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American mistletoe

Traditionally used for: Fits and nervous complaints (traditional claim only).

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What is American mistletoe? American mistletoe is a poisonous plant, and it is best known today as a holiday decoration. It grows as a shrub on the branches of trees and feeds off them. The leaves, stems and white berries can all harm the heart. It is not the same plant as European mistletoe (Viscum album). That is why old books call it false mistletoe. Shops and websites still mix the two up. American folk and Eclectic healers once used it to make the womb squeeze and to slow bleeding after birth. Long use in a tradition is not proof that something works, and it is not proof that it is safe. There are no controlled human trials of this plant as a medicine. The honest verdict: no good human evidence of benefit, and clear evidence of harm. This page gives no dose and no recipe on purpose. How does American mistletoe work? No one has shown in people how it works, or that it works at all. Lab work points to a group of small proteins called phoratoxins. In animal and tissue studies, these appear to narrow blood vessels and slow the heartbeat. Blood pressure can fall sharply. Older writers believed the plant made the muscle of the womb squeeze. That idea rests on animal and isolated-tissue work. It has never been tested in a proper trial in women. The heart effects seen in animals are poison effects. They are not a treatment, and they cannot be steered or dosed at home. What forms does American mistletoe come in? You should not take any of these forms by mouth. They are listed so you can recognise them. - Fresh or dried sprigs with white berries, sold as holiday decoration - Cut and dried leaf and stem, sold as loose herb - Tinctures and fluid extracts, in the old Eclectic style - Very dilute homeopathic drops and pellets - Teas made at home from decorative sprigs Being sold freely does not mean a plant is safe to swallow. Decorative sprigs are not food-grade and carry no dosing checks. Injectable European mistletoe (Viscum album) extracts are a different plant and a different product. In some countries a doctor must prescribe them. Do not treat the two as the same thing. Where it comes from: American mistletoe had a narrow but real place in 19th-century American practice. Eclectic doctors wrote it up in their materia medica books. They used it mainly around childbirth. It was given to bring on labour pains and to slow bleeding after delivery. Some writers also tried it for fits and for heart complaints. It fell out of use by the early 20th century. Reports of poisoning and safer drugs for labour both played a part. Folk use at home faded with it.

Helps

What does American mistletoe help with? Bleeding after childbirth (traditional claim only): This was the main Eclectic use. The idea was that the plant made the womb clamp down and close off bleeding vessels. No trial has tested this in people. Heavy bleeding after birth is a medical emergency and needs a doctor or midwife at once. Bringing on or strengthening labour (traditional claim only): Folk writers claimed it sharpened labour pains. The claim rests on old case notes and on animal tissue work. There is no human trial support. The plant can also harm the heart of the person taking it, so this use is unsafe. High blood pressure (traditional claim only): Some old sources said mistletoe calmed the circulation. Animal work shows the opposite can happen, with vessels tightening and pressure swinging. No human study supports use for blood pressure. Proven treatments for this exist and are far safer. Fits and nervous complaints (traditional claim only): A few 19th-century writers tried it for fits and nervous upset. This was never tested in any controlled way. Seizures are also a reported sign of mistletoe poisoning. That makes the traditional claim hard to separate from the harm. Heart complaints (traditional claim only): Because it acts on the heart, some tried it as a heart remedy. The effects seen in animals are toxic ones, such as a slow or uneven beat. There is no human evidence of benefit. For heart symptoms, see a doctor rather than trying any plant.

American mistletoe

Quick Facts

  • What it is: A poisonous tree-dwelling shrub, once used by American Eclectic doctors around childbirth and now mainly a holiday decoration.
  • Main uses: Bleeding after childbirth (traditional claim only), Bringing on labour (traditional claim only), Fits and nervous complaints (traditional claim only)
  • Active ingredients: Phoratoxins, Lectins, Tyramine and related amines
  • Forms: Decorative sprigs with white berries, Dried leaf and stem, Tinctures and fluid extracts, Homeopathic dilutions
  • Time to effect: Poisoning signs can start within hours; no benefit has been shown in people.
  • Side effects: Vomiting, slow or uneven heartbeat, falling blood pressure, seizures and collapse in serious cases.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid: reported to act on the womb.

Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.

What is American mistletoe?

American mistletoe is a poisonous plant, and it is best known today as a holiday decoration. It grows as a shrub on the branches of trees and feeds off them. The leaves, stems and white berries can all harm the heart.

