Home > Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine > Essiac Tea

Description

Essiac tea is based on a Canadian Ojibwa Indian formula containing primarily burdock root (Arctium lappa), Turkish rhubarb root (Rheum palmatum), sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), and the inner bark of the slippery elm (Ulmus fulva or Ulmus rubra). It is used in alternative medicine mainly as a treatment for cancer.

The formula is said to have been first developed by an Ojibwa healer to purify the body and balance the spirit. In 1922, the formula came to the attention of Rene...