Essiac is a herbal formula for use by cancer patients developed by a Canadian nurse, Rene Caisse. It consists of four herbs: burdock root, slippery elm inner bark, sheep sorrel and Indian rhubarb root, used as a dietary supplement.
Essiac preparation is claimed to inhibit tumour cell growth while enhancing immune response to antigenic stimulation. This may be especially valuable in immune-suppressed individuals. These herbs help normalise body systems by cleansing the blood, purging toxic build up, promoting cell repair and aiding in effective assimilation and elimination. When combined they are believed to have synergistic beneficial effects.
Burdock root (Arctium lappa) is one of the best depurative (blood purifying) agents in nature. It cleanses and eliminates impurities from the blood rapidly. It beneficially influences the skin, soothes the kidneys and relieves congestions of the lymphatics. It contains inulin, a powerful immune modulator.
Slippery elm (Ulmus Fulva) contains mucilage (principal constituent), which is responsible for its demulcent and emollient effects. When used internally, it causes reflex stimulation of nerve endings in the GI tract, leading to mucous secretion. It also contains tannin, which is responsible for its astringent properties. It is rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamins (A,B,C,K). It nourishes and soothes organs, tissues and mucus membranes and is helpful to the lungs.
Sheep sorrel (Rumex Acetosella) is rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements that nourish the glandular system. It contains silicon, a necessary element in nerves and the myelin sheath that protects them.
Indian rhubarb (Rheum Officinale) when harvested is rich in iron and can be used both internally and externally. In small amounts, this herb acts as a gentle laxative, purging the body, especially the liver, of waste and toxic matter. It promotes overall health and well-being, intestinal flora balance and healthy circulation.
In 1922, a patient whose breast cancer had been cured by a Native American Indian healer, spoke to Nurse Renée M. Caisse of an Ojibwa Indian herbal formula. From 1922 to 1978 Nurse Caisse helped thousands of people with her Essiac (Caisse spelled backwards) herbal supplement at her clinic in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. Although she refused payments for her services, she accepted donations to help support her clinic. Nurse Caisse dedicated her life to using the Essiac formula and helping the suffering.
In 1977, Nurse Caisse signed over all her rights to her original Essiac formula only to Resperin Corp Ltd. Dr Charles Brusch (President John Kennedy’s physician) of Cambridge, MA, witnessed the signing of the agreement between Rene Caisse and Resperin attesting that her original herbal formula was never revealed to anyone other than to Resperin. Resperin gave her the assurance that she sought, namely, that Essiac be produced and distributed for the benefit of all. On May 29th, 1995, however, Resperin transferred the rights to Essiac and the corporation was voluntarily dissolved. Essiac Products Inc. now owns and manufactures the Essiac herbal formula and distributes through Essiac International. The herbs used to manufacture Essiac are grown in accordance with European standards.
Today there is a lot of controversy on the web regarding who owns and sells the original formula. It is important to note that Rene Caisse did not use just one Essiac formula; there were several. It is now well known that Rene Caisse gave different versions of her Essiac formula to multiple recipients.
The original formula was created by the Indian medicine man and it consisted of eight herbs. In the 1890s, the Indian medicine man gave the original eight-herb formula to a woman in northern Ontario for her breast cancer. In 1922, this woman gave the recipe to Nurse Rene Caisse free of charge. Rene Caisse never revealed what that entire formula was, even to her best friend Mary McPherson who made up Essiac tea for Rene Caisse’s patients.
Early on in her research, Rene weeded out two of the original herbs, periwinkle and red clover. She then continued using various combinations of sheep sorrel root and leaf, burdock root, slippery elm bark, rhubarb root, goldthread and watercress until her death in 1978. She also used others herbs topically such as bloodroot, an herb that is used in the Hoxsey treatments.
Essiac became a household word in 1935 in Bracebridge, Ontario when Rene Caisse opened up her cancer clinic. In the summer of 1977, interest in Essiac exploded with the publishing of the article “Could Essiac Halt Cancer” by Homemaker’s Magazine, based upon the research of Sheila Snow. In 1988 Essiac became a household word worldwide when Dr Gary Glum published Calling of an Angel and promoted the sale of his video tape showing how to make Essiac at home. This is referred to as the “classic” Essiac formula.
Rene Caisse briefly joined forces with Dr Charles Brusch to research Essiac at the Brusch Medical Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1959-1960. However, Rene Caisse did not give Dr Brusch the Essiac formula. Dr Brusch’s formula, which was called Flor Essence®, was technically not Essiac tea because he used two herbs in the tea that Rene Caisse never used, blessed thistle and kelp.
In 1977, Nurse Caisse signed over all her rights to her original Essiac formula only to Resperin Corp Ltd. Dr Charles Brusch (President John Kennedy’s physician) of Cambridge, MA, witnessed the signing of the agreement between Rene Caisse and Resperin attesting that her original herbal formula was never revealed to anyone other than to Resperin. Resperin gave her the assurance that she sought, namely, that Essiac be produced and distributed for the benefit of all. On May 29th, 1995, however, Resperin transferred the rights to Essiac and the corporation was voluntarily dissolved. Essiac Products Inc. now owns and manufactures the Essiac herbal formula and distributes through Essiac International.
The book ESSIAC, The Secrets of Rene Caisse’s Herbal Pharmacy, allegedly reveals all the herbs that Rene used.
Essiac may cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea if taken with food or soon after meals. Proponents recommend that it be taken two or three hours after meals or at least one hour before meals. Essiac was tested at both Memorial Sloan-Kettering (MSKCC) and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the 1970s and was said to have no anticancer activity in animal systems. But the mixture remains worth investigating, not just because of persistent anecdotal reports, but because most of its identifiable components have individually shown anticancer properties in independent tests.
A number of companies now sell competing original Essiac in the form of a tea, but the authenticity of some of these formulas are open to question. It is very important to use a high grade fresh, properly manufactured Essiac product. As with any product, if Essiac is not manufactured correctly, or if the herbs used are old, the Essiac blend will not be of any benefit. Essiac must be made in small quantities with the freshest possible ingredients. It should not be made in large vats in massive quantities. Essiac must be brewed in small batches and it cannot be made from tea bags. The herbs should not be older than 1 year old. Do not buy Essiac that has all of the herbs mixed together in a bag or package.
Essiac is called a tea because it is brewed but it isn’t taken hot. It is brewed then stored in the fridge to be consumed cold in small amounts. Heating it back up can cause overprocessing the blend. Capsules are also not a recommended form to administer Essiac tea as they are not absorbed in the same way (same reason why a veggie capsule is never as good as eating a plate of vegetables).
Essiac is possibly dangerous or lacks evidence of benefit with breast cancer according to the following research paper and the CancerChoices website, Kulp KS, Montgomery JL, Nelson DO, Cutter B, Latham ER, Shattuck DL, Klotz DM, Bennett LM. Essiac and Flor-Essence herbal tonics stimulate the in vitro growth of human breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2006 Aug;98(3):249-59. doi: 10.1007/s10549-005-9156-x. Epub 2006 Mar 16. PMID: 16541326.
Sources:
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. Learn more.
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and enable essential functions on our website. Some cookies are categorised as "Necessary" are automatically stored on your browser as they are crucial for the basic operation of the site - they can no be adjusted using these tools. Additionally, we use third-party cookies to help us analyse your usage of the website. These cookies are stored in your browser only with your prior consent. You have the option to enable or disable some or all of these cookies.