It is not the same plant as European mistletoe (Viscum album). That is why old books call it false mistletoe. Shops and websites still mix the two up.

American folk and Eclectic healers once used it to make the womb squeeze and to slow bleeding after birth. Long use in a tradition is not proof that something works, and it is not proof that it is safe. There are no controlled human trials of this plant as a medicine.

The honest verdict: no good human evidence of benefit, and clear evidence of harm. This page gives no dose and no recipe on purpose.

How does American mistletoe work?

No one has shown in people how it works, or that it works at all.

Lab work points to a group of small proteins called phoratoxins. In animal and tissue studies, these appear to narrow blood vessels and slow the heartbeat. Blood pressure can fall sharply.

Older writers believed the plant made the muscle of the womb squeeze. That idea rests on animal and isolated-tissue work. It has never been tested in a proper trial in women.

The heart effects seen in animals are poison effects. They are not a treatment, and they cannot be steered or dosed at home.

What forms does American mistletoe come in?

You should not take any of these forms by mouth. They are listed so you can recognise them.

- Fresh or dried sprigs with white berries, sold as holiday decoration - Cut and dried leaf and stem, sold as loose herb - Tinctures and fluid extracts, in the old Eclectic style - Very dilute homeopathic drops and pellets - Teas made at home from decorative sprigs

Being sold freely does not mean a plant is safe to swallow. Decorative sprigs are not food-grade and carry no dosing checks.

Injectable European mistletoe (Viscum album) extracts are a different plant and a different product. In some countries a doctor must prescribe them. Do not treat the two as the same thing.

Where it comes from:

American mistletoe had a narrow but real place in 19th-century American practice. Eclectic doctors wrote it up in their materia medica books.

They used it mainly around childbirth. It was given to bring on labour pains and to slow bleeding after delivery. Some writers also tried it for fits and for heart complaints.

It fell out of use by the early 20th century. Reports of poisoning and safer drugs for labour both played a part. Folk use at home faded with it.

If this is an emergency

Some reactions to American mistletoe need urgent care. Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department straight away — do not wait to see whether it passes.

Who should avoid American mistletoe?

  • Never swallow any part of this plant: berries, leaves, stems or bark.
  • Never drink tea, tincture or extract made from it.
  • Do not use it if you are pregnant, at any stage, as it has been used to force the womb to contract.
  • Do not use it if you are breastfeeding.
  • Never give it to a child, and keep decorative sprigs well out of reach.
  • Do not use it if you take digoxin or any drug for heart rhythm.
  • Do not use it if you take a beta blocker or a calcium channel blocker (drugs that slow the heart).
  • Do not use it if you take any blood pressure medicine.
  • Do not use it if you take an MAOI antidepressant, such as phenelzine or tranylcypromine.
  • Avoid it if you have heart disease, a slow pulse or fainting spells.
  • Avoid handling the sap with bare hands if your skin is broken or sensitive.
  • Do not keep berries where pets can reach them.

When should you see a doctor?

If you or a child has swallowed any part of American mistletoe, call a poison centre or emergency services now. Do not wait for symptoms. In the United States, call Poison Control on 1-800-222-1222.

Call an ambulance straight away for any of these:

- A very slow, racing or uneven heartbeat - Chest pain, fainting or near-fainting - A seizure (fit) or sudden confusion - Repeated vomiting, or vomiting with stomach cramps - Cold, clammy skin or collapse - Cramping or bleeding in pregnancy

Take the plant or the product with you if you can. It helps staff identify what was swallowed.

Is American mistletoe legal where you live?

In the United States it is not approved as a medicine, and the Food and Drug Administration has long listed it among unsafe plants. Decorative sprigs are sold freely at Christmas, which says nothing about safety by mouth.

Options to discuss with a clinician

Take the underlying problem to a clinician rather than to this plant.

- For bleeding after birth, or for labour that is slow: speak to your midwife or obstetrician. Proven, monitored treatments exist for both. - For high blood pressure: ask your family doctor about tested medicines and about diet and exercise changes. - For fits or a racing heart: see your doctor, who can arrange heart tracing and other tests. - For a calming herb: ask a pharmacist or doctor about better-studied options, and mention every medicine you take.

Do not swap one herb for another on your own. A doctor, pharmacist or midwife should know what you are taking.

Graded pages for the options named above:

  • Exercise — evidence grade A, traditional tier T3

Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.

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