Mistletoe is as traditional at Christmas as turkey, mulled wine and nativity scenes and much fun comes from dodging it or trying to entice someone underneath it.

But it's not just for puckering up under - it has medicinal properties which have been shown to be calming and reduce high blood pressure.

Test patients taking mistletoe as a herbal supplement have shown a slight reduction in blood pressure.

It can calm anxiety and nerves, relax the heart, reduce the pulse rate and help headaches, dizziness, loss of energy, irritability and other symptoms linked with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

It is also an alternative to beta-blockers which are prescribed to balance the hormones which make the heart beat faster, Mistletoe also is used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis, which is a condition involving fatty deposits in the arteries, cardio-vascular problems and is used as an anti-inflammatory.

Its benefits in treating cancer are being investigated in other countries where it is used in an injection form.

Mistletoe's medicinal use dates back to the age of Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived between 460 and 377BC and Roman Pliny The Elder, who lived between 23AD and 79AD. It was recorded as being used in the treatment of epilepsy and tumours.

The tradition of kissing underneath the mistletoe at Christmas may have stemmed from folklore.

Shakespeare referred to "the baleful mistletoe" which was a reference to a Scandinavian legend which said Balder, the god of peace, was slain with an arrow made of mistletoe.

He was restored to life at the request of other gods and goddesses and mistletoe was given into the keeping of the goddess of love.

It was then requested everyone who passed under it should receive a kiss to show the branch had become an emblem of love and not hate. Another suggestion says the custom may originate from the Romans who thought it brought peace and, when enemies met underneath it, they threw down their weapons.

The Druids also gathered it and hung it in their homes because they believed it had miraculous powers.

Mistletoe is a parasite plant which grows on branches of trees.

When a berry sticks to the bark, it sends out a thread-like root which pierces into the wood. The white berries of the mistletoe are poisonous and should not be eaten. The supplement is made from the stem and leaf.

June Crisp, managing director of Bio-Health which produces the mistletoe supplement in capsule form, says: "There is much we still do not know about herbal medicine and mistletoe in many ways exemplifies this.

"In the future, more and more important uses for mistletoe will be found so we must ensure we maintain stocks of this valuable plant."

Bio-Health capsules can be bought by calling 01634 290115. Neal's Yard also sells a tincture form from £2.30 for 30ml and dried herbs for 70p for 25g. Its experts will also be able to give advice. Visit Neal's Yard, Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 01273 601464.