Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a small, inconspicuous plant with lance-shaped leaves that have two small lobes at the stem. Sheep sorrel spreads easily from its shallow root system and appears in paddocks or along the side of the road, easily visible in spring because of its rusty-red flower spikes. This herb contains citric, malic, oxalic and prussic acid, making it a tangy addition to salads.

Sheep sorrel is diuretic in activity and has long been used for treating cases of kidney disease, while more generally, it helps rid the body of metabolic wastes through this important channel of elimination. This means that sheep sorrel can be used to treat conditions as varied as eruptions of the skin, or ulcers of the throat and mouth.¹

Furthermore, sheep sorrel is a strong antioxidant and is rich in vitamin C so it can help counteract the general effect of physiological and psychological stress by supporting the adrenal glands as well as the immune system. More specifically, it can help the immune system deal with abnormal growths and laboratory studies have confirmed that anthraquinones present in the plant genus are active against cancer. For instance, the anthraquinones emodin and chrysophanol of the related species garden sorrel (Rumex acetose) are active against lung, ovary, central nervous system and colon cancer cells, as well as melanoma under laboratory conditions.² Several phenolic compounds in the plant including resveratrol, vanillic acid, sinapic acid and catechin also demonstrate anticancer activity.³

Sheep sorrel is an important ingredient of the famous anticancer formula Essiac, which comes from American Indian herbal medicine. This mixture was successfully used by a Canadian nurse called Rene Caise for the treatment of patients who attended a clinic in Bracebridge (1934-1942), set up at the behest of the town council. This clinic unfortunately attracted hostility from the medical authorities who actively opposed it.

Essiac contains the herbs sheep sorrel, burdock, Turkish rhubarb and slippery elm. Sheep sorrel is a specific anticancer herb, which cleanses through the kidneys as mentioned; burdock is a blood, bowel and lymph cleanser; rhubarb is a laxative used to activate the bowel and rid the body of wastes caused by stagnation; and slippery elm protects the digestive tract, soothes inflammation and encourages repair.⁴ These herbs work together to encourage elimination on several levels, making Essiac a powerful prescription for someone suffering from a chronic degenerative disease caused by an accumulation of toxic wastes, and not necessarily from cancer.

It is this broad approach that makes alternative medicine markedly different to conventional medicine. By contrast, conventional doctors focus on the disease itself, its accurate diagnosis, as well as finding a specific pharmacological drug or surgical procedure relating to the diagnosis.

Cancer comes in many forms depending on the type of tissue where it commences, presenting as an uncontrolled, irregular growth of cells. Malignant cells proliferate by stimulating their own growth, inactivating anti-growth signals, as well as other protective immune mechanisms. They also activate enzymes associated with DNA (telomerase) in order to increase the number of times that they can divide, and therefore would be almost immortal if they did not kill their host.

Often in advanced cases of cancer there is no viable treatment, and a patient will sometimes present at a naturopathic clinic after being told by their oncologist to go home and seek palliative care when the pain becomes intolerable. Naturopaths in Australia are prevented by law from treating cancer directly, but this is no real hindrance in practice because we aim to treat the whole person and not focus on the disease. Of course, the patient has to do more than just take a herbal ‘detox’ formula and this may be more than the patient is prepared to do, being used to surrendering to the intervention of specialists who ‘fight the battle’ for them with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. In alternative medicine, the patient is expected to take full responsibility and support their own healing with a diet capable of regenerating the body as well as to undertake an intense cleansing regime. They are also required to do exercise and practice meditation—a program necessitating a radical change in attitude.

An example of what might be required of the patient is the treatment promoted by Dr. Hulda Clark. She puts the blame squarely on pollutants such as the solvent isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, benzene, coal tar products, vehicle emissions, radon, heavy metals and other chemicals found in factory-foods, dental fillings, cosmetics, furnishings and personal care products. She says that long-term exposure weakens the body’s defences and creates a host condition which allows parasites, bacteria and fungi to proliferate, for example liver fluke or Ascaris. She claims that this combination of toxic encumbrance and parasite infestation are the initiating and sustaining factors in cancer progression—a reasonable argument.⁵

Others such as the Nature Cure healers focus on bowel regulation, colonic irrigation and vegetarianism. The work of Dr. Max Gerson, who prescribed raw organic vegetables and juices, will inform anyone of the fact that nutrition plays a crucial role in cancer treatment. In Gerson’s regime, nutrient-dense wholefoods are supported by clean water, clean air, regular enemas and exercise, all of which nurture the body’s channels of elimination and mechanisms of self-healing.

Rudolf Breuss is another example, offering a 6 week regime of juice fasting that cleanses and alkalises the body, supported by herbal medicines. Interestingly, the forward to his book mentions the problem of dwelling in locations where there are adverse earth energies, which means that moving house can often be a significant factor resulting in cure.⁶ The same is of course true for people living close to sources of electromagnetic radiation such as communication’s antennas and main’s electrical equipment. This demonstrates the importance of taking a broad environmental as well as physiological approach to cancer treatment.

The ancient physicians called malignant disorders of the blood or lymph a dyscrasia, not knowing their specific nature, and treated them with a regimen of medicinal herbs, clinical diet and convalescence. We have since learned a lot about septic states involving bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and their link to cancer, but the general approach is still the same: remove the cause, encourage cleansing, and nurture vitality because the body is self-healing when adequately supported, and is capable of reverting back to a healthy state even when there is no apparent hope.

This essay is an excerpt from the eBook Wholefoods And Common Medicinal Herbs.

Disclaimer: this article is intended for the purpose of general education only, and is not a substitute for diagnosis, treatment advice, or a prescription that is given in a consultation with a qualified physician.

References:

1.         Shipard I. How Can I Use Herbs In My Daily Life? Nambour: David Stewart; 2003.

2.         Lee N-J, Choi J-H, Koo B-S, et al. Antimutagenicity and cytotoxicity of the constituents from the aerial parts of Rumex acetosa. Biol Pharm Bull 2005;28:2158–61.

3.         Kucekova Z, Mlcek J, Humpolicek P, Rop O, Valasek P, Saha P. Phenolic compounds from Allium schoenoprasum, Tragopogon pratensis and Rumex acetosa and their antiproliferative effects. Mol Basel Switz 2011;16:9207–17.

4.         Bartram T. Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. New York: Marlowe & Company; 1998.

5.         Clark H. The Cure For All Cancers. 6th ed. India: Health Harmony; 2014.

6.         Breuss R, Hemmes H. The Breuss Cancer Cure. Austria: Rudolf Breuss Publishers; 2004.