Mistletoe: medicinal properties, uses and contraindications. Using mistletoe for weight loss

Mistletoe has popular name“witch’s broom”, medicinal potions prepared on its basis have diuretic, sedative, astringent, analgesic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, laxative and antisclerotic, antitumor and anticonvulsant effects

Mistletoe (white) is a perennial evergreen shrub, this shrub prefers to grow on the branches of birch, pear, apple, poplar, linden, pine, maple, white acacia, willow and hawthorn. Mistletoe poses a danger to fruit trees, since it penetrates the roots under their bark and draws out the juices. But man has learned to use this plant to treat many diseases. Herbalists believe that mistletoe, which was collected on the eve of Christmas, or immediately after it, has the greatest healing power.

Mistletoe has the popular name “witch’s broom”; medicinal potions prepared on its basis have diuretic, sedative, astringent, analgesic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, laxative and antisclerotic, antitumor and anticonvulsant effects. All this literally contributes to the “sweeping out” of many diseases from the body.

Mistletoe also strengthens the immune system well and significantly reduces blood pressure, in women, increases the flow of milk during breastfeeding. All this is due to the fact that mistletoe contains: organic and fatty acids, phenols, carbohydrates, rubber, triterpene saponins, steroids, flavonoids, cardenolides.

Mistletoe preparations, like many medicines, have their contraindications. They are not recommended for low blood pressure, low functioning thyroid gland, as well as during pregnancy.

Medicines from mistletoe

In pharmacology, young shoots and leaves are mainly used to prepare medicines based on mistletoe. Mistletoe berries are highly toxic, and official medicine They are used only for the preparation of special medicines.

Mistletoe has a rich biological composition that allows it to be used for treatment cardiovascular system, to dilate blood vessels.

Alcohol tincture of mistletoe helps to: improve blood supply, cleanse blood vessels, reduce the excitability of the nervous system, restore metabolism, and also stop the division of tumor cells.

Mistletoe tincture can be purchased at a pharmacy or prepared at home. In order to prepare mistletoe tincture, you need to pour the stems and leaves of mistletoe (crushed) into a dark glass container (preferably). You need to take 50 grams of raw materials. Next, you need to fill it with high-quality vodka or alcohol (0.5 liters). Future medicine, leave for a month, and shake periodically. The product will need to be strained before use.

Mistletoe tincture should be taken before meals, a teaspoon 3 times a day. Half a liter of this medicine is precisely the treatment course. The duration of treatment must be previously agreed with a specialist.

Mistletoe is used to treat diseases in different forms: tincture, decoction, infusion, powder, liquid extract from leaves. These products can be used both externally and internally.

For radiculitis, osteochondrosis and joint pain, you can prepare the following recipe for rubbing: pour boiling water (2 cups) over mistletoe (two tablespoons) and leave for 2 hours, then strain. Rub the sore spots with this infusion and wrap them with a warm cloth.

You can also prepare a water infusion of mistletoe: a teaspoon of crushed raw material, pour a glass overnight cold water. The next morning, strain the solution, heat it and use it warm. It is used as microenemas for polyps in the rectum or douching for problems in the female genital area. This infusion can also be taken orally three times a day, a quarter glass half an hour before meals.

Most people associate the celebration of the New Year and Christmas holidays with evergreen spruce and pine trees, which are usually brought into the house on the eve of the holiday. However, in nature there is another green representative of the flora that is closely associated with Christmas. This evergreen plant is mistletoe. The green balls of this plant can be seen on the crowns of various trees after they have shed their leaves. This phenomenon has been of interest to healers since ancient times, who discovered the unique ability of this plant to withstand not only frost, but also a large number diseases.

For a long time, mistletoe has enjoyed popular love and had many purposes in the economy and in medicine. There are many stories and legends about this plant. The fact that this plant never comes into contact with the ground and penetrates deep into the bark of trees with its tenacious roots has been the subject of superstitious fear.

Mistletoe was credited with mystical powers. People called it the Witch's Broom, because when it was used, diseases were swept out of the body as if with a broom. People used to say about this plant: if you find white mistletoe, you can throw away all your medicine.

The first to appreciate its capabilities were the Druids. Among them, the plant was considered so valuable that it was customary to cut it only with a golden knife.

Since ancient times, this herb has been considered a talisman, as well as a plant that can stimulate conception. Women who wanted to conceive a child would attach sprigs of mistletoe to their waist or wrist. She is believed to have protective properties from witchcraft, and also protects the house in a thunderstorm from lightning.

In the old days, mistletoe was used to make glue. They smear the perches with this glue, placing the bait next to it, and thus catch small birds.

