Mistletoe tea is made from the dried leaves and stems of European mistletoe (Viscum album), prepared either as a cold overnight steep or a hot infusion. The method you choose matters more than you might expect, because water temperature changes which compounds end up in your cup. Here’s how to prepare it safely using both methods, and what to know before you start.
Cold Steep vs. Hot Infusion
There are two traditional ways to make mistletoe tea, and they produce meaningfully different drinks. A cold steep (also called maceration) involves soaking the leaves in room-temperature or cold water for several hours. A hot infusion uses just-boiled water and steeps for minutes, like most herbal teas. The key difference is what happens to mistletoe lectins, proteins in the plant that are biologically active and potentially toxic in large amounts.
A study comparing the two methods found that cold steeping extracts about 43% of mistletoe lectins into the water. Hot infusion, by contrast, destroys them through heat. Lectins break down even when the water temperature stays below boiling. So a hot infusion produces a tea with essentially no detectable lectins. On the other hand, hot water pulls out more of the plant’s flavonoids and certain acids (oleanolic acid and betulinic acid), compounds associated with antioxidant activity. Cold steeping preserves the lectins but extracts less of these other compounds.
This distinction is why many traditional European herbalists specifically recommended the cold method: they wanted the lectins in the tea. But it also means the cold method carries more risk if you’re not experienced with the plant.
How to Make It: Step by Step
Cold Steep (Traditional Method)
Add 2 to 4 teaspoons (10 to 20 grams) of chopped dried mistletoe leaves and stems to two cups (500 ml) of cold water. Let it soak overnight, roughly 10 to 12 hours for a stronger infusion or 6 to 8 hours for a lighter one. Stir or agitate the mixture briefly at the start and again at the end. Strain out the plant material before drinking. The traditional dose is the full two cups spread across a day.
Hot Infusion
Place 1 teaspoon (about 5 grams) of dried mistletoe leaves in a cup (250 ml) of water that has just come off the boil. Steep for 5 to 10 minutes, then strain. The traditional amount is up to two cups per day. This method gives you a tea with more dissolved plant compounds like flavonoids but without the lectins, since the heat neutralizes them.
Which Parts of the Plant to Use
Only the dried leaves and young stems are used for tea. The berries are the most concentrated source of toxic compounds and should never be consumed. According to MedlinePlus, the poisonous ingredients in mistletoe are found in all parts of the plant, but the leaves carry a significant concentration as well, which is why precise amounts and preparation matter.
If you’re sourcing mistletoe yourself rather than buying pre-packaged tea, make sure you’re working with European mistletoe (Viscum album), not the American species (Phoradendron serotinum). European mistletoe is the species with a long history of traditional medicinal use and the one studied in clinical research. American mistletoe has far less scientific documentation regarding safe oral preparation. Pre-packaged mistletoe tea bags, sold as herbal supplements, are the most practical option for most people.
Safety and Toxicity Concerns
Mistletoe is not a casual herbal tea. It contains several groups of biologically active compounds: lectins, viscotoxins, and alkaloids. Heat destroys the lectins, but viscotoxins and alkaloids are heat-stable. Research on heat-treated mistletoe found that viscotoxins retained their cell-damaging activity even after 60 minutes of heating, and alkaloids remained active after 180 minutes. This means that even a hot infusion is not free of all potentially harmful compounds.
The FDA has not approved mistletoe for treating any medical condition. In the United States, mistletoe products taken by mouth are sold as dietary supplements, which means they don’t go through the same safety and efficacy review that prescription drugs do. In Europe, injectable mistletoe extracts are available by prescription (primarily in cancer care), but oral preparations occupy a gray area between supplement and traditional remedy.
Who Should Avoid Mistletoe Tea
Mistletoe has documented interactions with several categories of medication. It can amplify the effects of blood pressure drugs, potentially causing dangerously low blood pressure. It may also interact with diabetes medications by further lowering blood sugar, with diuretics, and with drugs that suppress the immune system. People taking CNS depressants (sedatives, sleep aids, certain pain medications) should also be cautious, as mistletoe may enhance their effects.
A review of herb-drug interactions flagged serious concerns including the risk of cardiovascular collapse in certain scenarios. People with cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled thyroid conditions, seizure disorders, or glaucoma are advised to avoid it. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not drink mistletoe tea, as the plant’s compounds can stimulate uterine contractions.
Traditional Uses and What the Research Shows
Mistletoe tea has been used in European folk medicine for centuries, most commonly for high blood pressure. Animal research supports this: Viscum album has demonstrated blood-pressure-lowering and blood-vessel-relaxing effects, likely by boosting nitric oxide production, which causes blood vessels to widen. The plant’s flavonoids and phenolic compounds also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may contribute to cardiovascular benefits.
That said, most of the rigorous clinical research on mistletoe involves injectable extracts used alongside cancer treatment, not oral tea. The compounds you get from a cup of tea are far less concentrated and differ depending on your preparation method. Drinking mistletoe tea is a traditional practice with some biological plausibility behind it, but it is not a proven treatment for any specific condition.