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Side Effects of Essiac Tea

Essiac tea is a combination of various herbs, according to Cancer.org. The first essiac tea included burdock root, sheep sorrel, slippery elm inner bark and Indian rhubarb root. Later on, blessed thistle, watercress red clover and kelp were added, and it was called Flor Essence. While some of the specific herbs in essiac tea possess anticancer properties, it has not been proven that it is an anticarcinogen.

  1. Expert Insight

    • In the late 1950s and then again in the mid 1970s, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center conducted animal testing of essiac. No antitumor effects were verified, according to Cancer.org. Canadian federal health officials requested, in 1983, that essiac be tested by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI didn't find any evidence of anticancer activity in animal studies.

    Outcome

    • Essiac is known to cause, in some people, nausea, constipation or diarrhea, headaches, low blood sugar, liver damage, vomiting and kidney damage. Serious allergic reactions have been reported, according to Cancer.org.

    Misconceptions

    • Essiac was studied by Kristen Kulp, Ph.D., investigator, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Kulp's study was done to determine the reliability of other studies that showed essiac may actually promote tumor formation by activating estrogen receptors. Kulp's goal was to understand whether essiac could have a protective effect on breast tumor formation by studying its capacity to prevent tumorigenesis, which is caused by PhIP, a dietary carcinogen created in meats that are cooked well-done.

      Overall, the results of this project suggest that essiac does not protect breast cells from DNA damage or subsequent tumor formation from exposure to the breast carcinogen PhIP. Furthermore, Kulp's study agrees with similar studies that show that essiac may promote tumor formation by activating estrogen receptors.

    Other Side Effects

    • The National Cancer Institute reports that essiac tea can cause nausea and vomiting, whereas the tea sold as Flor Essence can result in flu-like symptoms, skin blemishes, frequent urination and swollen glands.

    Oxalates

    • Cancer Research of the UK notes that essiac should not be used by people who have liver problems, because it contains chemicals (oxalates) that can damage the liver and kidneys.

    Further Warnings

    • Drinking essiac, which is a mild body-cleansing formula, may well cause the discharge of toxins and waste from your body. If you are pregnant or nursing, avoid essiac because rhubarb and burdock consumption can lead to uterine contractions, and it has been reported that slippery elm bark can cause a miscarriage, although this has not been scientifically proven.

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