Mistletoe is a partly parasitic plant that grows on other plants and trees, and is popular in Europe as an alternative cancer therapy. While some laboratory tests have shown it can reduce malignant tumors, contradictory medical reports claim there is no positive correlation between mistletoe and cancer remission. Mistletoe is toxic and banned for cancer use in many countries, except in monitored studies. It strengthens the immune system and supposedly kills cancer cells, and can mitigate the negative side effects of traditional cancer therapies. It can be taken as tea, injected subdermally or intravenously, or applied topically.
Popular in Europe as an alternative cancer therapy, mistletoe has shown the propensity to reduce malignant tumors in some laboratory tests. Contradictory medical reports, however, claim that there is no positive correlation between mistletoe and cancer remission, stating that hundreds of patients given mistletoe for cancer have seen no reduction in tumors, nor have they seen an increase expected life span after treatment. Although Europe allows patients to purchase mistletoe by prescription, many countries, such as the United States, ban its use for cancer, except in monitored studies because the plant is toxic.
Mistletoe does not grow independently. A partly parasitic plant, mistletoe must use another plant or tree as a host in order to grow. It often grows on apple, elm and oak trees.
Research supporting the link between mistletoe and cancer remission reveals two main reasons why this plant is effective. First, mistletoe strengthens the immune system, helping the body fight cancer; it does this by preventing the destruction of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of leukocytes, the white blood cells that defend the body. Second, mistletoe supposedly kills cancer cells, preventing metastasis. There are three types of chemicals in mistletoe that may be responsible for stopping the spread of cancer in patients who use it: lectins, alkaloids, and viscotoxins.
Lectins, made up of proteins and sugar, attach themselves to the outside of a cancer cell and cause biochemical changes. Made up mostly of nitrogen, alkaloids are known to keep cells from dividing and multiplying. Viscotoxins are known to stimulate immune responses. Researchers are still figuring out which chemical molecule is most responsible for linking mistletoe to cancer remission.
Another benefit of blending mistletoe and cancer treatments is that the plant can mitigate the negative side effects of traditional cancer therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy. Studies show that mistletoe can relieve aches, hair loss, and low red blood cell counts, which often result from cancer therapy. Using mistletoe itself, however, can have side effects, including fever, allergic reactions, and shock.
Combining mistletoe and cancer treatments can be done in a variety of ways. Since ancient times, Europeans have steeped mistletoe leaves in hot water to make tea which can be taken three times a day to fight malignancy; tea has also been made from ground forms of mistletoe. There and in other countries, mistletoe extract is injected subdermally or intravenously as a cure for cancer.
Also, it can be injected by surgeons directly into cancer tumors. The injections are typically given several times for about three days a week for several months. The plant extracts can also be applied topically to the lesions.
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