Mistletoe vs. Chemotherapy for Cancer Treatment; Photo by AP
December 28, 2009 - A 53 year old woman in Milltimber, Aberdeenshire who had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma is recovering after opting for mistletoe treatments instead of chemotherapy.
Mistletoe over Chemotherapy
Joan van Holsteijn a special needs therapist, wife and mother, was diagnosed with cancer after after tumors were discovered in her leg. Doctors recommended chemotherapy, but Joan opted not to have conventional treatment after hearing injections of medicine from mistletoe had healing properties.
After 18 months, the tumors have gone and Joan is clear of the disease. In a report by Steven White of the Daily Record quoted Holsteijn as saying, "I owe my life to mistletoe. I feel so grateful and well and healthy. I have never had it in the house before but this year I've got a sprig of mistletoe at my front door. I was very scared, scared of the cancer and scared of chemo because you can become so ill from it. Usually patients try chemotherapy then mistletoe but I didn't want to do that."
Holsteijn went to Park Attwood Clinic in Birmingham where she was given injections of medicine refined from mistletoe berries. The injections kick-start the immune system into high gear, giving it the ability to fight back against the cancer.
Within six months, the lump on Joan's leg had shrunk and after 18 months, all the tumors had disappeared. She said, "All that's left behind is scar tissue. I feel absolutely fantastic."
Healing Properties of Mistletoe
Since the 1920's mistletoe has been seen as a possible anticancer agent . The extracts derived from mistletoe has been shown to prevent growth of new cancer cells (alkaloids), kill existing cancer cells (viscotoxins), and stimulate the immune system (lectins).
According to Katrina Thompson, Mistletoe Mythology and Medicine,
In view of mistletoe's ability to stimulate the immune system, it has been classified as a type of biological response modifier. Biological response modifiers constitute a complex group of biologic substances that have been used individually, or in combination with other agents, to treat cancer or to lessen the adverse effects of anticancer drugs."
For centuries mistletoe has been used for its medicinal properties and according to some sources can be dated back to the early 1600's as a way to improve circulation and relax tight muscles. Arthritis, rheumatism, gout, whooping cough, asthma, hypertension, headaches and PMS are just a few of the the symptoms mistletoe has been used to relieve. Because of its calming effect, mistletoe is used as a tranquilizer for various nervous conditions and for the treatment of mental and physical exhaustion. There have even been accounts appearing as early as 1906 have reported that mistletoe can induce lower blood pressure in animals and humans.
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Sources:
- Stephen White, Cancer mum recovers after using mistletoe instead of chemotherapy; Daily Record, http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk
- Katrina Thompson, Mistletoe: Mythology and Medicine, Cancer Salves, http://www.cancersalves.com
Comments
Great article, I'll share this with others.
Very interesting information in another well-written article. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this, Katrina. There are so many healing facts suppressed from the public. I'll save this. This planet would be a really nice place to live if we all cooperated to help each other :)
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