Since 1922, Rene Caisse’s formula has used four herbal ingredients. Those herbs are still used in Essiac today to work synergistically to promote the elimination of toxins and waste from the body’s organs and bloodstream. Other supplements that may use a combination of Essiac's ingredients also contain other herbs, in some cases that have been identified to have negative side effects.

Essiac's formula contains a proprietary ratio of burdock root (arctium lappa), sheep sorrel leaves (rumex acetosella), slippery elm bark (ulmus fulva), and Indian rhubarb root (rheum officinale).

How do those herbs help the body?

• Burdock root has been shown to promote a healthy immune response , antioxidative and antiproliferative properties.
• Sheep sorrel leaves have been shown to promote a healthy immune response, and to help the body maintain healthy skin and immune functions.
• Slippery elm bark has been shown to promote a healthy immune response, can help soothe the stomach and intestines, and supports digestion.
• Indian rhubarb root is a diuretic and has been shown to promote a healthy immune response and antioxidative properties.

Essiac uses the same ratio of herbs that Rene Caisse specified in her original formula. The liquid extract contains grain alcohol as a non-medicinal ingredient, which contributes to a more effective absorption of the medicinal ingredients. Based on current science, alcohol based herbal extracts (commonly called tinctures) are more easily absorbed in the body than water based extracts. Essiac Liquid Herbal Extract, Vegetable Extract Capsules, Essiac Gold and Daily Drops are all extracted using alcohol.

Essiac performs extraction of biochemical compounds through percolation or maceration on herbs (fresh and dry). The maceration process involves letting the plant material sit in a menstruum, usually a mixture of ethanol and water, in specific ratios depending on the plant, for a period of anywhere from 1 to 30 days. The liquid is strained out and collected and the material is pressed to retrieve any solution still in the plant.

Alcohol is used to perform the extraction as it has many properties that make it an ideal solvent, especially for herbs. Alcohol not only dissolves many ionic compounds, but it can also dissolve many nonpolar substances, including essential oils, flavonoids, flavors, alkaloids, and other compounds that water extraction does not. As a result, this alcohol extraction provides more of the plant benefits and is more easily absorbed than the brewed tea.

All of the herbs used in our traditional three products, the tea powder, herbal extract, and vegetable capsules, are sourced and extracted for their active properties in Canada. Herbs used in our Essiac Gold^(TM) and Essiac daily drops have been sourced in the United States.

We've heard our customers! The health of our customers is paramount to Essiac. Essiac Daily Drops is our first product with 100% certified organic and wild-crafted herbs. We are looking to include more certified organic content into all our products soon!

Yes, all our products are gluten free. Our original herbal tea powder simply contains four powdered herbs, no fillers, no preservatives, no additives. None of the roots and herbs or bark contain gluten, and all our other products are based on this simple herbal formula. Our herbal extract liquid does use alcohol as the preservative, but it is gluten free. Our vegetable capsules, which is a powdered concentrated extract of the liquid, are also gluten free. In addition, we test for gluten to ensure all our products, including the Essiac Gold and Essiac Daily Drops, are gluten free.

We purchase our product whole (not powdered) in order to more easily evaluate the quality. Burdock roots and other herbs should be evaluated whole to ensure the herbs are of quality and don't contain any impurities. Once an herb is powdered, it is nearly impossible to tell if it is of the quality expected.

Simply consuming powdered herbs will not provide the levels of active ingredients found in Essiac vegetable capsules. Dried herbs are poorly digested by the body. Our Essiac vegetable capsules contain the dried essence of the herbs that have been extracted and dried in a patented process to ensure they have maximum potency and are easily absorbed by the body.