No. 27

Essiac Tea

This information is not meant to take the place of your medical treatment or medication but is provided for education and information only and not for the treatment or diagnosis of any disease. Medications may conflict with herbal or vitamin remedies. Check with your pharmacist or doctor for use of your pharmaceutical drug interactions. A good pharmacist should have software to check this cross reference for you.

Original Essiac Tea Contains:  burdock root, sheep sorrel, turkey rhubarb, and slippery elm bark (4 herbs). It was unusual for someone in the medical field to venture out and make this tea possible. Thanks to nurse Rene Caisse, today we have a long history of success and hope with countless stories of recovery.

Improved Essiac Tea Contains:   burdock root, sheep sorrel, turkey rhubarb, slippery elm bark, blessed thistle, kelp, red clover blossoms, watercress (8 herbs). This is now the recipe most often sought after by the general public. The Original Recipe was the foundation but over time, improvement became obvious and desired.

Customized Essiac Tea Contains: burdock root, sheep sorrel, turkey rhubarb, slippery elm bark, blessed thistle, kelp, red clover blossoms, watercress  + adjustments to the formula as deemed important. The formulation for endometriosis, PCOS, uterine fibroids, or hormonal cancers, can be added to the Essiac Tea blend or may also be taken separately from the 3 cups per day of the 8 herb Essiac. The separate herbal remedy is specific more to endometriosis and PCOS for those afflicted with this problem so it can be a good addition to the daily Essiac Tea consumption.

An example of why Essiac Tea needs to be adjusted for others is for example, when a person may have an illness where oxalates must be reduces (such as with kidney disease). Here the formula is changed to accommodate the reduction of oxalates to protect the kidneys. Unfortunately, many anti-cancer herbs are high in oxalates so the formulation needs to be adjusted from the beginning. When Essiac has to be adjusted, the plant removed is replaced with a different herb that has the same attributes with lower oxalate content. Another reason that Essiac can be adjusted to customize it for a specific illness. Even if all 8 herbs are used, target herb(s) are added specific to your type of cancer and the organ affected. Just as liver as an example, benefits from milk thistle seed and artichoke leaf, or kidneys from any number of herbs like nettles, lavender, hibiscus, chanca piedra depending upon the variations. Although nettle is commonly recommended for the kidneys, it also cannot always be assumed for use because of its diuretic qualities and higher oxalate content as a leaf. There are countless adjustments particular to an individual. Using the original but improved 8 herb recipe and then customizing this remedy enhances the results and overall effects, helping to drive these added plant compounds to a specific area. The options here are extremely diverse. This is something done with research and deliberate individual choices. This is also necessary with certain types of health issues when certain herbs contain compounds that can be detrimental to an organ, such as the kidneys for example;  when a person has kidney cancer or edging towards kidney failure, sheep sorrel needs to be removed in order to protect the kidneys from its high oxalate content which can be damaging in these circumstances. Sometimes the sheep sorrel moves to the lesser ingredient such as in the improved recipe so it is still present but not in a major way if it is determined to be detrimental, while still retaining some of the good benefits of the plant. Questions, please ask your pharmacist or natural doctor for specific guidance. Any recommendation in this material is not made in consideration of medications you may be taking. Only your pharmacist will be able to guide you on herbs and possible drug interactions.

Product Use —  Regardless of which of three tea formulations you choose above, the process for making the tea concentrate remains the same. Directions for how to prepare it all remain the same. The only thing that can change is the number of ounces used to make a week’s portion can be increased to accommodate the additional herb(s) added to the mix. Usually this equates to 3 oz. instead of 2 oz. per week which requires 12 oz. dry tea per month instead of 8 oz. for the Original and Improved Recipes. For economy, adjust the 2 oz. needed per week and add the formula to the base, such as 1.25 oz. Essiac blend to .75 oz. formula to retain a 2 oz. size package. 

Prepare Essiac Tea FRESH each week.  Many recipes online will instruct you to prepare a one month batch each time, and sometimes now 2 weeks. For maximum potency, maximum freshness and purity of the product, making one week’s worth each time is most highly recommended.  Prepared preparation diminishes in effectiveness after 6-7 days. Bacteria can also be a problem if it develops, all variable based on even on the temperature of the fridge. The one month version is truly a breeding ground for bacteria and drastically reduces the potency of the prepared liquid product.  Prepared weekly is recommended and instructions for preparation are all are based on a 7 day supply in this information.

