Essiac Tea Cures

Essiac tea was developed from a recipe that was given to a women with cancer from an Ojibwa medicine man. Rather than just using one herb to aid in healing, it uses a combination of herbs. There has been some evidence that essiac can help cure cancer. However, there are many contradictory results, as well.

History

• Rene Caisse, a public health nurse in Ontario, discovered essiac tea as a possible cure for cancer from a patient who recovered from breast cancer after using the tea. The patient received the tea from an Ojibwa medicine man. Caisse then used the herbal tea blend to cure her aunt's stomach cancer. After success, she opened a clinic to heal others with the tea, and named the tea Essiac. The clinic was met with skepticism by the medical establishment. Skepticism over the effectiveness of the herbal tea mixture persists today. Both the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the U.S National Cancer Institute tested essiac throughout the 1950s and mid 1970s in animals. However, no evidence was found concerning its effectiveness in fighting cancer.

Anticancer

• In a study conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in West Virginia, it was found that essiac tea concentrations possessed properties that were antioxidants and DNA-protective. These are both considered common properties in agents that are anticancer. Essiac was effective at up to a 50 percent concentration of the tea.

Description

• Essiac is a combination of four herbs: burdock root, slippery elm inner bark, sheep sorrel and Indian rhubarb root. Many later recipes also added kelp, red clover, blessed thistle and watercress. Burdock is a diuretic typically used to support the liver. According to research done by Ralph Moss, Ph.D., who has advised on alternative cancer treatments at the National Institute of Health at Columbia University and the University of Texas, each of the herbs in essiac contain chemicals that have been shown to fight cancer.

Controversy

• The effectiveness of essiac has been controversial. Some studies do not show that essiac has any effective activity against cancer, while others do. Older studies found no effectiveness. However, more recent studies have tested individual components of essiac and have found effectiveness. Several companies have sold essiac as a treatment for cancer. The tea is legal to sell; however, it is illegal to claim it is a cure for cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warnings to at least 25 companies that claim their essiac tea blend was a cancer treatment.

Side Effects

• Side effects from essiac are considered to be rare. However, it is possible to experience low blood sugar, kidney damage, liver damage, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and headaches. Essiac tea should be taken on an empty stomach, otherwise it can cause nausea and digestion problems. Caffeine should not be taken in conjuction with the tea, or it may cause negative side effects. Drinking plenty of water can help lessen the possiblity of negative side effects. It is also possible to be allergic to any of the herbs contained in the herbal tea mixture. Both sheep sorrel and turkey rhubarb contain oxalic acid, which is poisonous in high amounts. Oxalic acid is not safe for those with kidney stones or disease. The tea can also effect blood glucose levels. Blood sugar levels should be monitored in diabetics taking the tea.