Main Discussion Area > Primitive Skills
Sassafras
Mike_A:
Hi all. This post got me doing some research and from what I came up with it seems that the root bark is the main source of the safrole oil and that is the ingredient that's used in ecstacy and is illegal. I also found that it's illegal to sell sassafras tea, the roots, bark, and leaves. I didn't see anything that stated drinking sassafras tea is illegal, and it's been moved down the list by the fda to being mildly toxic. I've drink the stuff whenever I could get it throughout my life. I'm thinking if your really worried about the health hazard and still want to enjoy your tea then removing the bark from the root may be the way to go. I'm no expert at this and I'm not really worried about getting cancer from it myself, but removing the bark seems like it should work to get rid of most of the saffrole oil. Maybe it's just me. Ya'll have a good day. Mike
Beleg813:
Hey, thanks a lot for the research Mikea132.
Originally, after seeing Sassafras tea being made illegal to sell..I think I assumed that it was because it had carcinogens and contained safrole. The interesting part is--it still can be sold..just not as something that is consumed (from what I found). Personally, I find anything labelled as "may lead to cancer" sort of a CYA (cover your *##) sort of a thing, and I'm not scared that it may lead to cancer. Hell, I drink enough coffee daily to put down an elephant, and I'm sure that's not exactly healthy, no labels on that though is there?
Thanks for the heads up Jamie--even the berries carry a very slight amount of "possible" toxicity I hear...but they say it only affects few people. I actually bought dried up elderberries from a herb store, so I'm hoping to NOT get some form of stomach poisoning or skin irritation from 'em.
I seem to remember reading about a cult-like organization group in California that ate of the elderberry bark, leaves, stems, etc and mixing it into a tea...and most were out of commission or even better had to have their stomachs pumped, force-fed charcoal, etc. ....blech.
DanaM:
Just to give you guys some food for thought. Take a look at the EPA's Maximim Contaminent Levels(MCL'S) on drinking water. They are getting
riduculously low, just because a scientist developes a new test with lower detection levels they feel the need to change the MCL's. Even though you would have to drink
a 1000 gallons a day for 50 years to have a 0.10% chance of getting cancer. For instance the level of Mercury I am allowed to discharge for our sewage treatment plant is lower than what normal rainfall has ??? Go figure eh!!!
Beleg813:
Crazy numbers Dana..that's just crazy.
david w.:
yesterday i was reading in the Foxfire books that there was a sying if you drank sassafrass tea in March you wouldnt need a doctor all year long and i read it was one of the first woods exported for it medicinal value. i dont see why it would hurt you
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