The Chemistry and Biological Activity of Herbs Used in Flor-Essence™ Herbal Tonic and Essiac™
​
Flor-Essence ™ and Essiac™ are two widely used herbal remedies with anecdotal claims that they improve the quality of life for those suffering from cancer (neither claim to be a cure for cancer). This article is a review of research done on the components of each remedy. Essiac™ contains four herbal ingredients: burdock root, slippery elm bark, sheep sorrel and Indian rhubarb. Flor-Essence contains the same four main ingredients along with red clover, blessed thistle, kelp and watercress. The authors believe that clinical studies are needed in order to confirm reports from case studies and that given the anticancer activity of the ingredients, these remedies may be candidates for alternative therapies. They point out that the efficacy of herbal remedies in general is due to the synergistic interaction of the components.
​
​
Published:
​
Phytotherapy Research 14, 1-14 (2000) Copyright 2000 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.; doi: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1573(200002)14:13.0.co;2-o.
​
​
Attribution:
​
Carmen Tamayo ¹, M.A. Richardson², Suzanne Diamondᶟ, Inga Skodaᶟ; ¹Foresight Link Corporation, Ontario, Canada, ²The UT Center for Alternative Medicine Research, Center for Health Promotion Research and Development, University of Texas, USA; Houston School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, USA, ᶟFlora Manufacturing and Distributing Ltd., Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
​
​