Another popular name for mistletoe is oakberry. It is of great food value for birds; it is thanks to birds that mistletoe spreads.

It has also found application in cooking. Most often, tea and meat dressing are made from it. Both tones the body and helps strengthen it.

Healing properties

Ancient healers believed that just as mistletoe never falls to the ground, so a person suffering from epilepsy will never fall to the ground as long as there is an infusion of mistletoe in his body. In those days there were no other treatments for anti-inflammatory epileptic seizures didn't exist.

Mistletoe collected from aspen, willow, hawthorn or fruit trees will be most useful in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries, as well as women's problems (menopause).

If it was not possible to obtain a plant from the desired tree, you can treat with white mistletoe collected from any donor tree. Properties different types of this plant are similar to each other:

• hemostatic;
• antisclerotic;
• astringent;
• pain reliever;
• relieving inflammation.

Any type of mistletoe can reduce blood pressure, dilate blood vessels, improve heart function, relieve nervous system excitability, and also increase lactation in nursing women.

Mistletoe is also used externally for rheumatoid diseases, gout, soft tissue injuries and fractures, and inflammation of the lymph nodes.

Despite the pronounced benefits, it was never possible to tame the plant, and in gardens it is considered a pest.

Attention! Despite the fact that the use of mistletoe has no contraindications (with the exception of pregnancy and individual intolerance), it is poisonous plant Therefore, its use in raw form is strictly prohibited.

Also, the course of treatment should not be carried out for too long, since the accumulation of mistletoe in the body in excess can become toxic and cause poisoning. If there is a need to conduct two or more courses, the break between them should be no more than less than a month. Also, before starting to take the tincture, you should consult a doctor about the dosage and timing of treatment.

Mistletoe and Sophora

The combination of these two plants mistletoe and sophora has amazing effects on human body. These plants are capable of causing powerful double strike By serious illnesses. A tincture prepared from them completely neutralizes cancer cells and slows down their formation. When taking this tincture, blood vessels and the entire body are cleansed, bleeding stops and heart function is normalized. Its use helps strengthen capillaries and blood vessels and is an indispensable tool during rehabilitation period after suffering a stroke.

Recipe for mistletoe and Japanese sophora tincture

To prepare a miraculous tincture, you need to place 250 grams of white mistletoe in the attunement container, first crush it and pour in 0.5 liters of vodka. Place 100 grams of sophora in another container and also pour in 0.5 liters of vodka. The containers must be adjusted over the course of a month. After 30 days, mix the infusion and leave for another 7 days. Then strain and bottle. It is necessary to use the product one teaspoon before meals for 30 days. Be sure to take a break between treatment courses.

Preparing the tincture

The tincture is prepared quite simply. 50 grams of raw materials, which are crushed leaves and branches of mistletoe, must be filled with 50% alcohol or vodka high quality. Infuse for at least a month, periodically shaking the contents. The infusion should be strained before use.

More than one has been written about the technology of cancer rehabilitation using drugs based on mistletoe. scientific work, and entire nations have written legends about its mystical and healing properties. The witch's broom swept away diseases from not a single generation of our ancestors. Use healing powers nature and be healthy!

White mistletoe is an evergreen perennial, resembling a shrub in its shape. Outwardly, it looks like a ball, up to twenty centimeters in diameter, consisting of long, intertwined branches, green in color, sometimes with a brown tint. They are very fragile. Thick, oval, five-centimeter leaves with a pale green tint grow at the tips.

At the beginning of spring white mistletoe blossoms. Her flowers are yellow-green. At the beginning of autumn, the fruits ripen - these are false berries, about one centimeter in diameter, oblong in shape. Mistletoe seeds are carried by birds. The plants grow quickly; as soon as the seeds penetrate a crack in the tree bark, mistletoe grows from there.

Mistletoe has many other names. Because of its shape it was nicknamed the witch's nest. It is also called oakberry, cross grass, kissing grass, bird hazel, winter seeds.

How to procure raw materials

Because of unique properties mistletoe is used in folk medicine. It is collected in autumn and winter. At this time, the balls are clearly visible on the treetops. For medicinal purposes, leaves, fresh twigs, and berries are prepared: they are simply broken off along with the twigs.

The collected raw materials are dried in a warm place, spread on paper or fabric in a thin layer. You can dry raw materials in special dryers at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees.

The harvested material is stored in bags without direct access sun rays with good ventilation. Collected mistletoe can be stored for no more than two years, but it is better to collect fresh raw materials every year.

The plant is found in central Russia, the Caucasus, and some CIS countries.

