Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: Beleg813 on October 19, 2007, 10:12:06 pm
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So, I was reading some information about "natural" mosquito-repellants. I noticed a certain trend, but I saw several mentions of "Sassafras" and it being one of those passed-down-from old Native American herbal remedies, etc. I found this exceptionally interesting and kept reading and found out this individual would drink sassafras root-tea several days prior to going out in the woods. According to this individual he not only avoided mosquitoes, but ticks, and every other creature of the sort. Didn't touch him. Now, he gave a few friends (and told them not to tell anyone as a means to test this theory) and the one's that took the tea days prior came back with no bug bites and the others were covered.
Now, I also find out that the original Sassafras root was removed from root beer back in the 60's because of the substance called Saphrole, which not only lead to significant findings of it leading to cancer (if taken in large amounts over an extended period of time) by the FDA. Now, it's illegal to consume Sassafras roots....and Saphrole, I've found out is one of the ingredients in ecstasy...that drug.
Does anyone know if rubbing sassafras could act as much of a mosquito-bug repellant if you apply it directly to your skin? Or, must it be consumed. I have a pound or two of the root (just love the way it smells)..but I'm scared to drink the tea because well...it's illegal to consume, and because if taken in large quantities may lead to cancer.
Thoughts?
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I've never heard that sassafrass was illegal to consume, not doubting you, but I don't see why or how it would be enforcable. I've drunk sassafrass tea off and on all my life, and so did most of the older people around here. As far as the carcinogenic properties, I read somewhere that you would have to drink ten gallons a day for 50 years or something ridiculous like that to get the amount of safrole that the experiments were using on the rats. The air you breath nowadays is probably more carcinogenic than that. I would be quite certain that sassafrass bark is considerably less carcinogenic than all the commercial chemical insect repellents that everybody douses themselves in. Don't think I'd worry at all about drinking sassafrass tea. Elderberry leaves rubbed on the skin will act as an insect repellent, I've used them many times with good results.
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Thanks for the response Hillbilly. I read that the FDA pulled the sassafras "containing saphrole" out from the main ingredient in root beer. They also made it illegal to consume the root / bark. Now, I agree whole-heartedly that the concentration of harmful carconogenic properties is ...considerably less than second-hand smoke or a thousand other things in our current environment. And, I am quite sure I remember my mom telling me she used to chew on the root for something with flavor when they'd run about in the woods. Thanks for the elderberry tip...I've got some dried elderberry right now that I could make into a nice cream or something hehe fun experimenting!
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I talked to a few co-workers and loads of relatives about Sassafras. 75% of the people I talked to has heard of the root, has drank sassafras tea, or knew someone that had.
I'm guessing with a mortle / pestle one could crush up some elderberries and perhaps after cutting through a sassafras gather up the shavings and crush up some really fine mosquito deterrant.
I noticed that when I was cutting my sassafras root to put into bags, that the saw dust from them was very juicy, meaty, oily--those kind of properties mixed with elderberry would seem to make a lotion or something.
Something to think about, that's for sure :)
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i drink sassafras all the time. there are more carcinogens in beer than there is in sassafras and i dont see anybody worried about banning beer. never mind cigarettes. be careful with elder leaves and bark . they are poisonous if ingested. they will also cause dermititis on some people. ive used it like hillbilly said with no problem. peace
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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
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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.
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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!!!
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Crazy numbers Dana..that's just crazy.
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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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Honestly, I don't see how it would hurt me either. And, I can't come up with a reason as to why it's consumption would be illegal. I mean saphrole is found in nutmeg, but nutmeg isn't illegal. File is a spice that is made from Sassafras yet it is consumed in cajun dishes. I just don't get it.
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I am 56 years old and grew up in WVa I drank this tea for years and did not matter if the bark was off the root or not I think evryone gets tore up over all the stuff they read and no one knows what is true and what is not
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I think that's part of it. I think the other part is quite unfortunate, the fact that the FDA making the consumption of the bark of the tree root illegal. Quoting all that "may lead to cancer" BS for whatever reason...makes me upset. I might've already enjoyed a few cups of fine sassafras tea if it weren't for that.
Oh well, live and learn...right?
