Sarah Hunter knew her husband would die. She accepted that fact. However, she does not believe that he will pass away because of his pancreatic cancer, which his doctors predict will claim his life within a month's time.
In desperation, Mrs. Hunter searched for possible cures for his terminal condition. Online, she came across essential information on Essiac tea which convinced her to include it in her husband's treatment. He went on to live 19 months longer, according to The Gazette.
Mrs. Hunter is just one of a good number of people who believe that this herbal remedy for the treatment of cancer. In fact, a study done by Texas-based M.D. Anderson Cancer Center showed that 4.9% of patients used Essiac tea as a supplement to conventional treatment.
Another study conducted at Mayo Clinic's Comprehensive Cancer Center revealed that almost 10% of cancer patients surveyed said that they also used the said herbal tea.
But is it really effective?
Origins
Rene Caisse, a public health nurse from Ontario, Canada, met a patient who claimed to have been cured from breast cancer in 1922. Through her, she learned of a formula for an Indian herbal tea, which she later took from an Ojibwa medicine man.
Two years later, in 1924, Caisse established a clinic and offered the herbal remedy as tea and as an injectable medicine to thousands of cancer patients. By this time, she has named the concoction "Essiac" - which is her own last name spelled backwards.
Later, Canadian authorities investigated her practice and establishment and declared there was little proof that Essiac was effective.
In 1977, she sold the herbal formula to Resperin Corp., a Canadian company now known as Essiac Canada International.
The formula is said to consist of the following ingredients:
Essiac tea is said to aid pain relief, boost immune system function, enhance appetite, improve well-being, shrink tumors, and extend survival.
There are also claims that it can facilitate cell repair, detoxification, blood cleansing, and energy level restoration.
Aside from that, the herbs included in Caisse's formula are said to "relieve inflammation, lubricate bones and joints, stimulate the stomach, and eliminate excess mucous in organs, tissues, lymph glands, and nerve channels," according to Cancer.org.
The herbal product has also been marketed as an alternative treatment for AIDS and other types of digestive problems.
Precautionary Information
Essiac tea also has a "dry" formula and comes in varying dosages. In liquid form, the dried herbs can be brewed with non-fluoridated or spring water, after which refrigeration is required.
As Essiac tea is sold as a food supplement in the U.S., the company making it is not obliged to give to the FDA proof that the product is effective or even safe. This is as long as the firm does not claim that the formula can prevent, treat, or cure any particular disease.
With Essiac tea, most side effects are not serious. Some of the adverse consequences of the product involve vomiting, nausea, low blood sugar, headache, constipation or diarrhea, kidney or liver damage, and, in very rare instances, allergic reactions.
Interaction with other drugs is not known, which is why it is recommended that a cancer patient consult his or her doctor before using Essiac tea.
As to the question of its effectivity, various studies conducted in the last 2 decades show conflicting results, with many concluding that it does not work as an anti-cancer drug and some revealing it increased cancer cells. A few, however, reported of reduced cancer cell growth in test animals fed with Essiac. Further testing is still needed.
In desperation, Mrs. Hunter searched for possible cures for his terminal condition. Online, she came across essential information on Essiac tea which convinced her to include it in her husband's treatment. He went on to live 19 months longer, according to The Gazette.
Mrs. Hunter is just one of a good number of people who believe that this herbal remedy for the treatment of cancer. In fact, a study done by Texas-based M.D. Anderson Cancer Center showed that 4.9% of patients used Essiac tea as a supplement to conventional treatment.
Another study conducted at Mayo Clinic's Comprehensive Cancer Center revealed that almost 10% of cancer patients surveyed said that they also used the said herbal tea.
But is it really effective?
Origins
Rene Caisse, a public health nurse from Ontario, Canada, met a patient who claimed to have been cured from breast cancer in 1922. Through her, she learned of a formula for an Indian herbal tea, which she later took from an Ojibwa medicine man.
Two years later, in 1924, Caisse established a clinic and offered the herbal remedy as tea and as an injectable medicine to thousands of cancer patients. By this time, she has named the concoction "Essiac" - which is her own last name spelled backwards.
Later, Canadian authorities investigated her practice and establishment and declared there was little proof that Essiac was effective.
In 1977, she sold the herbal formula to Resperin Corp., a Canadian company now known as Essiac Canada International.
The formula is said to consist of the following ingredients:
- Indian rhubarb root
- Burdock root
- Sheep sorrel
- Slippery elm inner bark
Essiac tea is said to aid pain relief, boost immune system function, enhance appetite, improve well-being, shrink tumors, and extend survival.
There are also claims that it can facilitate cell repair, detoxification, blood cleansing, and energy level restoration.
Aside from that, the herbs included in Caisse's formula are said to "relieve inflammation, lubricate bones and joints, stimulate the stomach, and eliminate excess mucous in organs, tissues, lymph glands, and nerve channels," according to Cancer.org.
The herbal product has also been marketed as an alternative treatment for AIDS and other types of digestive problems.
Precautionary Information
Essiac tea also has a "dry" formula and comes in varying dosages. In liquid form, the dried herbs can be brewed with non-fluoridated or spring water, after which refrigeration is required.
As Essiac tea is sold as a food supplement in the U.S., the company making it is not obliged to give to the FDA proof that the product is effective or even safe. This is as long as the firm does not claim that the formula can prevent, treat, or cure any particular disease.
With Essiac tea, most side effects are not serious. Some of the adverse consequences of the product involve vomiting, nausea, low blood sugar, headache, constipation or diarrhea, kidney or liver damage, and, in very rare instances, allergic reactions.
Interaction with other drugs is not known, which is why it is recommended that a cancer patient consult his or her doctor before using Essiac tea.
As to the question of its effectivity, various studies conducted in the last 2 decades show conflicting results, with many concluding that it does not work as an anti-cancer drug and some revealing it increased cancer cells. A few, however, reported of reduced cancer cell growth in test animals fed with Essiac. Further testing is still needed.
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