• 8 oz. of dry tea blend  will supply 1 month of use or 90, 3 oz. liquid doses.
• 2 oz. of dry tea blend supplies a week’s worth of product and prepares 64 liquid ounces.
• 1 pound, 16 oz. of the dry tea blend will supply 2 months of use or 180 liquid doses and 540 ounces or 4.22 gallons
• A customized version adding an additional herb will yield about 24 dry tea ounces. This is figured by adding 1 additional ounce of dry herb to the 2 oz. in standard formula each week or 3 oz. per week, which equates to 12 oz. dry product per 1 month.

Long ago the original instructions were to make this preparation concentrate and then combine 1 oz. of it with 2 oz. of hot filtered water or aloe vera juice. Today, more is used and (3) 3 oz. doses daily is recommended instead of at bedtime. For extremely serious conditions, taking 3 oz. 5 times daily is often used for a period of time then reduced down to the 3 daily doses as usual. It is harder to adhere to the schedule when taking 5 doses per day. It you allow 4 hours between doses this takes 20 hours out the available 24 hour period. If taking 5 doses per day, this is generally not done longer than 4 weeks, then drop down to the 3 daily “shots”, 3 oz. each dose.

How To Supplement:  Use 3 ounces of the prepared liquid tea concentrate as 1 dose. You will need 3 doses per day. It can be taken as a “shot” taken down quickly or by adding it to 5 ounces of hot water or herbal tea. Taking the product using 3 ounces as a shot, drinking it quickly down, is the easiest and most convenient way to take it.  Refrigerate your prepared tea concentrate.  Do not freeze.

Using more Essiac than directed has not been found to be more effective.  If you are using the Improved Essiac Recipe, it is encouraged to add an herbal remedy or another tea to your regiment, something specific to your individual condition

Be sure when taking tea concentrates that you include plenty of water every day.  If you do not get enough water, it is common to experience side effects such as headache, diarrhea, aches, and flu-like symptoms.  Many herbs contained in concentrate formulas are detoxifiers.

Do not freeze your preparations.

Do not make more than 1 week’s supply at a time.

Always store in the refrigerator and use purified filtered water to make the concentrate. Do not use RO water.

Do not use tap water to make concentrates (unless it has been fully filtered such as a Berkey System).  Do not ever use filtered water that contains chlorine or fluoride.  These filters are usually purchased separate from carbon filters.  Carbon filters separate many contaminants out of water, but heavy metals and fluoride, need an additional filter process.  For help with clean water, inquire with us for available supplies.

Side Effects

You may experience headache, lower back or ache across the kidneys, flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, diarrhea, or general aches.  This is usually a result of not drinking enough water during the use the product.  Some herbalists recommend 5 days consecutive use and 2 days off.  If an allergy to the Essiac or other herbal blend occurs, you will experience a rash or itchiness.  This generally only happens if you take too much for too long of a period of time, but if you have a true allergic reaction, you cannot use Essiac without determining which ingredient is causing the allergic reaction. This can however be done, we just have to isolate each ingredient, one each week until we find the troublemaker. Anyone taking Essiac, should increase their intake of water and tea combined to at least ½ gallon daily, or basically fill two quart mason jars and this is how much you should be drinkin (this includes both tea, herb tea, and water) If you want to determine your ideal fluid daily allowance, figure it as follows to customize this for your size;

Take your IDEAL weight- what you should weigh NOT what you DO weigh– The this number and divide by 2. This now equals the number of fluid ounces of water , herb tea, and tea needed daily in order to remain hydrated, detox with less symptoms, and cleanse your internal body. Water is a hydrator and internal cleanser. Do not think of water as a supplement. What I mean by this is do not alter your water pH and think it is a vitamin or alkalizing your system. Water is not meant to be this way or it would be this way already. To make your body alkalized, do you know what to do?  It is very simple– increase your vegetables to about 70% of your diet, 30% everything else. Plants use dirt, water and sunshine to make the ideal product for the human body to alkalize itself and supply vital nutrients. Plants take minerals in water and turn them into foods for you by way of greens, fruits, and vegetables. Plants have fiber, also critical to cancer recovery. So drink your fluids and fortify the water with plants that match your problem. This marries the best of both worlds. In all cases, drinking plain filtered clean water is required to build your health and keep your body clean from the inside out.