Some myths and legends

There are many stories and legends associated with mistletoe. It is considered a magical gift of nature and has always been highly valued. In ancient legends, the plant was called the golden branch. The Druids collected raw materials according to a special tradition: they cut the branches with a golden knife or sickle. In their opinion, plants growing on sacred oaks were of particular value. The Druids believed that a drink made from mistletoe was a universal antidote.

The ancients believed that the properties of mistletoe helped to resist evil forces, since this plant has mysterious energy. Amulets were woven from branches to help procreate and give well-being. The bush is considered a universal master key, capable of opening any door.

In the countries of Scandinavia, there was a custom: when meeting enemies under the trees on which mistletoe grew, it was necessary to lay down their weapons. The branches of the plant were used to decorate the doors of houses, which was considered a symbol of peace and protected the owners from thunder, lightning, and evil forces.

The medicinal properties of mistletoe were described in the works of Pliny. He described the plant as a way to get rid of epileptic seizures and dizziness. In the Middle Ages, the plant was used to treat wounds, abscesses, ulcers, and to stop bleeding.

Chemical composition of the bush

According to reviews, the medicinal properties and contraindications of mistletoe need to be known, since the wrong dosage can lead to poisoning. This is possible due to the toxic substances included in the composition: incorrect dosage leads to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Also, according to reviews, the healing properties of white mistletoe are impressive. This plant contains the alkaloid viscotoxin, which is active in the treatment of cancer pathologies, and also strengthens the body's defenses.

Triterpene saponins have a hemolytic effect that can increase hemoglobin.

Choline, B vitamins, help in the treatment of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular pathologies.

Acetylcholine is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system.

White mistletoe contains many organic substances, such as gamma-aminobutyric, oleic, linoleic and other acids.

The plant contains histamines, vitamins, terpenoids, alcohols, plant flavonoids, rubber, minerals and others useful elements.

How is the plant used in folk medicine?

According to reviews, mistletoe helps normalize heart function and cope with vascular pathologies, including hypertension. This plant copes with atherosclerosis. Products prepared from raw materials help lower blood pressure, dilate blood vessels, normalize sleep, and improve general condition.

Mistletoe renders positive impact on nervous system, can reduce excitability. Medicines prepared from the plant help with hysteria, hypochondria, epilepsy, and seizures.

Mistletoe has a strong hemostatic effect. Because of this property, the plant is used for uterine, pulmonary, stomach bleeding. It can be used externally to treat wounds, ulcers, various types abscesses. It has an anti-inflammatory effect. Mistletoe ointments help with dermatitis, muscle soreness, and radiculitis.

According to reviews, mistletoe is good for weight loss, as it can improve intestinal motility and has a diuretic property. The plant is also used in the treatment of kidney pathologies, including nephritis.

Mistletoe in folk medicine

Numerous studies have shown that medicines based on mistletoe raw materials help fight malignant cells and prevent the development of metastases. Because of this feature, it is often used in the treatment of neoplasms.

And others folk remedies used in the treatment of female diseases. IN alternative medicine Freshly squeezed juice is used to help treat infertility. Using baths with mistletoe helps fight hemorrhoids and various pathologies genitourinary system.

Contraindications

Mistletoe has contraindications, which is why it should be taken with caution. This plant is very toxic; products made from it should not be taken for a long time. When treating with mistletoe, it is important to follow the courses of therapy and dosage, since it contains toxins that can accumulate in the body, poisoning it. If you cannot cope with the pathology in one course, then you need to take a break of several weeks.

Mistletoe should not be used by pregnant women, and also by:

• with hypotension;
• with hypothyroidism;
• for liver pathologies.

To know for sure whether the plant can be used, you need to consult a doctor, he will help determine the course of treatment and the exact dosage.

Traditional medicine recipes

There is a huge number of the most different recipes traditional medicine that helps cope with pathologies. For each of them, healers, druids, and herbalists use certain dosages and special methods of preparing the medicine. To find out if it's suitable given dosage and method of treatment, you should consult a specialist.

For hypertension

To get rid of hypertension, you need to take two teaspoons of twigs and pour half a liter of boiling water over them. The remedy is infused overnight. Take two tablespoons in small sips twice a day before meals. Treatment lasts no more than three weeks, then a seven-day break is taken and the course is repeated.

In case of circulatory problems

Ten grams of shoots are cut, everything is poured with a glass of boiling water, and put on fire. You just need to heat it up for a couple of minutes, then let it sit for half an hour. Take the remedy for bleeding problems, one tablespoon after meals three times a day.

For prostate adenoma

There are several ways to prepare mistletoe medicine.

