injections themselves, as the treatment has an excellent safety record and the majority of patients experience no unpleasant side effects whatsoever.

What Evidence Is There That Supports The Use Of Mistletoe As A Cancer Treatment?

There have been a wide number of studies performed on the effectiveness of mistletoe against cancer, and researchers have also explored its potential to reduce the harmful side effects of chemotherapy. A trial conducted by the University Of Adelaide, Australia, tested the effectiveness of three different species of mistletoe against colon cancer cells, and found that the species Fraxini was the most potent against the cancer cells. Health sciences student Zahra Lotfollahi, stated that “Our laboratory studies have shown Fraxini mistletoe extract by itself to be highly effective at reducing the viability of colon cancer cells. At certain concentrations, Fraxini also increased the potency of chemotherapy against the cancer cells.”

A collaboration between the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and The National Cancer Institute found that mistletoe extract showed promising results in half of the patients enrolled in a phase I clinical trial of mistletoe extract. The researchers gave participants Helixor A, a mistletoe extract, and gemcitabine, a common chemotherapy drug. The two medicines showed positive results when given in combination with each other to patients with advanced solid tumors. There have been many other studies conducted on the benefits of mistletoe therapy, many completed in Germany.

History Of Viscum Album And Anthroposophy

There is evidence that mistletoe was used as a form of therapy from as far back as the time of the ancient Greeks, and it was used to cure a multitude of different conditions including skin problems, minor infections, cardiac disorders, and psychological conditions. It was first used as a potential cure for cancer by Rupert Steiner, who was the founding father of a school of medicine known as Anthroposophy. As well as medicine, Anthroposophy encompasses agriculture, banking, arts, and human development, and is based on the notion that there exists a spiritual world that we can access through our own inner development. Steiner believed in the principle of ‘like cures like’, and that as mistletoe is also a parasite that feeds off a host body, it could also be an effective weapon against cancer. Steiner came to this notion in the early part of the 1920s, and it is only now that we have the technology available to truly test his theory.

For those living in the US, it may be some time before mistletoe extract is available as a therapy, but there are currently two different research facilities that have made applications to the FDA to study mistletoe as a cancer treatment. It is possible to buy mistletoe extract online, but it is never advisable to start any form of therapy without adequate medical supervision. For those lucky enough to live in Europe, there are many health centers that offer mistletoe extract as an alternative treatment, and many allopathic medical practitioners fully recommend it as a complementary therapy to traditional cancer treatments.

Homeopathic Viscum Album

The homeopathic form of mistletoe is called Viscum album and is available in the US. It may be helpful to some cancer patients who’s individual case fits the description of the remedy. Contact a homeopath or natural health practitioner who is knowledgeable in the use of this remedy for the treatment of cancer.

Sources:

www.mistletoeforcancer.org.uk/therapy/mistletoetherapy.html?
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/mistletoe/patient/page2?
www.bmj.com/content/333/7582/1282
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/253490.php?

http://www.jbbardot.com/mistletoe-a-potent-cancer-treatment-and-you-thought-it-was-just-for-kissing/