London: Hanging mistletoe over the doorway
during Christmas holidays is an age-old tradition, but
scientists suggest that the plant could do much more than just
ignite festive passions.
German researchers have found that an extract of the
plant could help fight bowel cancer and reduce the side
effects from toxic chemotherapy.
The extract is thought to help the body`s immune system
fight tumours and speed up the disposal of toxic `debris` left
by chemotherapy, Daily Mail reported.
The team treated 429 cancer patients with the mistletoe
jab and compared them with 375 receiving conventional care.
They observed that patients who had mistletoe treatment
regularly injected into their blood had fewer side-effects
from toxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy and survived longer
than those who did not.
Only 19 per cent of those in the mistletoe group suffered
side-effects from toxic treatments, compared to 48 per cent in
the other group. They were also 32 per cent more likely to
still be alive five years after starting therapy, the team
found.
"The results suggest convincing evidence that there is a
significant benefit from treatment with mistletoe extract,"
said lead researcher Kurt Zanker from the German Institute of
Immunology and Experimental Oncology.
The results were published in the journal The Society For
Integrative Oncology
PTI