Could mistletoe be a new treatment for dry eyes?

MISTLETOE isn’t just cause for a seasonal kiss — it can also help with dry eyes. Doctors at Xiamen University’s Eye Institute in China gave 60 postmenopausal women with dry eye syndrome drops containing either mistletoe extract or saline.

After two months, those using the mistletoe drops had a significant reduction in symptoms of dry eyes such as redness, while those given the saline drops showed barely any change.

It’s thought the plant has anti-inflammatory properties — inflammation can play a role in dry eye syndrome, which occurs when not enough tears are produced.