Contradictions of Use

You must monitor medication with your doctor if you are taking anticoagulant prescriptions, or have had your gallbladder removed, or have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.  Persons with diabetes must monitor blood sugar closely as the need for medication can reduce and medication may need to be changed. Do not use Essiac with a history of kidney stones, kidney disease,  kidney cancer, gout, or any illness with an oxalic acid problem, without removing the sheep sorrel from the recipe and substituting another medicinal herb in its place. Sheep Sorrel is anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying. Don’t worry, we have other herbs to choose from.

Instructions–  How To Measure & Prepare Concentrate    

If you don’t have a scale, use our 2 oz. packages. 2 ounce packages supply a one week preparation.  If you have a scale, you can save money by purchasing either our 1/2 pound or 1 pound bulk;  this supplies either 1 month or 2 months of consistent use.  2 ounces of dry herb prepares 1 week of product. After you make the tea concentrate you MUST refrigerate it. There is no evidence that more than 2 oz. works better. So less is more. To follow the standard dosing, you need 2 oz. of dry tea which makes 1/2 gallon of concentrate- divided into 3, 3oz. doses daily for 7 days. If you are preparing the tea in a dry climate, add a few ounces of water in addition to the recipe to compensate for evaporation during heating.

1. DRY TEA   Measure out 2 oz. of dry Essiac tea-  if we have had to adjusts the formula, the measurement is still the same so either way you use 2 oz. to prepare it.  If you want to use the formula, or alter it but also add an additional ingredient, then we will measure and use 3 oz. of dry tea and increase your water  for preparation by 30%

2. FILTERED WATER  Measure 64 oz. of water + 4 oz. if in a dry climate and place in the pot (84 oz. + 4 oz. for evaporation if using 3 oz. of an adjusted tea formula)

3. BRING TO A BOIL & STIR IN DRY TEA  Stir in the 2 oz. of dry herb blend into the boiling water.  Turn heat down to medium or medium low depending on your stove, and SIMMER for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Do NOT BOIL.

4. COOK FOR 15 MINUTES  & SET ASIDE  After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and scrape the sides of the pot making sure all herb is in the water. Put a cover on the pot and set it aside, leaving it undisturbed at ROOM TEMPERATURE for 12 hours overnight.

5. AFTER 12 HOURS   After 12 hours, heat the pot again up to the point of boiling but do not boil and then turn the burner off.

6. STIR FOR 3 MINUTES   Stir the tea mixture for 3 minutes.

7. DO NOT STRAIN.  Pour the tea into either a 1/2 gallon glass mason jar or container, or 2 quart jars. Stir before pouring if using two jars so the plant material is dispursed between both containers.

8. ALWAYS REFRIGERATE PREPARATION  Refrigerate and use within 7 days.

Instructions;  How to Take Essiac

Note;  if you are in a very serious condition such as stage 4 for example, or have recently had surgery and believe you are at risk for cancer to return, sometimes it is recommended that you increase your 3 oz dose to 5 oz three times each day for about 6 months and then reduce to the 3 oz. 3 x per day. No one really knows what maintenance is or if used as a preventative either. Most will drink a cup of the tea every week, or 3 times or in some cases once daily ongoing including after remission. If using the tea ongoing such as in remission, after a month of consecutive use, stop for 14 days or so, even a month, and then repeat. Don’t be afraid to add other beneficial herbs to your regiment because as time goes on, you will have other or new needs to be met.

1. It is easiest to prepare to use, taking 3 oz. three times each day.  Remove the jar from the fridge and stir well or shake before pouring.  Put 3 oz. in 3 separate glasses. These are your doses for the day. Divide these doses out to cover the most amount of active hours for the benefits. By this I mean, considering that herbal medicine has a 4-6 hour window of effectiveness, try to keep your doses not less than 4 hours apart. Do not take the whole 9 oz. all at once either. The spread of time gives you the most effectiveness during the day for the most number of hours, working for you ongoing throughout the most hours of the day. 6 hours between each dose is the most recommended of course.