1. The leaves of the plant are placed in a seven hundred gram jar and filled with half a liter of vodka. The composition is infused for three weeks, after which it is filtered. Take twenty drops three times a day.
2. Take a tablespoon of shoots and pour a glass of alcohol. The product is infused for two weeks in a dark place. The composition is shaken periodically. After straining, take fifteen drops three times a day.

Mistletoe for weight loss

According to reviews, the absence of significant contraindications to mistletoe allows the plant to be used to remove toxins and improve metabolism. This plant is used together with linden according to the following scheme:

1. First day. Take four spoons linden color and pour in a liter of boiling water. The composition is infused for two hours. The resulting decoction is taken throughout the day.
2. Day two. Brew three tablespoons of mistletoe and infuse it in the same way as linden on the first day.
3. Day three. In a liter of water, brew mistletoe and linden in equal parts.
4. Day four. The infusion is prepared as on the third day and a spoonful of honey is added to it.
5. Day five. Two tablespoons of mistletoe and linden are brewed in a liter of water, and the same amount of honey is taken. The juice of one lemon is added to the composition.

Mistletoe should not be taken for weight loss for more than five days. Repeat course cleansing can be carried out no earlier than after a month.

Methods for preparing medicines from mistletoe

Teas are prepared from mistletoe to help raise vitality. To prepare them, you will need to brew a teaspoon of raw material with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for ten minutes. Take a cup once a week.

To prepare the tincture, take a 0.7 liter container into which mistletoe shoots are placed. They are filled with vodka to the brim. The product is infused for three weeks in a dark place. The composition is shaken periodically. Before using the composition, it is filtered. Accepted at various pathologies 15-30 drops, 2-3 times a day.

Powder is prepared from mistletoe. It is used to treat gynecological pathologies and in oncology. Before use, the powder is mixed with honey in equal quantities and the paste is rolled into balls; their size should not be larger than a pea. Take these balls one at a time three times a day (the weight of the ball is no more than two grams).

Lotions and compresses are made with mistletoe. It helps fight warts, lipomas, treats abscesses, and gout. To make medicine, take a spoonful of the raw material and brew it with a glass of boiling water. The composition is infused under the lid for an hour, then filtered. It is used to moisten gauze rolled up in several layers. It is applied to a large area for 20-60 minutes twice a day.

Douching with mistletoe infusion

In case of cervical erosion or discharge, you need to take three spoons of raw material and fill them with a liter of water. The composition is simmered over low heat for fifteen minutes, then infused for half an hour. Half a liter of warm boiled water is added to it. Douche with this product 1-2 times a day.

Sitz baths with mistletoe

At female pathologies, hemorrhoids, sitz baths with mistletoe are recommended. This remedy also helps with heavy menstruation, uterine fibroids, early menopause. To prepare a bath, first make a decoction of mistletoe. For it you will need to pour three spoons of raw material into a liter of water and cook over low heat for five minutes. Then let the mixture sit for twenty minutes and strain. The decoction is poured into a basin with warm water. A sitz bath is taken for fifteen minutes.

It’s not for nothing that mistletoe is called the witch’s plant, because if overdosed or taken incorrectly, it can cause severe poisoning. Therefore, it should not be used uncontrolled, but only on the recommendation and under the supervision of a doctor. Otherwise, recovery may not be expected.

Mistletoe belongs to the family Beltaceae, the genus Mistletoe, and is its most famous representative.

Botanical features of the plant

With the help of sucker roots, mistletoe takes sap from the host tree, receiving water and minerals from it.

In the fifth year of its existence, in March or April, the witch's nest blooms for the first time with small yellow-green flowers. They are located at the ends of the shoots in numbers from three to six. Mistletoe is a dioecious plant. The male flower is larger than the female one. The plant is pollinated by small flies, for which the peculiar smell of the flowers of this shrub is attractive. In September or October, quite large white spherical false berries with one seed ripen - up to one centimeter in diameter. Berries decorate the bush all winter.

The main role in the propagation of mistletoe belongs to birds, which feed on its berries. The berries, which are not completely digested in the stomach of the birds, fall on the tree and stick to the trunk. The root that emerges from the seed has the shape of a circle-suction cup; thanks to it, the seedling attaches to the tree, then produces a rod shoot, which, growing through the bark of the tree, is fixed in the wood and begins to nourish the sucked plant. Young plants acquire leaves only in the second year.

Usually the branches of a bush are no thicker than a pencil, but in old bushes that have reached the maximum age of forty years, their thickness can reach up to five centimeters.

In the fifth year of its existence, in March or April, the witch's nest blooms for the first time with small yellow-green flowers.

Composition of mistletoe

This plant has a very complex composition.

