Choose Essiac Tea

Essiac tea is named after the woman who created the herbal blend, Rene Caisse.  Essiac is Caisse's name spelled backwards.  Caisse was a Canadian nurse who started a free clinic in 1934, and which ran until 1942 in Bracebridge, Ontario, with the purpose of treating cancer patients that were critically ill.  The essiac tea was thought to help with cancer; the National Institutes of Health states, as of 2008, that there is not enough evidence at this time to support or deny its use as a therapy for cancer.

You may buy essiac tea in different forms.  There is the standard formulation created by Caisse, as well as one that uses organic herbs in the proprietary herbal blend.  Another formula uses both cut and powdered herbs, with the addition of the powder resulting in a thicker tea brew.

Essiac herbal tea consists most often of four herbs that have been used medicinally in traditional practices.  They include rhubarb root (Rheum palmatum L.), sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.), burdock root (Arctium lappa L.) and slippery elm bark (Ulmus fulva or Ulmus rubra).  The exact proportions of each herb is part of the proprietary nature of the formula.  Rhubarb root has been used in traditional medical practices as a purging agent, as well as an astringent and tonic.  It should not be used if you are pregnant or nursing.  Sheep sorrel may help provide diuretic qualities, and should not be taken by those with a history of kidney stones.  Burdock root may help as an antibiotic, antifungal, diuretic, and mild laxative.  Slippery elm bark may help with sore throats and as an aide to soothe GI tracts.

Although each of the herbal components in Essiac tea can be used individually, when the essiac herbs are combined together into essiac herb tea is when they are thought to work together in the promotion of health.  It is thought that the essiac herbal tea may help to relieve pain, and strengthen the immune system.  Others think that essiac tea may help to detoxify the body.  Rene Caisse thought that essiac herbal tea might help in fighting cancers and immune system diseases.

When you buy essiac tea, you will want to bear in mind that it is a concentrated formula.  Four ounces of the dry essiac herb tea blend will make an entire gallon of liquid essiac tea.  

Because essiac herbal tea has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, it should not be used to prevent, cure, treat or diagnose any disease.  If you believe that you have a medical condition, it is always best to swiftly seek the advice of your health care provider.