What is special about the sassafras tree?
One unique feature of sassafras is that the leaves grow in three different forms, or shapes on the same plant: an oval shape, a mitten shaped leaf, and a three-lobed leaf (pictured here). The bark of roots was used to make sassafras tea and to flavor root beer. Aromatic sassafras tea, once popular as a stimulant and blood thinner and as a reputed cure for rheumatism and syphilis, causes cancer in rats when taken in large amounts.Indigenous people have long known that Sassafras leaves are edible. The Choctaw, whose traditional homeland includes Mississippi, Louisiana, parts of Alabama, and the panhandle of Florida, are known for using dried, powdered sassafras leaves to thicken soups and stews.Sassafras is in the Laurel family, making it related to the plants that produce cinnamon and bay leaves. Due to its aromatic nature, Sassafras has a number of culinary uses.You can also make tea from sassafras leaves, in a similar fashion. Note: research shows that the bark of the ROOTS of sassafras contains safrole, which is potentially carcinogenic in large quantities. Safrole is not present in large quantities in the twigs or leaves.These days, Root Beer recipes do not include sassafras as the plant has been found to cause serious health issues. The vine was banned by the American Food and Drug Administration for commercial food production in 1960.
Is sassafras toxic to humans?
Sassafras was even used as a flavoring for root beer decades ago. However, sassafras contains safrole, a volatile oil, which has been classified as a likely carcinogen to humans, and banned as a food additive by the FDA. Sassafras is a tree native to eastern America, and it’s the original root in root beer. Get that amazing spiced, aromatic, root beer flavor yourself with a little foraging and this simple recipe. Just mix with carbonated water and you’re good to go!The roots and barks of the sassafras tree contain a high concentration of the chemical named safrole. Safrole was listed as a carcinogen in rats by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is hence banned at present. The risk of developing cancer increases with the amount consumed and duration of consumption.While the amount of sassafras that could potentially cause cancer in humans remains unknown, one cup of strong sassafras tea is reported to contain as much as 200 mg of safrole, an amount that is four times higher than the amount considered potentially hazardous to humans if consumed regularly.While sassafras is no longer used in commercially produced root beer and is sometimes replaced with artificial flavors, natural extracts with the safrole distilled and removed are available.
Can sassafras be eaten?
Don’t take it by mouth. The safrole in sassafras root bark and oil can cause cancer and liver damage. Consuming just 5 mL of sassafras oil can kill an adult. Sassafras can cause sweating and hot flashes. People used to drink sassafras tea. However, sassafras tea contains a high concentration of safrole, which was about 4. Thus, in 1976, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sales of sassafras tea. Moreover, the FDA prohibited the use of sassafras as food additives.As a side note, in 1960, the United States Food and Drug Administration banned real sassafras in commercial root beer as safrole in (unrealistic) high amounts was found to be carcinogenic. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and basil also contain safrole, but that was not an issue.However, sassafras was banned as a food ingredient in 1976 by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration— due to its high concentration of the organic compound safrole, which was found to have carcinogenic properties in rats.However, in the 1960s, sassafras oil was discovered to contain high levels of a liver toxin called safrole. When given to animals, safrole causes liver cancer, and even a single cup of sassafras tea contains dangerous levels of the substance. Because of this, sassafras has been banned for human consumption.Sassafras became a major export commodity to England and other areas of Europe, as a medicinal root used to treat ague (fevers) and sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea, and as wood prized for its beauty and durability.
Does sassafras grow in the UK?
Sassafras albidum can be grown in the United Kingdom. It is hardy in most places throughout the UK, even in severe winters. Warning: Sassafras contains safrole, which is reportedly carcinogenic. It was banned by the FDA as a food additive in 1960. Sassafras albidum ranges from southern Maine and southern Ontario west to Iowa, and south to central Florida and eastern Texas, in North America. S. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Zhejiang, China.Wild sassafras plants can be found from Texas all the way to Maine, with some growth as far north as Ontario and as far south as Florida. Sassafras albidum belongs to the Sassafras genus, which contains 2 other Sassafras plants that are native to China and Taiwan.This plant has low severity poison characteristics. Common sassafras is an aromatic deciduous flowering tree that is found in all areas of North Carolina except the higher mountains.Sassafras is native from southwestern Maine west to New York, extreme southern Ontario, and central Michigan; southwest in Illinois, extreme southeastern Iowa, Missouri, southeastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas; and east to central Florida.
Is sassafras good for anything?
Sassafras is a plant. The root bark is used to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, sassafras is used for urinary tract disorders, swelling in the nose and throat, syphilis, bronchitis, high blood pressure in older people, gout, arthritis, skin problems, and cancer. As a side note, in 1960, the United States Food and Drug Administration banned real sassafras in commercial root beer as safrole in (unrealistic) high amounts was found to be carcinogenic.This practice waned during the 1960s and early 1970s when it was reported that the chemical safrole found in sassafras caused cancer in laboratory rats. These findings prompted the U. S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of safrole in foods and beverages (including our beloved root beer).Well, sassafras and sarsaparilla both contain safrole, a compound recently banned by the FDA due to its carcinogenic effects. Safrole was found to contribute to liver cancer in rats when given in high doses, and thus it and sassafras or sarsaparilla-containing products were banned.Common sassafras is considered toxic to dogs. If a dog ingests this plant, particularly the bark, it can lead to poisoning. Dog owners should be vigilant as dogs may accidentally consume parts of common sassafras, which can result in various symptoms indicative of toxicity.The safety of long-term internal use of sassafras has not been proven. Only guaranteed safrole-free products should be consumed. Note that safrole-containing food products are illegal in the United States and Canada.