Essiac

Essiac

Michelle Giesler and Kimberly Jones

I. General Description

A. Tea made from a mixture of four herbs

1. Sheep Sorrel
2. Burdock Root
3. Slippery Elm Bark
4. Turkey Rhubarb

B. All four herb when combined are thought to exhibit complimentary as well as synergistic beneficial effects

II. General Actions of Essiac (not inclusive)

A. Removes heavy metals from the body
B. Detoxifies the body
C. Restores the body's energy levels
D. Helps to rebuild the immune system
E. All actions work together to restore the body to a level where it is able to better defeat illness

III. Possible Clinical Applications of Essiac

A. Cancer
B. Diabetes
C. Immune deficiencies
D. Thyroid disease
E. Healing of stomach ulcers
F. Preventative treatment for various ailments
G. An "energy tea"
H. Chronic Fatigue syndrome
I. Lupus
J. Multiple Sclerosis
K. Alzheimer's Disease
L. Arthritis

IV. History

A. Rene Caisse, head nurse of a Canadian hospital, discovered a patient that was cured of cancer after being treated with the 4-herb preparation she had received from an Ojibway herbalist
B. Caisse began studying the herbal preparation and opened her own clinic to treat cancer patients
C. In 1938, after the circulation of a petition signed by 55,000 supporters, a bill came within three votes of being passed by the Ontario Parliament which would have legalized the use of Essiac as a treatment for terminal cancer patients
D. After closing her clinic, Caisse began working with Dr. Charles Brusch to study Essiac
E. In 1978, Caisse signed over the rights to the formula to Resperin Corporation of Canada, just before she died at the age of 90

V. Essiac for the treatment of cancer

A. Treatment for patients pronounced incurable after all other conventional options have failed
B. Prolongs the life of terminal patients and increases their quality of life
C. Allows the surgical removal of tumors with less risk of metastases
D. Decreases radiation burns, especially intestinal burns, and increases healing of burns

VI. Sheep Sorrel

A. General information

1. Most expensive of the four herbs
2. Considered the primary healing herb in Essiac

B. Where grown

1. In open pastures, rocky areas and along country roads
2. Needs little moisture and prefers acidic soil
3. A common weed in the US

C. Part harvested for medicinal effects

1. The whole plant can be used, however it is suggested to use only the stem and leaves to allow the plants to be reharvested
2. Harvest leaves and stems before flowers begin to grow so that all of the energy of the plant is in these parts

D. Actions of Sheep Sorrel

1. Relieves inflammation
2. Stimulates defenses and growth of new tissue
3. Improves vascular system, heart function, intestines and lungs
4. Breaks down tissue masses and other deposits that are foreign to the body
5. Reduces damage by radiation burns
6. Increases resistance to x-rays
7. Contains many vitamins and minerals that nourish all the glands of the body
8. Raises the oxygen level of tissue cells, in part due to the presence of chlorophyll in the herb, which carries oxygen through the bloodstream (cancer cells do not grow in the presence of oxygen)

E. Antitumor effects of Sheep Sorrel?

Japan Journal of Pharmacology 1986;40:435-443

1. Tested various natural agents for antitumor effects
2. Looked for an increase in hepatic drug metabolizing activity, phagocytic activity and complement system activity
3. Rumex acetosa polysaccharide was the most effective in increasing these activities

VII. Burdock Root

A. Where grown

1. A common pasture weed in North America
2. Prefers damp soil

B. Part harvested for medicinal effects

1. The roots are harvested from first year plant only
2. Harvested in the fall
3. Roots are an inch wide and may grow up to three feet long
4. Polyacetylenes are the chemicals found in the root that kill disease-causing bacteria and fungi

C. Actions of Burdock Root

1. Cleansing and strengthening
2. Helps bile production and liver function
3. Blood purifier
4. Reduces the pain and swelling of arthritis
5. Assists in removing infection from the urinary tract, liver and gall bladder
6. Stimulates the elimination of toxic wastes
7. An extract of the root contains inulin, which is converted to insulin in the body; this may be useful for diabetic patients
8. Has a reputation for tumor regression
9. Decreases mutations in cells exposed to mutation-causing chemicals, possibly preventing cancer

VIII. Slippery Elm Bark

A. Where grown

1. Canada
2. US

B. Part harvested for medicinal effects

1. Inner bark
2. Strip the bark from the branches rather than the trunk so as not to damage the tree

C. Actions of Slippery Elm Bark

1. Feeds, soothes and strengthens mucous membranes
2. Lubricates bones and joints
3. Dissolves excess mucous deposited in organs, tissue, lymph gland and nerve channels
4. Eases waste through alimentary canal
5. Coats the intestinal tract to protect the body from toxins
6. Promotes fast healing of wounds
7. Soothes sore throats

IX. Turkey Rhubarb

A. Where grown

1. China
2. Imported product has more potency than our native rhubarb, however imported rhubarb is now irradiated which destroys many of its curative properties, making native rhubarb preferred

