The healing benefits of essiac tea have been a controversial topic for over 90 years. Drinking essiac herbal tea as a treatment for cancer or in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation continues to be a very controversial subject today.
If you are not familiar with the benefits of this herbal tea, let me explain about this alternative treatment that many holistic practitioners recommend for many forms of cancer. This tea is a blend of four herbs; burdock root (arctium lappa), turkey rhubarb root (rheum palmatum), sheep sorrel (rumex acetosella), and the inner bark of slippery elm (ulmus fulva or ulmus rubra).
In the early 1900′s a young Canadian nurse, Rene Caisse was treating patients with cancer. She met an elderly female that had been diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer. This woman was recovering in spite of her poor prognosis. Her secret was an herbal tea given to her by an Ojibwa Indian healer. Nurse Caisse was so impressed she started to investigate others that had tried this tea to fight cancer. She found that this tea had significant healing powers.
The important ingredients in this herbal blend are:
* Sheep sorrel
* Burdock root
* Turkey rhubarb root
* Slippery elm
Nurse Caisse spent the next 50 years treating others with this tea. The sheep sorrel and the burdock root are the ingredients that have been found to kill cancer cells. The turkey rhubarb root and the slippery elm bark help enhance and boost the immune system.
Nurse Caisse treated both her mother and her aunt with essiac tea, as both were diagnosed with late stage forms of cancer. Both survived and lived into their 90′s after being successfully treated with this herbal blend. Many cancer patients sought this treatment as a last effort to overcome their cancer. Many were noted to be rid of their cancer after their treatment with essiac.
In 1938, many prominent physicians in Canada supported legalization of Nurse Caisses’ herbal tea blend. In spite of their efforts, the medical community refused to acknowledge the success of essiac tea as a treatment against cancer.
More on the Essiac Tea Controversy. Is Essiac Herbal Tea for Cancer Treatment and Prevention Effective?
U.S. National Institute of Health, in 2008, reported that “there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against the use of essiac herbal tea mixture as a therapy for any type of cancer.” The report went on to say that “none of the individual herbs in this herbal tea blend have been studied and tested in extensive human cancer trials.”
This four herb blend is presently being considered as a “Phase III cancer treatment”. This means that it is a strong enough treatment to assist in fighting the more moderately advanced cancers, but not strong enough to be utilized for the treatment of later stages of cancer. Of course, this does not mean that future research will not advance the level of this herbal tea to first line of treatment if results prove it a worthy opponent against cancer.
It is important to note that this herb blend is all natural and does not contain any preservatives. It is important that any individual that starts treating themselves with essiac tea, should consult their physician. Herbs, just like any medication, can cause adverse reactions or interact with other medications. Just because it is an all natural product, does not mean that it is safe when mixed with other chemicals.
If you are an individual that is receiving traditional cancer treatments, you may discuss how essiac tea may be used in combination to enhance your treatment.
While the medical community and the public debate the pros and cons of essiac tea, keep in mind that both sides have validity. The jury is still out on the benefits of this type of tea. Herbalists consider this to be a very healthy drink that it good for your body, whether it prevents cancer or not.. It must be left up to you to be the judge of Essiac tea in regard to your own health.
Connie Bednar has been a tea enthusiast all her life. She enjoys sharing information about loose leaf tea and herb tea thus her web site http://www.your-cup-of-tea.com was born. Learn more about herbal teas such as essiac tea here on her web site Take the time to sign up for “Tea Note Speaker” her newsletter while you are there and take advantage of her complimentary tea e-course.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Connie_Bednar
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