With over 900 types, Mistletoe (Viscum album), commonly known as European mistletoe, is a semi-parasite plant that grows on different host trees [1] and has been mostly known for being part of the Christmas tradition as well as being used for decoration in most of our countries, becoming part of those traditional Christmas symbols that became part of this special celebration. Other plants as Rafflesia arnoldii, the biggest flower in the world, are also example of semi-parasitic plants.

Kissing under the mistletoe tradition dates back to Roman times, being a later synthesis of the Sexual license of Saturnalia with the Druidic sacrificial cult [18,19].

The first documented used of Mistletoe (Viscum album) for the treatment of cancer dates back to 1920, when mistletoe extracts were introduced for the first time as a cancer treatment by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925),  founder of anthroposophy [9,10], a philosophy that postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world accessible to direct experience through inner development [11]. But in Europe the use of Mistletoe is not limited to the treatment of cancer but also arthrosis, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes etc [8]. Image: The moment by Stephen Willis under Creative Common license (CC BY-SA 2.0).

VISCUM ALBUM

Family: Viscaceae
Genus: Viscum
Common name: Mistletoe, European Mistletoe, Common Mistletoe.

A new chemotherapy drug developed by the University of Minnesota may hold the secret key to fight pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal types of cancers, and once again it is based in a natural active constituent derived from a Chinese herb used in many traditional herbal remedies since centuries ago, Thunder God Vine (Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook).

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook (Thunder God Vine) has been used since centuries ago as part of multiple Chinese traditional herbal remedies, mainly to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, showed to be effective on the treatment of multiple cancer types.  Image: 雷公藤 by 天問 小窩 under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0).

TRIPTERIGIUM WILFORDII HOOK

Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Tripterygium
Common name: Thunder God Vine, 雷公藤, raikōtō, lei gong teng.

Raspberry, an edible fruit from the Rubus genus, is known to posses many health benefits, it is a powerful antioxidant properties, has anti-proliferative activity against cancer in vitro [1], increases fertility, suppress induced hepatic lesions (in rats), reduces weight via raspberry leaf ketones, helps pregnant women during labor, this last due to certain uterine relaxant effects [5,38,39], and some of its phytochemicals are even used as the source of aromatic compounds used by the industry in many commercial products...etc., but what scientific and medical evidence is behind all these claimed benefits?

In this article we try to document the evidence behind the claimed properties of raspberry tea and raspberry leaf.

RUBUS IDAEUS

Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rubus
Common name: Red raspberry

Triptolide, an active constituent extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook (Thunder God Vine), a traditional Chinese herb used since centuries ago as part of multiple Chinese traditional herbal remedies, mainly autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, has shown to be effective on the treatment of multiple cancer types. Among some of its beneficial properties we can mention its anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressant and anti-tumor characteristics. Chinese name: 雷公藤. Image: 雷公藤 by 天問 小窩 under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0).