NOTE:  for late stage illness or considerations for a very serious situation, it is your option to increase your doses to 5 oz. instead of 3 oz.  If this dosage is used, you can continue the increased amount for a full 6 months if preferred, then reduce down to the standard 3 oz. 3 x daily. If you want to add medicinal mushrooms to your daily mix, add them by following the information at the bottom of this material.

2. You MUST have an empty stomach when taking the dose. This is important as it assures the potency is working to a maximum in your body. Take (1) 3 oz. glass in the morning. Allow 4-6 hours before taking the next dose each time for the next two doses. Take 2 doses in the afternoon, such as one at 1pm and the second between 5-7 pm. A typical time spread would be like this although you can adust it for whatever works best for you;

Here is a Scheduling Example–  Adjust your times to make your own regiment, this is just an example considering the time between your doses;

•  If you eat breakfast, try to eat early, such as 7am
• GLASS 1:   Take DOSE ONE at 9am (allowing 2 hours after eating)
• Lunch:  11am
• GLASS 2:   DOSE TWO at 1pm (allowing 4 hours since 9am)
• GLASS 3:   DOSE THREE at 6pm
• Dinner:  7pm

Whether you need it earlier or later, just adjust your window to accommodate a minimum of 4 hours between doses, 1 hour before eating OR 2 hours after eating. After taking a dose, you can eat 30-40 minutes afterwards or best is to wait an hour. Snacking can get in the way of your schedule so try to eat enough at each meal. After you take a dose, you can also drink a cup of green tea. Green tea has light caffeine and the caffeine helps to carry the compounds to your brain which may be helpful. If you are overweight and trying to lose weight, drink 1 cup of green tea 1 HOUR AFTER a meal. This helps to correct your metabolism and most people can lose some weight within 2 weeks of doing this. Earl Grey has been found to be an anticancer type of tea so if you like Earl, use a GREEN Earl Grey because Black Earl Grey doesn’t have the level of antioxidants and anticancer compounds compared to green or white tea. See products for Earl Grey Green Tea. Buy it by the pound for a wholesale discount if you plan to drink it all of the time. A plain green tea of any type is also available in a 1 pound wholesale discount. If you can’t find what you need, just ask. If a pound is not listed, we can figure this out easily for any tea for you so just because you don’t see it listed doesn’t mean it isn’t available.

Side Note:  Adding Medicinal Mushrooms or an Additional Medicinal Herbal Formula to Your Tea Mixture

If you are using whole dried mushrooms or fresh, these can be added and cooked along with the dried tea mixture. If you are adding a dried extract powder or any mushroom powder, do this by adding it to your doses of tea each day. The powder will easily dissolve in hot liquid. The same goes for a medicinal remedy you may want to had. For example, when you take your prepared tea dose(s) each day, stir in the mushroom(s) you want to use and ALSO stir in your herbal medicinal formula, such as Estrogen Dominance Rx powder. There is no need to cook either of these as they are already processed. I doesn’t matter if you take these other remedies with the tea or separate, so long as you take them correctly such as on an empty stomach. The Essiac Tea Dose already doesn’t taste delicious, and you are not taking it for the taste of course, so it makes sense to add these other products here. The optional side products like mushrooms or added herbal remedy can also be taken separately, dissolved in hot tea, coffee, plain water, vegetable or chicken/beef broth. Really it is just up to you and how you want to do it. I like to add the mushrooms and collagen to hot organic chicken broth or bone broth along with a teaspoon of white miso paste. I drink this on an empty stomach like a bouillon, it is savory and tastes good to me so I wouldn’t want to add it to a medicinal tea which does taste not as good. It is just your personal need or preference, so try it out a couple of different ways to determine what is best for you. If you still want to add the medicinal mushrooms or added herbal remedy to the Essiac Tea Dose then add it after you have finished cooking it and stir to dissolve– now you would have an all-in-one dose. No matter which way you end up preferring, the important thing to remember is that it must be on an empty stomach. If you then want to eat something, wait a full 30 minutes or longer before food. If taking this after a meal, then wait 2 hours before eating.