Viscum Album – Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Composition, And More

What is Viscum Album?

Viscum album or mistletoe is a homeopathic remedy used for different ailments, especially heart problems and high blood pressure. It is typically used as a medicine for hypertension, irregular heartbeat, and rheumatic discomfort, among others. Viscum Album is considered to enhance circulation and decrease dizziness or fainting.

Further, it is used in arthritis since stiffness and pain normally accompany this disease in the affected areas. As with each of the homeopathic medications, Viscum Album is administered in low concentrations and does not cause side effects if taken according to the doctor’s prescription.

Viscum Album Chemical Constituents

Viscum Album, commonly known as European mistletoe, contains a variety of chemical constituents that contribute to its medicinal properties. Key components include:

• Alkaloids: They have diverse influences on the body systems, and organs may exhibit anti-cancer activity.
• Glycosides: These are sugars in one form or another that have an impact on the heart and the pressure of the blood.
• Flavonoids: Some of the essential flavonoids include quercetin and kaempferol, with the ability to fight free radicals and inflammation.
• Viscotoxins: These are poisonous proteins that can be cytotoxic, especially when undergoing chemotherapy.
• Phenolic Compounds: Some of these are phenylpropanoids and tannins; they act as antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatories.
• Triterpenes: These compounds can exert anti-inflammatory activity in addition to cytotoxic activity.
• Polysaccharides: These may improve the immune system and have a place in general health.

Viscum Album Preparation

Viscum album is prepared for medicinal use through various methods, particularly in homeopathy and herbal medicine. The most common preparation involves creating a mother tincture, which is derived from fresh plant material. Here’s a simple overview of the preparation process:

• Harvesting: Fresh mistletoe is collected, typically during specific seasons, to ensure optimal potency.
• Maceration: The harvested plant material is chopped into small pieces and soaked in a solvent, usually ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water, for a set period (commonly around 21 days). This process allows the active compounds to leach into the liquid.
• Filtration: Following maceration, the solution is filtered to separate the extract’s liquid component from the plant material’s solid component.
• Concentration: The filtered liquid may also be concentrated through evaporation at lower pressures to obtain a more concentrated extract.
• Dilution and Succussion: In homeopathy, this mother tincture is subjected to dilution and succussion, which, according to homeopathy, yields a better therapeutic effect.
• Storage: The final product is kept in dark glass bottles in order to prevent exposure to light and thus negate its harm.

Viscum Album Mother Tincture

Viscum album used in the preparation of mother tincture undergoes a process that leaves it with many benefits for human consumption. The mother tincture typically results from fresh plant organs chopped and crushed to a large extent through an ethanolic maceration. The plant is immersed in the ethanol water solution for approximately 21 days, during which the active components diffuse into the solvent.

The final product normally contains an alcoholic content of between 40% and 50% v/v, which aids in the dissolution of different compounds of phenolic that cannot be ignored when it comes to their antitumoral potential. The preparation involves several steps to extract the mistletoe, and it depends on several factors: the host tree from which the mistletoe is sourced and the time of year that the plant is collected, as well as the chemicals that are present in the tincture.

It was demonstrated previously that mother tinctures obtained from the Viscum album can possess cytotoxic effects, especially on certain human cancer cell lines. These tinctures are frequently employed in what are called complementary cancer treatments, and these remedies have been widely utilized in folk medicine across Europe for centuries.

Benefits of Viscum Album

Viscum Album offers a wide range of health benefits. Some of the key benefits include:

• Immune System Support: Viscum album extracts’ antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects also improve humoral and cellular defence and are effective in compromised immunities, e.g., oncological patients.
• Anti-Cancer Properties: The plant contains compounds such as viscotoxins and lectins that may be capable of eradicating cancer cells. These components may slow down the growth of the tumor and enhance the lives of patients who are being treated for cancer.
• Anti-Inflammatory Effects: The Whole plant of the Viscum album has powerful anti-inflammatory actions. It could prevent the production of certain cytokines, which create inflammation in body tissues and organs and be beneficial for health.
• Cardiovascular Health: Many of the compounds in the extract may assist in controlling blood pressure, increasing blood circulation through vasodilation of the blood vessels, and decreasing vascular resistance. This makes it convenient for handling ailments such as hypertension.
• Antioxidant Activity: As for vitamins, Viscum album is quite an antioxidant-rich plant. Thus, it can be considered effective in overcoming the state of oxidative stress in the body, making it less likely that a person will develop chronic diseases.
• Support for Neurological Conditions: This plant has been applied to problems such as seizures and nerve over-excitement, making it likely that the plant may have neuromodulatory effects.
• Diabetes Management: There is evidence to suggest that Viscum album can enhance carbohydrate tolerance or utility in glycemic control in diabetic patients.
• General Well-Being: The Viscum album seems to have many pharmacological effects. Thus, it can improve the general health of the human body by restoring balance when the body is not in harmony.

What Does Viscum Album Treat?

Viscum Album (mistletoe) is used in homeopathy and herbal medicine to treat various conditions, including:

• Hypertension: Reduces raised high blood pressure and is beneficial to the heart and blood vessels.
• Anxiety and Stress: They have been prescribed to be used as medications to reduce anxiety, relax the mind, and enhance mental health.
• Immune Disorders: May boost the immune system, allowing the body to fend off infections.
• Cancer Support: Sometimes included as an adjunct to cancer therapy with a goal to enhance the quality of life and diminish symptoms.
• Pain Relief: May be used to treat painful ailments such as arthritis and rheumatism.
• Menstrual Disorders: It is taken to fix missed periods and for female fertility problems.
• Sleep Disorders: These may supplement the efforts towards elaborating on the problem of better sleep quality and insomnopathy.

