HERB - Sassafrass

[sunshinegirl]

Wow.  Was it really the 1960's?  I was able to buy sassafras tea up until
the 80's, when all of a sudden, it disappeared from the natural food store
I was getting it from.
Now I use a safrole free Sassafras extract, which I buy in the tea section
of my grocery store.  It is added to either cold or hot water, and is o.k.,
but not quite the same as the original.

Melandra of the Woods

> From: Keith E. Brandt, M.D. <wd9get at amsat.org>
> In the early 1960s, safrole (a volatile oil that is the majority of what
> gives sassafras it's characteristic flavor) was discovered to be
> carcinogenic in rats and mice. In it's infinite wisdom to protect
American
> rats and mice, the FDA banned sassafras bark, sassafras oil, and safrole
> from use as flavors or food additives. Supposedly, 200 mg of safrole can
be
> present in a strong 8 oz cup of sassafras tea. This is about 4 times the
> minimal amount believed to be hazardous to humans if consumed on a
"regular
> basis". A study done in Switzerland in 1977 failed to show the formation
of
> the primary carcinogenic metabolite in humans, so there is at least some
> question if the rodent studies can be extrapolated to humans. 
> 
> I have seen products labeled as "safrole-free", but have not tried these
> preparations and cannot speak to their flavor (or lack thereof). 
> 
> And yes, sassafras has been used as a flavoring for root beer. 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> In Service to Physick and Chirurgy,
> Galen
> 
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