Evidence supporting the use of: European Mistletoe
For the health condition: Dementia

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 1

European Mistletoe (Viscum album) has been used in traditional European herbal medicine for various ailments, including hypertension, epilepsy, and as a general nervine. Its use in the context of dementia is primarily based on folk traditions rather than robust scientific evidence. Historically, mistletoe was sometimes employed to "calm the mind" or address symptoms that today might align with cognitive decline or nervous agitation, but these uses were unspecific and anecdotal. In modern phytotherapy, European mistletoe is much more widely investigated for its possible role in cancer therapy (especially as injectable extracts) rather than neurological or cognitive disorders.

A limited number of preliminary studies and animal experiments have suggested that certain mistletoe extracts might possess neuroprotective or antioxidant properties, but clinical studies specifically in dementia or Alzheimer's patients are lacking or of very low quality. Systematic reviews and authoritative sources (such as the European Medicines Agency monographs) do not support mistletoe as an evidence-based intervention for dementia. Thus, its use for dementia is justified primarily by tradition, with minimal supporting scientific data, and the overall strength of evidence is very low.

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