Viscum Album Homeopathic Uses

Viscum Album is used in homeopathy for its various benefits. Here are some common homeopathic uses of Viscum Album:

• Cardiovascular Health: It is prescribed to patients with congestive heart failure, problems with the heart’s rhythm, and weakened myocardium to restore normal blood pressure and heart rate.
• Hypertension: Serves as an antihypertensive drug, helps reduce high BP, and manages the associated complaints.
• Neurological Disorders: These are used in treatments like seizures, epilepsy, and motor twitching to help have an anxiolytic effect on the nervous system.
• Diabetes Management: Enhances carbohydrate metabolism; therefore, it is suitable for people with diabetes.
• Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Assists in the treatment of inflammation-related diseases such as arthritis and other related inflammation diseases.
• Respiratory Issues: It helps to maintain respiratory function and can be used for asthma and breathing problems.
• Stress Relief: Stress reducers and known anxiety relievers demonstrate an ability to improve mental health generally.
• Pain Relief: This is used to treat sciatic pain and any other related pains due to nerve problems.
• Cancer Support: If applied simultaneously with mainstream cancer treatments, it helps improve a patient’s immune status and overall well-being.
• General Well-Being: Effectively contributes to general well-being by regulating the body and assisting with many processes.

Viscum Album Dosage

The dosage of a Viscum album can vary depending on the form of preparation and the specific health condition being addressed. Here are some common dosage guidelines based on the available information:

• Oral Powder: For cardiovascular issues, the typical oral dosage ranges from 650 mg twice daily to 4 g four times daily. Smaller amounts can be used when combined with other herbs.
• Homeopathic dilution (30 CH): The recommended dosage is usually 10-15 drops diluted in half a cup of water, taken three times a day or as directed by a healthcare provider.
• Injectable Preparations: In clinical settings, Viscum album extracts may be administered in higher doses, up to 1500 mg in humans, particularly for cancer treatment.
• Clinical Studies: A pilot study for hypertension indicated a dosage of 10 drops three times a day, which showed significant reductions in blood pressure.

Viscum Album Dosage For Adults

The dosage of Viscum Album (mistletoe) for adults generally depends on the severity of the disease and the type of preparation in use. The 200C, 30C, and 6C potencies are frequently used for homeopathic dilutions.

Generally, the dose of the tincture can be 5 to 10 drops or using two to three pellets of homeopathic preparation, 2 to 3 times a day in acute conditions.

For long-standing conditions, the dose can be lowered to a daily or every other day kind of thing. When the mother tincture is taken, it is advised that the chemicals be diluted with water and taken in solutions of 10 to 15 drops 1 to 3 times a day.

Viscum Album Dosage For Children

For children, the prescription of Viscum Album (mistletoe) often depends on the child’s age, condition, and preparation type. As for homeopathic remedies, simple potencies, including 6C or 30C, are generally employed.

It is recommended that a child is given between 1 to 3 pellets of the remedy 1 to 3 times a day, depending on the intensity of the disease. As for tinctures, children can be prescribed diluted doses, for instance, 5-10 drops of the liquid in water 1-3 times a day.

Who Should Avoid Viscum Album?

• Pregnant Women: The use of Viscum albums in pregnancy has not been determined to be safe, and therefore, their use should be discouraged. Its galantamine-like action may cause different oxytocin-like effects that can result in problems in pregnancy.
• Breastfeeding Mothers: As with pregnancy, there is still considerable uncertainty about the impact of the Viscum album on breastfeeding, so it should be avoided.
• Individuals with Hyperthyroidism: It is consequently paramount that those suffering from hyperthyroidism abstain from using the Viscum album.
• People with Allergies: Individuals who have a known allergy to mistletoe or related plants should avoid using this remedy, as allergic reactions can occur.
• Patients with Severe Health Conditions: Viscum album should not be taken by anyone who has severe health problems or a weakened immune system as it Interacts with other treatments.
• Children: Because no norms regarding the safety of Viscum album use and its dosage for children have been set, it is recommended that they refrain from employing it without the supervision of a health care provider.
• Individuals on Certain Medications: Patients with coagulopathy or other diseases that require the use of anticoagulants or other medicinal products that affect blood pressure should seek the advice of a physician when using Viscum album.

Side Effects And Risks Of Using Viscum Album

• Allergic Reactions: Few patients may exhibit signs of allergy, wherein the skin develops a generalized rash, facial swelling, or, in some extreme cases, anaphylaxis. Cases of Viscum album severities have been reported to occur once the injection of the extracts has been made.
• Injection Site Reactions: The most frequently experienced side effects involve the development of swelling, redness, and pain at the site of the injected muscles. This condition is usually self-limited, and the manifestations may range from mild to moderate severity.
• Flu-like Symptoms: Specific symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue, and general aches, more noticeable after high dosages or by injection.
• Gastrointestinal Distress: These side effects may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, which is rife with raw and inadequately prepared mistletoe.
• Cardiovascular Effects: Others develop hypertension, bradycardia, or hypotension problems as well.
• Toxicity Risks: Doses as above recounted can be lethal, and the use of the Viscum album is associated with convulsions, coma, and fatal results. Signs of toxicity include pin-point pupils and muscular twitching.
• Long-term Effects: Prolonged use may reduce T-cell function in cancer patients, potentially impacting immune response.
• Contraindications: Pregnant women should avoid Viscum album due to potential risks of abortion or complications. It is also contraindicated in individuals with hyperthyroidism.

References

• https://restorativemedicine.org/library/monographs/mistletoe/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3180269/
• https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6882-11-72
• https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/ra/c5ra27381a

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