Essiac was promoted and popularized by a Canadian nurse named Rene M. Caisse, who named the formula with her last name spelled backwards. Born in 1888, Rene Caisse promoted the use of her tea in the treatment of a steady stream of cancer patients until her death in 1978 at the age of ninety. Rene Caisse's cancer cure was used by persons with prostate cancer, advanced bladder cancer, and advanced breast cancer who are documented to have gone into remission.

One version of the tea contains just four herbs: organic burdock root, organic rhubarb root, organic slippery elm bark, and organic sheep sorrel. Another version of the tea adds blessed thistle, kelp, red clover, and watercress. Cascade Herb Company only offers the historic Caisse blend with exact proportions as called for.

The efficacy of essiac against cancer can be partially explained by the cancer-fighting characteristics of herbs in the formula. 

Burdock root reduces the rate at which estrogen is reabsorbed into the bloodstream after it has been processed by the liver. More...

The emodin found in Rhubarb root greatly enhances the cure rate of conventional chemotherapies, notably Adriamycin, Platinol, Rubex, and Taxol. 

The aloe emodin found in sheep sorrel is effective, at least in laboratory studies, against leukemia cells. 

A report in the August 2004 edition of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine suggests that the greatest benefit of essiac may be found in treating prostate cancer, more specifically prostate cancer in men with compromised immune systems. Essiac tea has a mild and pleasant taste, although some of its herbs can aggravate certain pre-existing conditions, as noted below.

Precautions: Use as directed. Never inject essiac. Rhubarb root and sheep sorrel contain high concentrations of oxalic acid, so essiac should be avoided by people who have kidney stones. Rhubarb root is a stimulant laxative which must be avoided by persons who have any kind of intestinal obstruction. essiac must be taken on an empty stomach, nausea and indigestion may occur if used on a full stomach. Diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort may occur because of the laxative effects of essiac. Frequent urination may also occur. Because of the detoxification process, sufficient water should be drunk while using essiac, as water assists the body with the removal of toxins. Some individuals may be allergic to one or more of the herbs in the formula. Negative affects may also occur from taking too high a dosage of essiac, a low dosage is recommended. There are no known interactions between essiac and other medications or herbs. However, it is recommended that you consult a licensed physician before using essiac for any reason.

Directions for Essiac Tea

Store Essiac Tea in a glass jar in a dark dry place, and take out one ounce per 32 ounces of water (one quart) at a time.

Boil the herbs hard without a lid for 10 minutes, some say 20; then, cover with a lid and steep over night on the stove. In the morning, heat it up to steaming hot (not boiling), then let it settle and pour into glass or ceramic containers. Use stainless steel or cast iron pots for boiling, and glass or ceramic containers for storing. Keep the containers or container with the tea capped in a dark cool place until first used. After opening, it must be refrigerated.

The dosage depends on the condition. For immune tonic use or very mild ailments, 2 ounces once daily. Increase the frequency up to 3 times daily with up to 3 ounces each time according to the severity of the ailment, which is usually cancer. The refrigerated tea can be added to hot water or warmed up for consumption. Cancer patients undergoing other treatments, even with allopathic drugs, have used the tea as well.

However, cancer or AIDS should be treated holistically by abstaining as much as possible from toxic medicines, toxic foods, toxic household and cosmetic items, and toxic thinking. The cancer patient should also have a meatless diet of organic food and get as much sunshine and Vitamin D and C supplementation as possible. 

Many users take the decoction as a "preventative" tonic, even if they are in good health -- they want to stay in good health.  It must be remembered that each of us has a different level of wellness.  For example, a smoker will have a different accumulation of toxins than a non-smoker.  Time to see results will vary with each user.  Depending on your specific conditions, this could take as long as a year, although the majority of users report significant results within the first week.