What Is Essiac Tea?

Essiac tea, also known as Flor Essence, is a blend of herbs that has touted as an alternative treatment for cancer and other illnesses. It is promoted as a versatile herbal supplement that boasts many benefits, such as a boost to the immune system and detoxification of the body.

What is Essiac Tea?

As with many alternative or holistic remedies, the exact composition of Essiac tea is not fully known, but it reportedly contains burdock, Indian rhubarb, sheep sorrel and slippery elm bark. Some blends of essiac may also contain watercress, blessed thistle, red clover and kelp. It was developed in the 1920s and named by Rene Caisse, a Canadian nurse, who claimed that it had been given to her by a patient and that the recipe derived from an Ontario Ojibwa (Native American) medicine man.

The Benefits of Essiac Tea

The primary action of Essiac tea is to remove heavy metals and detoxify the body, as well as restore energy levels which will then rebuild the immune system. After the body is detoxified and cleansed and the immune system is rebuilt, the body is restored to a level to where it is able to better defeat an illness or ailment state on its own.

A Potential Holisitic Cancer Treatment

Though not scientifically proven or widely accepted in the medical community, Essiac tea promotes its effectiveness in battling cancer. Though the basic components of Essiac are well known, the exact proportions of the herbs in Essiac are a matter of some speculation. The cancer patient should be far more concerned with the quality of the herbs, and the quality of the processing, than with the exact formula. Sheep Sorrel is the herb in Essiac tea that is mainly credited for containing cancer fighting properties.