Can a Little Holiday Cheer Cure Cancer?

Today we are fortunate to have a guest blogger, Allison Brooks, who is a recent college graduate and a "holistic health nut" (her own words). She is  passionate about enlightening people to the benefits integrative medicine can have on multiple diseases and illnesses. Allison's post concerns a cancer treatment without noxious and painful side effects.                                   

CAROLE DI TOSTI

                          That Mistletoe Maybe Be Worth More Than A Kiss Magnet! 

Mistletoe growing on top of a birch tree.

By Allison Brooks

Doctors and scientist around the world believe that Mistletoe may have tremendous possibilities.  Due to results from an on-going 30-year study, a direct derivative from Mistletoe has the capabilities to help in the fight against cancer.

For over 90 years, the use of Iscador, a brand name for an extract from the mistletoe plant, has been used to stop cancer cell growth and promote immune system function. Since it can accomplish these tasks with little or no side effects, Iscador is normally used in conjunction with conventional therapies. It has been studied with patients suffering from all types of cancer, ranging from rarer forms like high-risk malignant melanomas or mesothelioma, to breast cancer and bladder cancer. Many patients undergoing Iscador therapy have claimed they feel more positive about treatment and the pain from harsher treatments is lessened.

So far the over 35,000 patients that have been observed have shown positive improvements while using Iscador. Results from a recent study have shown that groups using the mistletoe extract with conventional treatments live almost 40% longer than control groups. Another study conducted by R.Klopp, highlighted that the functions of white blood cells and the immune system were increased after Iscador treatments were ingested.

Though these results are thorough and accurate, some scientists have tried to debunk the use of Iscador with cancer treatments. Some have claimed that the use of the plant extract actually stimulates tumor growth, but two German scientists Gerhard Maier and Heinz-Herbert Fiebig, quickly disproved this assumption. With their study of 16 human cancer cells, they were able to prove that there was no evidence of cancer cell growth when using mistletoe extracts.  On the contrary, their research showed antitumor activity.

Today Iscador is commonly used in Europe but is gaining momentum in the United States. It is only available by prescription and can be used to compliment or alternative to conventional medicine.

So, as families prepare for the holidays and homes become a winter wonderlands, one might have a second look at mistletoe. Now instead of a kissing tradition hanging in the doorway, there is a future possibility cancer treatment.    -Allison Brooks           

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 Pleural Mesotheliom