171:, is indigenous to the Americas; none of the other herbs are native to North America. Caisse changed her story about the origins of the remedy, as well as the ingredients in the formula, several times, and was said to be fond of cultivating "an air of mystery" around it. The name "Essiac", which Caisse gave to the tea, is Caisse's name spelled backwards. Today, Essiac is often sold with apparatus (such as bottles and infusers) for making the tea, and is sometimes promoted with untrue claims that scientific studies have shown it to be effective.
203:. The American Cancer Society states that "Reviews of medical records of people who have been treated with Essiac do not support claims that this product helps people with cancer live longer or that it relieves their symptoms." The NCI states "Essiac and Flor Essence have not reported clear evidence of an anticancer effect", and the FDA described Essiac as a "Fake Cancer 'Cure' Consumers Should Avoid". Researchers at
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of breast cancer cells. Available scientific evidence does not support its use for the treatment of cancer in humans. ... Serious side effects are uncommon. Essiac may cause headache, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, low blood sugar, liver damage, and kidney damage. Allergic rashes are possible. Rarely, serious allergic reactions have been reported."
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In 1977, Caisse sold her Essiac formula and trademark rights to
Respirin Corporation (a Canadian company and predecessor in title to Essiac Products Inc.), which attempted to commercialize the product. However, the company was unable to show any efficacy of Essiac against cancer. Repeated laboratory
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There have been no published clinical trials in conventional medical journals showing that either Essiac tea or Flor
Essence helps in the treatment of cancer ... most laboratory studies of Essiac have found it didn't work against cancer cells, and one reported that Flor Essence increased the growth
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also notes that there is "no scientific evidence that Essiac can help to treat cancer" and cautions "Always ask your doctors and nurses about whether any complementary or alternative cancer therapy you are thinking of using might interact with your other treatments."
453:. Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 361). Slippery Elm is listed; Burdock is mentioned as a plant that is in use "among white men." No mention of the other ingredients in Essiac, Essiac itself, or an Essiac-like formula.
155:. From the 1920s through the 1970s, Essiac was promoted as a cancer treatment by Rene Caisse, a Canadian nurse who invented the formula. Caisse claimed at some times that the formula had been given to her by an
220:"Essiac may cause headache, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, low blood sugar, liver damage, and kidney damage. Allergic rashes are possible. Rarely, serious allergic reactions have been reported."
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remedy. However, there are multiple factors that indicate the formula is not from any Native
American or First Nations culture. Notably, in the original recipe, only one of the plants in the mixture,
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the rate of cancer growth. As a result, both the U.S. and
Canadian governments refused to approve Essiac as a medical treatment. Essiac was instead marketed by Essiac Products Inc. and others as a
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and other illnesses. There is no evidence it is beneficial to health. In a number of studies Essiac either showed no action against cancer cells, or actually increased the rate of cancer growth.
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patient she treated, and at other times that she had learned the formula from an unnamed "medicine man". Neither story has ever been substantiated. There is no evidence that Essiac is a
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tests showed that Essiac failed to slow tumor growth and, in large doses, killed test animals. In a number of studies, Essiac actually
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have written that Essiac continues to be a popular cancer therapy despite unsubstantiated claims of its effectiveness.
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Essiac's purported effect on cancer has been reviewed by several major medical and scientific bodies, including the
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American Cancer
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While the formulations can vary, most Essiac formulations contain
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Clinic of Hope: The Story of Rene Caisse and Essiac
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471:Guidance, Compliance & Regulatory Information
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287:Russell J, Rovere A, eds. (2009). "Essiac Tea".
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27:Herbal tea and ineffective cancer treatment
340:"Patient Information: Essiac/Flor Essence"
422:Ellis, Christine D (2013). "Essiac Tea".
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254:"Questionable Cancer Therapies: Essiac"
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424:Basic Herbalist Certification Course
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426:. Lulu.com. pp. 39–47.
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396:National Cancer Institute
344:National Cancer Institute
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520:, by Donna Ivey, 2004,
473:. USFDA. Archived from
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449:Smith, Huron H. 1932.
546:Health fraud products
125:alternative treatment
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86:Essiac Products Inc.
61:Alternative medicine
52:and other illnesses.
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398:. February 19, 2013
75:Original proponents
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377:. 30 January 2015.
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216:Side effects
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169:slippery elm
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299:. pp.
195:(FDA), the
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70:approx 1920
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258:Quackwatch
236:References
199:, and the
135:Background
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177:increased
489:"Essiac"
371:"Essiac"
224:See also
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350:July 5,
301:342–345
263:July 5,
98:C111756
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147:root,
129:cancer
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50:cancer
45:Claims
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18:Essaic
119:is a
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501:2012
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