Essiac tea has been sold internationally since the early 1930s as a herbal supplement used to treat cancer. Lack of clinical evidence prevents the medical community from recommending its use as a complementary treatment for cancer, however Essaic tea sold under the name Flor Essence, Tea of Life, Herbal Essence, Vitalea and Ojibwa Tea, still is widely available. No clinical trials exist that show that Essiac tea works. If you are being treated for cancer, talk to your doctors about drinking Essiac tea.
History
In 1922, nurse Rene Caisse learned about a four herb tea from a patient who believed that drinking this tea cured her breast cancer. The original formula was passed along from a Ojibwa medicine man. In the early 1930s Caisse opened a clinic using Essiac tea to treat cancer. She spelled her name backwards to get the name "Essiac." Canadian health officials began investigating Caisse's clinic and subsequently closed the clinic in 1942 due to lack of evidence in effectively treating cancer. Caisse continued to promote Essiac tea until selling it to a Canadian manufacturer in 1977, one year before her death.
Health Claims
Burdock root, slippery elm, sheep sorrel and Indian rhubarb root are the main ingredients in Essiac tea. Flor Essence contains these four ingredients as well as watercress, blessed thistle, red clover and kelp. Essaic tea and Flor Essence are the most common brands of this herbal combination available. Marketers claim that this tea can boost the immune system, help well being, reduce pain, increase appetite, shrink tumor size, increase survival, aid in digestion, reduce mucus production in organs, lymph and nerve systems and act as a general detoxifying agent.
Mechanism of Action
Research has shown that in cell studies, the ingredients in Essiac tea inhibit cytochrome P450 as well as stimulate Interluekin 1, Interluekin 6 and the Tumor Necrosis Factor. Altering these cellular systems may help to reduce cancer cell growth and tumor progression.
Side Effects
Essiac tea is generally well tolerated. It has been reported that people may experience one or more of the following side effects: headache, nausea, diarrhea, decreased blood sugar, liver damage, or kidney damage. Essaic should not be taken if there is underlying kidney or liver disease present. People with diabetes should also be cautioned against taking this herbal tea. Some research has shown that Flor Essence may increase breast cancer tumor growth in animal studies.
Clinical Evidence
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has studied Essiac a number of times since 1959. Research to date has shown no clinical evidence that drinking Essiac tea will increase survival in cancer patients. In 1983, the National Cancer Institute also studied the efficacy of Essaic tea in reducing tumor progression. Results of this research again confirmed the results from Sloan-Kettering. In 2004, researchers at Purdue University in Indiana showed a reduction in prostate tumor size in patients who consumed Flor Essence. More research is needed to confirm these results.
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