B. Part harvested for medicinal effects

The roots of this rhubarb have a particularly strong and desirable potency
Harvested when plants are at least six years old
The leaves are poisonous; oxalic acid in them can cause burning in the mouth and throat, n/v and even death
Anthraquinones are the laxative chemicals in the root

C. Effects of Turkey Rhubarb

1. Stimulates the stomach and associated organs
2. Is a known cathartic
3. Cleanses the bowels
4. Treats chronic liver disease (liver toxicity is often found in cancer patients)

D. Immunomodulatory effects of Rhubarb?

Chung-His-I-Chieh-Ho-Tsa-Chih 1991;11:418-419

Investigated immunomodulatory effects with various doses of Rhubarb
An increase in the delayed hypersensitivity response induced by bovine serum albumin was observed
This is an indication the Rhubarb could promote immune response

X. Essiac tea

A. Recipe

Step 1:

24oz (6 cups) Burdock Root (cut)
16oz Sheep Sorrel Powder
1oz Turkey Rhubarb Powder
4oz Slippery Elm Bark Powder

Step 2:

Boil fresh spring water or sodium free distilled water. Add herb mixture and boil hard for 10 min. Turn off heat. Let tea stand covered for 6 hours, stir, and let stand for another 6 hours. Heat again just to a boil. Strain tea well (twice) then store in sterile amber bottles in the refrigerator or a cool dark place.

B. Tea Care

1. Avoid the use of plastic or aluminum while preparing the tea
2. Do not expose tea to sunlight, because it will destroy the beneficial properties
3. Do not freeze
4. Do not microwave
5. Never store in plastic bottles
6. Store bottles upright

C. Dosing of tea

1. Dr. Caisse

a. Mix 1oz of Essiac with 2oz hot water and drink every second day at bedtime
b. Make sure to shake Essiac before mixing
c. Take on an empty stomach, 2-3 hours after supper
d. Do not eat or drink anything for 1 hour
e. Repeat every other day for 32 days, then every three days

2. Modern

a. 4-6 fl oz a day (as compared to 1oz every other day)
b. Mix 2(3) fl oz or 4(6) tbsp warm water with 2(3) fl oz of Essiac tea and drink
c. Repeat morning and evening
d. Take on an empty stomach, 2 hours before or after eating

XI. Other dosage forms

A. Tea concentrate

1. Six times the concentration of the tea
2. Mix 1 tbsp in hot or cold water and drink BID

B. Capsules

1. 450 mg
2. 3 capsules daily

C. These other dosage forms are not recommended as a substitute for the original tea formula because research has shown it to be the most effective and potent when dealing with a serious ailment

D. Used as herbal dietary supplements

XII. Safety and toxicity

Seriously ill people have taken Essiac 3-4 times a day safely
Slight nausea has occurred in some, as well as diarrhea; these may be side effects of Rhubarb
Contraindicated during pregnancy because both Rhubarb and Burdock can cause uterine contractions
Formulas with "cress" added can cause kidney complications if used excessively or for long periods of time
There have been reports of atropine-like side effects (anticholinergic) after using Burdock root tea; the root of the belladonna plant looks very similar to Burdock root, so it is thought that the side effects were due to contamination with belladonna

References

Bryson, P, et al. Burdock Root Tea Poisoning. JAMA. (239)2157, 1978.

Castleman, M. The Healing Herbs. Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania. 1991. pp. 92-94, 305-307, 342-344.

Foust, CM. Rhubarb, The Wondrous Drug. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 1992. Pp. 155-156, 196-200.

Ito H. Effects of the antitumor agents from various natural sources on drug-metabolizing system, phagocytic activity and complement system in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. Japan Journal of Pharmacology. 1986;46:40435-443.

Ma L. Experimental study on the immunomodulatory effects of rhubarb. Chun-His-I-Chieh-Ho-Tsa-Chih. 1991;11:418-419.

Potterton, D. Culpepper's Color Herbal. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, NY. 1983. pp. 34, 155.

Tyler, VE. The Honest Herbal. Pharmaceutical Products Press, Binghamton, NY. 1993. pp. 63-64.

Web sites:

http://chprd.sph.uth.tmc.edu/utcam/agents/essiac/summ.htm

http://pw1.netcom.com/~asharris/herbs.html

http://pw1.netcom.com/~asharris/herbs2.html

http://pw1.netcom.com/~asharris/hope.html

http://pw1.netcom.com/~asharris/lecture.html

http://www.drherbs.com/essiac.html

http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~ecorrigan/Tea/Essiac5.htm

http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~ecorrigan/Tea/Essiac7.htm

http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~ecorrigan/Tea/Essiac13.htm

http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~ecorrigan/Tea/Essiac14.htm

http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~ecorrigan/Tea/Essiac15.htm