This tea goes back to the 1920s, when the Canadian nurse René Caisse learned a blend of four herbs from a patient, who had it from an Ojibwe medicine man. She spent years refining it and named it “Essiac,” her own last name spelled backward. Newer six- and eight-herb versions have appeared since, but the original four-herb version remains the standard, carried forward through nearly a century of use.
It is one of the best-known blood-cleansing blends in herbalism, a combination of roots and bark that supports the body’s own cleansing through the blood, the lymph and the digestive system. Many members use it as part of a broader healing program, including through a serious illness and alongside other treatments.
What Essiac Contains
The four herbs work as a team. Burdock Root and Sheep Sorrel do the heavy lifting of cleansing the blood and lymph. Turkish Rhubarb Root supports digestion and elimination, moving the waste out instead of letting it circulate back. Slippery Elm soothes and protects the digestive tract while the other three do their more stimulating work.
- Burdock Root, 6½ cups (cut). A blood cleanser and digestive aid, and the largest share of the blend.
- Sheep Sorrel, 1 pound (powdered). The herb most closely tied to the original formula, with a cooling, cleansing action.
- Slippery Elm Bark, ¼ pound (powdered). Dr. Christopher said it is so nutritious it will sustain life itself. It coats and calms the digestive tract.
- Turkish Rhubarb Root, 1 ounce (powdered). A small amount to stimulate digestion and keep elimination regular.
This makes 8 quarts of dry mix, enough for 2 gallons of tea; cut everything in half for one gallon. Mix the herbs well and store the dry mix in a glass jar in a dark, dry place.
Brewing the Tea
Use stainless steel or cast iron to cook it, and glass or ceramic to store it. Use 1 ounce of the dry mix for each quart of distilled water.
- Put the herbs and water in the pot and simmer, covered, over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Take it off the heat and scrape any herbs on the sides back down into the liquid.
- Let it sit for 12 hours.
- Bring it back to a simmer.
- Strain into hot, sterile jars, and keep the tea in the refrigerator.
How Much and How Often
- For general cleansing and immune support: 2 ounces once a day.
- For more serious or long-standing conditions: up to 3 ounces, three times a day.
Warm the tea or add it to hot water before drinking. Like any deep cleanse, it does its best work as part of a fuller healing approach: as much whole, organic food as possible, sunshine, and stepping away from the toxic food, household products and habits that may have helped bring on the trouble. Using the tea while keeping the same habits that caused the problem isn’t the way to get the most from it.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
