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This is mistletoe tea, very popular as a herbal treatment across Europe.
Mistletoe contains several complex proteins called Lectins - this represents the molecular structure of one of them.
This page is part of the Mistletoe Pages, which aim to provides helpful information on many aspects of mistletoe includng biology, conservation, control, traditions, harvesting, medicinal usage and traditions in art nouveau.
The full menu is at the top of the page.
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Mistletoe Medicine - Anthroposophic & Complementary
In the 1920s Rudolf Steiner was developing many ideas about medicinal value of plants, and he paid particular attention to mistletoe.
His 'science of the spirit' (anthroposophic) approach suggested that particular plant species could be linked to specific ailments. Mistletoe was identified as a species that could help with cancer treatment.
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His teachings and suggestions for mistletoe treatments have been substantially developed in mainland Europe, particularly in Germany and Switzerland.
There are now a number of dedicated anthroposophic clinics and manufacturers of mistletoe extracts, using the specific processes suggested by Steiner.
The mistletoe treatment is complementary - used alongside and in addition to, conventional cancer treatments. It is not generally used on its own.
The best-known brand is Iscador, made by Weleda, but others include Helixor, Abnoba and Iscumin. There are links to their websites on the Advice page.
Numerous papers and books give more information on mistletoe and cancer therapy - though many are written in German. Some English texts are described on the Advice page.
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Medicinal harvesting
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The manufacture of the cancer treatments involves gathering mistletoe from a range of hosts and at differing times of the year.
This is because the biochemical nature of mistletoe tissue varies, both with host and season. A blend is developed, the exact mechanism and process varying according to manufacturer.
This complicated system requires very careful harvesting - and even careful nurturing of mistletoe on minority hosts (see information on the Harvesting pages). |
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