In his quest to learn about cancer herbal remedies my associate visited a natural herbal store. He asked for the most popular herbal concoction people buy to fight cancer. Surprisingly, the clerk came out with a bottle of essaic tea. Essaic tea is also known as Flor Essence, Tea of life, Herbal Essence or Vitalitea. .

What are the components?

Originally, essaic tea consisted of 4 main ingredients. These herbs were burdock root, slippery elm inner bark, sheep sorrel and Indian rhubarb. Sheep sorrel and burdock root are known to kill cancer cells. But sheep sorrel is claimed to be the main cancer fighting ingredient. Burdock root and slippery elm bark strengthen the immune system and protect organs against inflammation.

Watercress, blessed thistle, red clover and kelp were added in the original formulation. This brew was given the name of Flor Essence.

Where it come from?

This mixture start with Rene Caisse: a Canadian nurse created the tea in the 1920s. This brew was very popular in South Ontario, Canada. Today, essaic tea has the same original ingredients but with different strengths of its individual herbs. The anti-cancer formulation was named essaic, her surname spelled backwards. She is remembered as a contributor to naturopathic medicine.

Notwithstanding the many years after its concoction, essaic tea is as popular as before. Essaic tea had been utilized as an adjuvant treatment in cancer and for phase III treatment. In some cases, it had been found be effective. The individual ingredients may have anti-carcinogenic properties.

What to do with it

Would I advise you to drink the brew? There hadn’t been any clinical trial and recent research to prove that it cures or prevents cancer. The last research was in 1990 which seems outdated in today’s fast paced technology and new scientific knowledge. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the product in today’s criteria and technology.

Its popularity wouldn’t be a criterion for me to recommend it. Harmless as it seems and despite its history, it may not deliver what it promises. The best advice I can offer is to use herbal remedies that have undergone clinical studies in today’s standards. I’ll still offer you the same counsel – eating a variety of colored fruits and vegetables daily. You’ll be getting the same antioxidants and phytochemicals which might be better than what essaic tea provides. If coupled with healthy lifestyle practices and standard cancer treatments, you will have a better chance to beat cancer.