Benefits of Mistletoe to Prevent Cancer and Hypertension

Benefit of mistletoe to prevent cancer and hypertension - This large family of loranthceae is like a homeless, always ride to live on other plants. Mistletoe known as a parasitic plant that lives depend on its host. Besides, mistletoes even take food from its host to survive.

But, did you know that the mistletoe appears to have efficacy for preventing and treating many diseases, especially cancer and hypertension? A research according to experts, there are several species of mistletoes that proved able to prevent the growth of cancer cells among which scurrula oortinam, dendrophthoe pentranda and macrosolen cochinchinensis.

How mistletoe can prevent cancer?

Mistletoes contain flavonoid compounds quercetin  that possess antitumor.  Quercetin active substances is  class 1 of flavonoids that have powerful antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activity of quercetin 4.7 whereas vitamin c only 1. Another study proved that the methanol extract of the mistletoe can significantly inhibit the growth of myeloma cell proliferation or cancer of plasma cells. Scientists suspect that the mistletoe contains mistellektin, vikotoksin, glikan, and amino acids that have the role of each.

Mistelektin role as an active driver of effector cells of the body. Vitoksin as the initial driving force for natural killer cell activity in order to perform the work. Glikan role in the process antiproliferasi and amino acids contribute to the activity of anticancer respiration resulting in the phenomenon.

Similar study conducted by Gunver S. Kienle from the Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology, Freiburg - Germany, found that the mistletoes are anticancer. He proved that mistletoe extracts viscum album overcome breast cancer. Active compound whose role it is to conquer the malignant cell lectin that cause apoptosis (cell suicide process of stimulating cancer). 

Another addition, the mistletoe used in the treatment of cancer is a mistletoe from the host plant that has high antioxidant.

How mistletoe can treat hypertension?

Other than cancer, mistletoe is also proven efficacious to treat hypertension. As the research results of Bamidale A. Iwalokun from the department of biochemistry and nutrition, medical research institute Nigeria. In the study, they used a mistletoe plant from species loranthus micranthus. This semiparasite plant contain the active substance terpenoids, steroids and tannins that become an intermediary in the mechanism of antihypertensive agents. Active substance in the mistletoe causing relaxation of smooth muscle and cardiac muscle by blocking calcium entry into ektraseluler cells. Relaxation of vascular smooth muscle causes reduction in blood pressure. 

Researchers tested the in vivo antihypertensive efficacy of the mistletoe leaves water extract on rat wistar. The results indicate that the mistletoe extract significantly reduced blood pressure in the rat 11.28% of normal blood pressure. In addition, mistletoe-containing quercetin is able to lower high blood pressure.

So that was a brief explanation of the benefit of mistletoe to prevent cancer and hypertension. What do you think? please leave a comment below and let me know.