Mistletoe
(Viscum album)
Also know as European mistletoe
Botanical Information
A woody branched parasite growing on deciduous trees with regularly paired leaves and white berries.
Working with Mistletoe
Mistletoe is useful for lowering blood pressure and has a sedative effect on the nervous system. It has been used for arteriosclerosis, for its antitumor activity, and as a compress for varicose veins. A specially-prepared fermented extract of mistletoe is used in Europe as a cancer-remedy.
Dr. Rudolph Weiss, the renowned medical herbalist and doctor from Germany, gives the dose of mistletoe cold maceration as one cup, morning and evening, prepared by steeping 2-4 teaspoons of chopped, dried herb in about 8 ounces of cool water overnight for the morning dose, and in the morning for the evening dose. He also recommends a tea for mild hypertension, as follows.
Equal parts of:
- Mistletoe herb
- Hawthorn leaves, flowers
- Lemon balm herb
Steep 2 teaspoons in a cup of warm water for 5-10 minutes, drink 1 cup morning and evening.
Mistletoe has a taste of BITTER, SWEET and a temperature of COOL.
Cautions
Mistletoe berries can be deadly. For mistletoe herb infusion or tincture do not exceed recommended dose (2.5 grams in cold water infusion twice daily). Contraindicated in protein hypersensitivity and chronic infections with weakened immune function like
Conditions treated with Mistletoe
Condition
Treatment Support
Application
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Dosages
Infusion
1 cup morning and evening
Tincture
10-15 drops 2-3 x daily
References
McGuffin, M. et al. 1997. Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Felter, H.W. and J.U. Lloyd. 1983. (1898). King's Dispensatory. Portland, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications.
Weiss, R. 1988. Herbal Medicine. Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers.
Wren, R.C. 1988. Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs. Essex: C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd.
Madaus, G. 1976. Lehrbuch der Biologischen Heilmittel. Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag.
The information given here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. The information is drawn from numerous sources—both traditional medicine practice, from the clinical experience of many herbalists currently practicing, and supported by decades of scientific research from the author. The research most consulted includes human clinical trials that help to determine the most effective and safe herbs for various needs, the best doses, and types of preparations.
The information offered in this database is not intended as a substitute for any that may have been prescribed by your health practitioner or physician.