Mistletoe tea lowers blood pressure, stimulates the metabolism and helps against many health problems. In this article we will tell you how to prepare it.
All readers of The Adventures of Asterix and Obelix will remember that druids like to use mistletoe as a medicinal herb. Its tea was actually considered a remedy in ancient times and can help against many ailments.
Mistletoe prefers to grow under or on trees, especially fruit trees and poplars. You can recognize them by their green, egg-shaped leaves. They are easy to spot, especially in the cold season, when the trees have shed their leaves. The best time to collect them is between autumn and spring.
Simply cut off small pieces and hang them up to dry in a warm place. Make sure they don’t stick to each other – otherwise mold can form quickly. Caution: Mistletoe is poisonous when raw: you should not eat the leaves or the berries.
The plants themselves are not protected, so you can also collect them outside of your own garden – for example in forests. Make sure, however, that you do not damage the host tree. It is forbidden to break off or saw off branches to get to the mistletoe.
If you don’t want to collect the mistletoe yourself, you can get mistletoe tea in almost every pharmacy.
Prepare mistletoe tea
If you have collected dried ones, you can easily brew them up. For one liter of tea you need two to four teaspoons of dried mistletoe. Half a teaspoon or a teaspoon is enough for a cup.
How to prepare mistletoe tea:
Place the dried mistletoe in a bowl. Add the appropriate amount of water.
Leave the mixture overnight.
In the morning, filter the mistletoe with a sieve and collect the liquid in a saucepan.
Warm the brew slightly without bringing it to a boil.
As soon as the tea reaches the desired temperature, you can drink it.
Caution: Since mistletoe contains toxins, you should not prepare the tea with hot water. Otherwise, the harmful substances can be released from the plant.
Mistletoe tea: You can also use it like this
You can also use mistletoe externally:
Mistletoe poultices can relieve pain caused by rheumatism. They also help against varicose veins and eczema. Simply dip a towel or cotton cloth in the lukewarm tea and place it on the affected areas.
You can also relieve these symptoms with a cold hand or foot bath to which you add dried mistletoe.
This is how mistletoe tea works
Mistletoe tea is said to have many effects. It is said to have a blood pressure-regulating effect, stimulate the metabolism and strengthen the body’s own defences. It also has a haemostatic effect and can relieve menstrual cramps.
The tea has a calming effect and is said to help against restlessness and ringing in the ears. However, these symptoms are often based on other causes such as stress. In order to permanently treat the problems, you should reconsider your lifestyle and, if necessary, talk to a doctor.
Mistletoe is sometimes used as a supplement to treat cancer. However, the effectiveness of this method is highly controversial.
