What
are Essiac and Flor Essence?
Essiac and
Flor Essence are herbal tea
mixtures that have been used as anticancer
treatments. They have been used to treat other health conditions also,
including diabetes, AIDS,
and gastrointestinaldiseases.
Essiac
is reported to contain 4 herbs:
- Burdock root.
- Indian
rhubarb root.
- Sheep
sorrel.
- Slippery
elm (the
inner bark).
Flor
Essence is reported to contain the same 4 herbs found in Essiac plus
these 4 other herbs:
- Watercress.
- Blessed
thistle.
- Red
clover.
- Kelp.
Different
batches of these mixtures may contain different ingredients or amounts
and the effects may not always be the same.
Essiac
and Flor Essence are sold worldwide as health tonics or herbal dietary
supplements. One company sells Flor Essence and several
companies make and sell mixtures called Essiac. This summary refers to
the trademarked (brand name) mixtures only.
What
is the history of the discovery and use of Essiac and Flor Essence as
complementary or alternative treatments for cancer?
A nurse in
Canada first began to promote Essiac as a cancer treatment in the
1920s. Today, Essiac and Flor Essence may be sold as herbal supplements
as long as they do not claim to treat or cure cancer.
- In
1922, a breast
cancer patient
gave the Essiac formula to the nurse and said it had cured her disease.
The patient said the formula came from an Ontario Ojibwa Native
American medicine man.
- In
1934, the nurse opened a cancer clinic in Ontario and gave Essiac to
patients free of charge. In 1938, the Royal Cancer Commission of Canada
visited the clinic but found little evidence that Essiac was effective.
The nurse closed the clinic in 1942 but continued to give Essiac to
patients until the late 1970s.
- Between
1959 and the late 1970s, the nurse worked with an American doctor to
study Essiac in the laboratory and in people and to promote its use.
They also created the formula now called Flor Essence. The results of
their studies were not reported in any peer-reviewed
scientific journals. Most scientific journals
have experts who review research reports before they are published, to
make sure that the evidence and conclusions are sound. This is called
peer review. Studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals are
considered to be better evidence.
- In
1977, the nurse gave the formula for Essiac to a company in Canada. In
1978, the government of Canada allowed this company to do clinical
studies (research
studies with people) on the safety and effectiveness of Essiac. In
1982, it withdrew its permission (see Question
6). This company tried to have Essiac approved as a drug by the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
but did not get approval.
- In
the 1980s, companies making Essiac-like products began to sell the
mixtures as health tonics. Because these companies did not make claims
that it would treat or cure certain diseases, Essiac did not come under
laws that regulate it as a drug.
What
is the theory behind the claim that Essiac and Flor Essence are useful
in treating cancer?
Supporters
of Essiac and Flor Essence say that when the herbs they contain are
mixed in exact amounts, the mixtures make the immune
system stronger,
have anti-inflammatory effects
(decrease swelling, redness, and pain), and show anticancer activity.
Individual herbs in the Essiac and Flor Essence formulas have been
shown to have these effects, but some of these herbs also have been
shown to help cancer grow. Some supporters of Essiac recommend that conventional
therapy (such
as chemotherapy and radiation
therapy) not be used at the same time as Essiac because
that may prevent Essiac from being effective.
There
is no evidence reported in peer-reviewed
scientific journals to
show that the exact formulas of Essiac and Flor Essence are effective
in patients with cancer or other health conditions, or that
conventional therapies interfere with the effects of Essiac. See the PDQ health
professional summary on Essiac/Flor
Essence for
more information on theory.
How
are Essiac and Flor Essence administered?
Essiac
and Flor Essence are taken orally (by
mouth) as herbal teas. According to the companies that make the teas,
the proper dose of
Essiac depends on why a person is taking it. The maker recommends that
Essiac be taken for 12 weeks in a row. The maker of Flor Essence states
that adults may take between 30 and 360 milliliters (1 to 12 fluid ounces)
of Flor Essence tea a day, depending on individual needs, and may take
it on an ongoing basis.
The
makers of Essiac and Flor Essence state that the products can be used
with other therapies.
