White mistletoe is an evergreen shrub of the mistletoe family. This poisonous plant is prized for its medicinal properties and is widely used in traditional medicine recipes. Medicines based on mistletoe are most often used in the treatment of hypertension and cancer.
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What does white mistletoe look like: photo and description
Mistletoe ripens globular white berries in autumn
White mistletoe is a semi-parasite shrub that grows on deciduous and coniferous specimens. She most often receives minerals from trees such as poplar, birch, linden and maple. The shrub itself has a spherical shape and leathery narrow leaves. Mistletoe is attached to the bark of a tree with suction cups, and roots are embedded in its bark. The shrub blooms in the spring, and the fruits ripen in the fall. Its flowers are small, yellowish, and the berries are round, white.
White mistletoe is also called bird and goat nuts, witch's nest, shulga, dumplings, golden leaves, holy grass, winter seeds and cross grass.
Herbal raw materials can be purchased at pharmacies
The witch's nest is widely used in folk medicine. Dietary supplements are also made on the basis of mistletoe. This plant, despite its many useful properties, is not included in the State Register of Medicines of the Russian Federation. You can prepare raw materials for the preparation of medicines at home yourself or buy them at a pharmacy.
Beneficial features
Mistletoe has the following healing properties:
- sedative;
- vasodilator;
- anthelmintic;
- anticonvulsant;
- antispasmodic;
- anti-inflammatory;
- anti-sclerotic;
- hemostatic;
- wound healing;
- tonic;
- diuretic;
- strengthening.
Mistletoe-based products help lower blood pressure and improve heart function. They also stop the growth of malignant cells.
Indications for the use of medicines
Mistletoe remedies help fight the following conditions:
- diabetes;
- skin diseases;
- hypertension;
- epilepsy;
- diseases of the nervous system;
- bronchial asthma;
- pancreatic disease;
- hyperthyroidism;
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- gastritis and enteritis;
- obesity;
- heart diseases;
- hemorrhoids;
- cancer;
- phlebeurysm;
- stroke.
For women, it is recommended to take decoctions and infusions based on mistletoe with heavy discharge during menstruation, uterine bleeding, infertility, menopause and cervical erosion.
Video: features of the use of cross herb for hypertension
Contraindications and side effects
White mistletoe is a poisonous plant and should be taken with caution. In case of an overdose of drugs based on it, food poisoning may occur. If you experience nausea, vomiting and dizziness, you should urgently seek help from a doctor.
Any remedies made from white mistletoe should be taken in short courses, taking 2-month breaks. This will help avoid side effects. Care should be taken to use external products, since a strong concentration of solution for compresses can lead to soft tissue necrosis, thereby causing irreparable harm.
Contraindications to the use of plant-based products:
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- hypotension;
- asthenia;
- hypothyroidism;
- age up to 18 years;
- stones in the gallbladder;
- angina pectoris;
- kidney and liver diseases;
- allergy.
Popular recipes
At home, based on the cross grass, you can make:
- water infusion;
- broth;
- tea;
- ointment;
- alcohol tincture;
- means for external use.
The berries of the witch's nest are poisonous and should not be consumed inside. On their basis, only products for external use can be made.
Infusion
Ingredient List:
- 1 tsp dry leaves;
- 250 ml of cold water.
Instructions for preparing the infusion:
- Pour plant materials with water.
- Leave the product to infuse overnight.
- Strain the infusion in the morning.
This water infusion should be consumed during the day, but not more than 3 glasses per day. It is recommended to drink it for hypertension.
Decoction
Ingredient List:
- 2 tsp raw materials;
- 250 ml boiling water.
Step-by-step instructions for preparing a decoction:
- Mix the ingredients.
- Put the container with the mixture on fire and bring to a boil.
- Let the broth brew for 30 minutes.
- Filter the remedy.
This broth has a mild calming effect. It should be taken in 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.
Means for external use
Ingredient List:
- 60 g dry herb;
- 1 liter of boiling water.
