PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Essiac, an herbal formula used by cancer patients, has significant antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, according to a Canadian study.
The formula dates back to the 1920s when Canadian nurse Rene Caisse blended a tea of burdock root, sheep sorrel, slippery elm bark, and turkey rhubarb root, and offered it to her cancer patients. It is believed she received the formulation from an Ojibwa Indian woman. The name Essiac is Caisse spelled backwards.
The study found Essiac showed significant immunomodulatory effects; significant cell specific cytotoxicity towards ovarian epithelial carcinoma cells; after hydrolysis with beta glucosidase, Essiac showed increased cytotoxicity towards prostate adenocarcinoma cells; and showed significant inhibition of several cytochrome P450 enzymes.
The findings are being presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians in Portland, Ore.