• Acids: gamma-aminobutyric acid, ursulinic acid, coffee acid, betulinic acid, chlorogenic acid, ascorbic acid, oleanolic acid
• Alcohols: pinite, quebrachite.

In addition, it contains propionylcholine, acetylcholine, choline, viscerin, alpha and beta viscol, viscalbite, thiamine, rhamnitin, quercetin, biogenic amines, resinous substances, mucus, minerals, vitamins. Poisonous viscotoxin causes some contraindications for its use.

Gallery: white mistletoe (25 photos)

The healing properties of mistletoe (video)

Places of growth and harvesting features

Mistletoe is a fairly common plant.

Habitat of mistletoe

The vast majority of species of this plant live in countries with tropical and subtropical climates. Mistletoe is found in Europe. It is she who grows in Russia. Often found in the south of the country, less common in the middle zone. It is found in Ukraine, Belarus and even in the Baltic states. In the Far East, colored mistletoe grows with fruits of yellow or red-orange color.

Preparation of medicinal raw materials

For treatment, only young parts of plants, both branches and leaves, are harvested. The most best time for preparations – from November to April. Branches are broken off or cut off. Pieces of raw material about twenty centimeters long are laid out in a layer no thicker than five centimeters. Dry in areas protected from direct sunlight. They must be well ventilated. The humidity of properly dried raw materials does not exceed ten percent. Store finished raw materials in tightly closed glass jars or bags, but not plastic ones. Shelf life up to three years. Previously, raw mistletoe was stored in clay pots tied with thick cloth. It was believed that under such conditions it preserves healing properties up to twenty-five years of age.

Only young parts of plants, both branches and leaves, are harvested for treatment.

The benefits and medicinal properties of white mistletoe

People have been using mistletoe to heal themselves for many centuries. The unusual appearance of this plant has formed a special attitude among people towards it. She was considered not only strong medicinal plant, but also a talisman against dark forces. In a number of European countries various rituals are associated with it. At one time in England it was a New Year's symbol, until it was replaced by the Christmas tree.

People have been using mistletoe for centuries.

In domestic medicine, there are officially approved preparations containing mistletoe: Viscalen And Omelen used as a vasodilator for hypertension, and Akofit treats neuralgia.

In folk medicine, the scope of application of this plant is much wider. It can have the following effects:

• hypotensive;
• anthelmintic;
• cardiac stimulant;
• hemostatic;
• diuretic;
• anti-inflammatory;
• antisclerotic;
• anticonvulsant;
• pain reliever;
• astringent;
• soothing;
• anticonvulsant;
• antitumor;
• antiviral.

Mistletoe can be used for many diseases, but one must remember that unrefined preparations can be toxic.

How to prepare a decoction of mistletoe (video)

Mistletoe is far from a harmless plant. When treating with it, you must strictly observe not only the dosage, but also the duration of administration. medicines based on mistletoe. The viscotoxin found in mistletoe is very similar in action to the cardiotoxin in cobra venom. Its target is the cell membrane, it literally explodes cells from the inside. But in small doses it stimulates the immune system and increases the number of killer cells in cancer patients. There are diseases and conditions in which Taking mistletoe preparations is absolutely contraindicated:

• individual intolerance to the drug, causing allergic reactions;
• children under fourteen years of age;
• women expecting a child;
• nursing mothers;
• insufficient thyroid function;
• asthenic conditions;
• tendency to low blood pressure.

Mistletoe is far from a harmless plant

Using mistletoe for weight loss

Losing weight is the dream of many modern women. You can try using mistletoe preparations for this. They are able to adjust metabolism, increase diuresis, and cleanse the intestines and other organs of toxins. There is information that Mistletoe preparations regulate appetite and normalize hormonal status.

However, mistletoe preparations do not help everyone lose weight. Some people who have lost weight may simply have a placebo effect. Most likely, the effect of the drug is purely individual and selective. But it is impossible to know in advance whether the drug will help or not. So it's worth a try. The plant can be taken as tea, decoction or infusion.

Instructions for use:

• Tea. Prepared from half a teaspoon of herbs and a glass of boiling water. After 15 minutes, you can drink the tea, adding honey or lemon to taste. Take 20 minutes before meals four times a day.
• Infusion. Prepared the day before, take a tablespoon of dry herbs without top and a glass of boiling water. In the morning, everything is filtered and finished boiled water volume up to one and a half liters. Twenty minutes before meals, take one hundred milliliters of infusion.
• Decoction. Prepared from a teaspoon of raw materials and half a liter of water. The product simmers for a quarter of an hour after boiling. Take one hundred milliliters half an hour before meals five times a day.