Essiac tea is a four-herb blend that requires an overnight steeping process, not a quick cup-and-kettle brew. The whole process takes about 12 hours from start to finish, though your active time in the kitchen is only about 20 minutes. Here’s how to prepare it properly.
The Four Herbs and Their Ratios
The classic essiac formula uses four dried herbs blended in specific proportions by weight:
- Burdock root: 27%
- Sheep sorrel: 55% (the largest portion by far)
- Slippery elm bark: 14%
- Turkish rhubarb root: 4% (also called Indian rhubarb)
Four ounces of the combined dry herb blend equals roughly one cup. You can buy these herbs individually from herbal suppliers and mix them yourself, or purchase them pre-blended. If you’re mixing your own, a kitchen scale that reads in grams will give you much more accuracy than measuring by volume, since the herbs have very different densities. For a four-ounce batch, that works out to roughly 1.08 ounces of burdock root, 2.2 ounces of sheep sorrel, 0.56 ounces of slippery elm bark, and 0.16 ounces of Turkish rhubarb root.
Equipment You’ll Need
Use a stainless steel, glass, or enamel-coated pot with a lid. A large stock pot or preserving kettle in the 10 to 12 quart range works well for bigger batches. Do not use aluminum cookware. Aluminum can react with the tea during the long brewing and steeping process.
For storage, you’ll want amber glass bottles or jars. Clear glass works too, but amber reduces light exposure during storage. Avoid plastic containers, as the tea sits in them for extended periods and there’s concern about chemical leaching.
Step-by-Step Brewing Instructions
Start this process in the evening, since the tea needs to steep overnight.
Bring your water to a boil in your pot. The amount of water depends on how much herb blend you’re using, but the general approach is about two gallons of water per cup of dry herb mix. Once the water reaches a full boil, add the herb blend and stir it in.
Turn the heat down so the mixture maintains a moderate, steady boil (not a rolling boil, not a simmer) for ten minutes. Stir occasionally during this time to keep the herbs from settling and clumping on the bottom.
After ten minutes, turn the heat off completely. Leave the pot sitting at room temperature for twelve hours. You can put the lid on if you like, but it’s not strictly necessary. This long steeping period is what distinguishes essiac tea from a standard herbal infusion. The extended time allows the slippery elm bark and burdock root to fully release their compounds into the water.
After the 12 hours have passed, stir the tea vigorously. This disperses the herb remnants that have settled to the bottom throughout the liquid. Then strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into your storage bottles or a large glass pitcher. Some people prefer to leave fine sediment in the tea rather than filtering it completely, which is a matter of personal preference.
Storage and Shelf Life
Once brewed and bottled, store your essiac tea in the refrigerator. It should stay cold between servings. Amber glass bottles are ideal because they block light, but any glass container with a good seal works since it’ll be in a closed refrigerator most of the time. Plan to use each batch within two to three weeks. If you notice any off smell, cloudiness beyond the normal sediment, or signs of mold, discard it and brew a fresh batch.
How Much to Drink
The traditional protocol, as outlined by Rene Caisse (the Canadian nurse who popularized the formula in the 1920s), is 2 ounces of tea twice daily on an empty stomach. Most people take their first serving first thing in the morning and the second at bedtime, since these are natural windows when the stomach is empty and the tea can be absorbed without competing with food. For general wellness rather than illness, Caisse suggested 2 ounces once daily on an empty stomach.
The tea can be consumed cold straight from the refrigerator, or you can warm it gently. Don’t microwave it or bring it back to a boil.
Side Effects and Safety Concerns
The most commonly reported side effects are nausea and vomiting, particularly when starting out. Some people also experience increased bowel movements, more frequent urination, skin blemishes, mild headaches, or swollen glands. These are sometimes described by proponents as “detox” symptoms, though there’s no clinical evidence supporting that interpretation.
One specific concern worth knowing about: sheep sorrel, the largest ingredient by volume, breaks down into oxalic acid in the body. Oxalic acid can contribute to kidney stone formation in people who are susceptible. The original eight-herb version of the formula included watercress, which helps clear oxalic acid, but the four-herb version does not. If you have a history of kidney stones or kidney disease, this is something to be aware of before using essiac tea regularly.
What the Science Says
Essiac tea has a long history of anecdotal use, particularly among cancer patients, but the scientific evidence has not kept pace with its popularity. The National Cancer Institute states that laboratory, animal, and human studies with essiac “have not reported clear evidence of an anticancer effect.” No results from clinical trials of essiac have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and the FDA has not approved it as a treatment for cancer or any other condition.
This doesn’t mean the individual herbs lack bioactive properties. Burdock root and sheep sorrel both contain compounds that have shown activity in lab settings. But activity in a petri dish is a long way from proven effectiveness in a human body, and the gap between those two has not been bridged for essiac tea. People who choose to drink it should understand it as an herbal tea, not a substitute for medical treatment.