Instructions for preparing the product:
- Pour the plant materials into boiling water.
- Boil the broth over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Cool and filter the product.
It is recommended to use this broth for rheumatism and arthritis. In it, you need to soak gauze and apply it to the sore spot. You can also use this remedy for hemorrhoids, making sitz baths in it.
Tincture
Ingredient List:
- 50 g of plant materials;
- 500 liters of medical alcohol or vodka.
Step-by-step instructions for preparing alcohol tincture:
- Mix ingredients.
- Pour the medicine into a dark glass bottle.
- Let the product brew for a month. It is recommended to shake the tincture periodically.
- Filter out the medicine.
It is recommended to use the tincture for gynecological diseases and nervous disorders, 1 tsp. 3 times before meals. It can also rub on sore joints.
Ready-to-use alcoholic tincture is sold in pharmacies
You can buy ready-made alcoholic tincture at the pharmacy. You need to use it according to the instructions.
Tea
Ingredient List:
- 1 tsp dry shoots;
- 250 ml boiling water.
Instructions for making tea:
- Pour boiling water over the vegetable raw materials.
- Let the tea brew for 15 minutes.
- Strain the product.
This tea is an excellent general tonic. It is recommended to take it 1 glass no more than 4 times a day.
Ointment
Ingredient List:
- 6 tbsp. l. dried leaves;
- 1 tbsp. l. fresh mashed mistletoe berries;
- 50 ml olive oil;
- 50 ml lanolin.
Instructions for preparing the ointment:
- Pour olive oil over the leaves.
- Let the product brew for a month. It is advisable to stir it daily.
- Drain the oil and add lanolin.
- Hold the product in a water bath.
- Add berries to the mixture after it becomes a homogeneous consistency.
The ointment is used to treat joint and skin diseases. It needs to be applied to sore spots and covered with gauze on top.
Procurement and storage of plant materials
Collect stems, leaves and berries from September to December. It is necessary to collect mistletoe only from healthy trees growing away from settlements and the roadway. Young shoots can be torn off by hand or cut with pruning shears. The berries must be removed from the cut stems.Then the shoots should be spread out in a thin layer on paper and sent to dry in the attic or veranda. Berries for the preparation of medicines are used fresh.
You can store the stems and leaves of white mistletoe in small cloth bags or bags.
Dried vegetable raw materials must be transferred to cloth bags or small bags and stored in a dark place. The shelf life of dried white mistletoe is 2 years. High-quality plant materials should be yellowish-green in color, without signs of mold.
Feedback on the results of use
I love and practice herbal medicine. White mistletoe interested me primarily in the ability to lower blood pressure. Even before pregnancy, I suffered from hypertensive crises from an early age. Now I drink mistletoe decoction regularly and the pressure hardly bothers me. And in terms of general tranquility, white mistletoe acts on me better than chamomile.
I have heard many times about the benefits of mistletoe for weight loss. I saw medicinal herbs on sale and immediately bought several packs for my grandmother. She drank the drug daily, prepared it as indicated on the package. At first she liked the effect. According to her, she became less likely to experience hunger. The pressure dropped. This was reflected in the fact that she began to eat less and, as a result, lost a little weight and the pressure did not torment her. She was pleased with this result. And you can see from her that she began to feel better.
I have been suffering from inflammatory processes of the kidneys with all the accompanying problems for a long time. Of the vast arsenal of medicines at this stage, herbs and herbal preparations help me best. With the next attack of sores, when the body got used to other herbs and did not react to them very much, I decided to try the effect of mistletoe. The first attempt was perceived by the body a little strange. Perhaps due to the fact that I have low blood pressure, and mistletoe has such a property of lowering blood pressure, but I began to pull into sleep. And the general condition became somehow relaxed and lethargic. But the main thing I achieved - the disease receded.
Mistletoe-based remedies help in the treatment of many diseases, but at the same time they cannot replace medications prescribed by a specialist. To avoid side effects when taking broths and infusions made from cross herb, you should definitely follow the dosage and get the approval of your doctor.