Some supporters of Essiac, however, recommend that patients avoid any
other anticancer therapy (such as chemotherapy or radiation
therapy) when taking Essiac, because it may interfere with
immune system function and prevent Essiac from working effectively.
Have
any preclinical (laboratory or animal) studies been conducted using
Essiac or Flor Essence?
Research
in a laboratory or using animals is done to find out if a drug,
procedure, or treatment is likely to be useful in humans. Animal tumor
models are
used to learn how a cancer may progress and to
test new treatments. These preclinical
studies are
done before any testing in humans is begun. The following laboratory and animal
studies of
Essiac have been reported:
- In
the mid 1970s, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in
New York City tested dried and liquid samples of Essiac in 8
experiments involving the S–180 mouse sarcoma tumor
model (a type of animal
model used
to study treatment). Researchers found that Essiac did not make the
immune system more active and did not act as an anticancer drug.
- In
the early 1980s, researchers at MSKCC tested Essiac again. They found
no anticancer activity after doing 17 studies that used a variety of
animal leukemiamodels
and other tumor models.
- In
1983, the National
Cancer Institute (NCI)
tested a liquid sample of Essiac in the mouse P388 lymphocytic
leukemia tumor system
but found no anticancer activity. Very high doses of
Essiac killed the test animals. Scientists, however, do not know how
this finding applies to people who take more than the maker's
recommended doses of Essiac.
- In
2004, a laboratory study at Indiana University-Purdue University
reported that Essiac slowed the growth of prostate
cancer cells.
Studies
of Flor Essence have shown differing results:
- Two
laboratory studies reported that Flor Essence made tumor cells grow.
- Another
laboratory study reported that high doses of both Flor Essence and
Essiac herbal teas reduced the growth of cancer cells.
- A
2004 animal study of Flor Essence found that it increased breast tumor
growth in rats.
Laboratory
and animal studies have reported on the effects of some of the chemicalsfound
in the different herbs used to make Essiac and Flor Essence. These
studies report that certain chemicals may:
- Prevent
cell damage that can lead to cancer.
- Reduce
swelling, redness, and pain.
- Have
an effect on the body similar to the hormone estrogen.
- Kill
cancer cells.
It
is not known if taking Essiac and Flor Essence products can give humans
enough of the chemicals that produce these effects.
Have
any clinical trials (research studies with people) of Essiac or Flor
Essence been conducted?
No
results of clinical studies (research studies with people) of Flor
Essence have been reported. In addition, no reports of clinical
trials of
Essiac have been reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Brief
descriptions of one incomplete clinical trial and one review of reports
on cancer patients who took Essiac have been published, however.
- In
1978, the Canadian government gave permission to a Canadian company to
begin studying Essiac for safety and effectiveness. In 1982, the
government withdrew its permission after it found that the company was
not keeping all batches of Essiac exactly the same and was not
following the proper rules for clinical trials. A review of data from
this incomplete study showed no clear evidence of improved survival in
cancer patients who took Essiac. Findings also showed that Essiac was
not toxic (harmful).
- In
the early 1980s, the Canadian government reviewed information on 86
cancer patients who had taken Essiac. This was a review of case
summaries written by the doctors; the original patient records were not
reviewed. The researchers reported that it was not clear if changes in
the patients’ conditions were caused by Essiac or something else.
Have
any side effects or risks been reported from Essiac or Flor Essence?
The
only reported side
effects caused
by Essiac are nausea and vomiting.
According to the company making Flor Essence, side effects may include
increased bowelmovements,
frequent urination,
swollen glands,
skin blemishes, flu-like symptoms,
and slight headaches.
Is
Essiac or Flor Essence approved by the FDA for use as a cancer
treatment in the United States?
The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has not approved Essiac or Flor Essence to treat cancer or any other
medical condition.
Companies
sell Essiac and Flor Essence as health tonics or herbal dietary
supplements, which the FDA regulates as foods, not drugs. Dietary
supplements are products meant to be added to the diet.
They are not drugs and are not meant to treat, prevent, or cure
diseases. The manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that the product
is safe and that the label claims are truthful and not misleading. The
FDA does not approve dietary supplements as safe or effective before
they are sold.