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Ill be drinking some soon, my grandparents always did,hot or cold and they lived to their late 90s. They didnt trust all the stuff in print and other hearsay,they trusted what they had learned from their parents,and so on till you get back to the primitives, and thats why we are all here on this big ole planet anyhoo......man am I rambling? Must be the tea........
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I agree with the others. My parents used to drink sassafras tea, and drank it when I could get it. Never had any problems, and like any other herb, or drink, if you abuse it you can get into trouble. Like they said, you would have to drink an enormous amount to get sick, or have any unhealthy effects. I for one have no like, or trust in the FDA. As far as I am concerned, they and the drug companies are one and the same. You only have to look at the Viox, and the other drug, which I can't recall at the moment...must have drank one cup too many of sassafras......They finally took it off the market when it became public that more than fifty thousand people had died from it, while following directions. But a month later, it put the drugs back on the market with a little warning, that they might cause serious health problems......When you are making billions in profit, you can grease a palm pretty well! Now lets look at Ma Huang, or ephedra. A chinese herb that has been used in traditional medicines for over a thousand years. When used as directed, extremely few people have any adverse reactions to it. But
according to news reports, " Approxamately five thousand people had died or had serious adverse affects from it. "
The majority of those people had abused it, or not followed the directions, with the " if this much is good, then how about this much? ", mentality. So it was banned in the interest of the publics health. The FDA being much concerned for us. Uh huh. You betcha. As it turns out it is now estimated that more than eighty thousand or more had died or had serious results form taking viox and the other drug. Linus Pauling said taking a thousand units of vitim C, and a thousand units of Vitim E a day had shown to help people with cancer to live longer . Then FDA tried make it so that you could only Buy vitamins with a Doctors prescription, and the vitamins would be much less in dosage. Since that tatic failed, the FDA, comes up with a " Study " Never said by whom, or how it was conducted ", and says that too much vitamin C and E can be harmful for you. In the amount it would take to be harmful, you couldn't afford them anyway. Ok, I'll stop ranting, but as for Sassafras, I will still drink it, when I can get the root bark. Next time I am in Ga. I will have to look for it.
A very fruitful hunting season to all, and a great Thanks Giving,
Stickbender
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Ooops, let me clarify the numbers, a bit in the reply to Sassafras, It should be " Five Thousand " not fifty thousand, that had died or had serious advers affects from abusing Ma Huang, ( Ephedra ).
Sorry about that, Chief......
Stickbender
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Ya know, I'm certainly no Albert Schweitzer or anything but it seems to me like the FDA can't be trusted as far as you can throw em. They have approved of poisons for human consumption such as aspartame etc... for years and thats why we got so many obese women running around with a diet pop and candy bar. The big pharmacy companies and big chemical companies can't patent a natural substance, so they make something artificial they can control and then make everyone believe that the natural compounds are baaad for you, and on top of that they make it illegal....interesting isn't it. And then when the artificial substance creates health problems they blame it on everything else and sell you some perscriptions to take care of the symptoms that the artificial stuff creates. It's just one big shell game they are playing.
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Hehe, I agree. Totally, I don't trust the FDA, I don't think they do what's right, and like everything else have a certain amount of corruption and greed.
If we all were to listen to the FDA and every other person or agency whatever that said not to drink this and don't do that...we'd all have to live in padded rooms sipping water from straws that had the edges softened to not cut our lips...because cuts can lead to infections..and those invariably lead to death.
I think the FDA should go out, have a few beers, relax, and try to solve problems about people killing one another with guns, and other far more deadly things than worry about what natural medicinal substance MAY lead to cancer if you overdose it, live next to power lines, and eat paint chips :)
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what! i cant eat paint chips! damn it!!!!!! ;D
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Ok, Jamie, just for you I think you should be allowed to eat paint chips :P
...I'll just be under these here powerlines..
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;D
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UH. Ya aint supposed ta eat em ' ? ;D....bob
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If eating paint chips is the secret to your success Bob--then pass 'em this way!! Speaking of paint chips--I'm very willing to make some "nice" trades...you take the paint chips and I'll take some o' those nice bows off your hands!
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every spring i go out into my dads woods to gather the roots, i love the tea and i see no harm in the stuff. also i think if it was in fact illegal to drink then there would be clear notices and stuff in the rural areas where i live and the plant grows.
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Shootinbud, I see no harm in the stuff either. And, I think it's pretty lame that something that has less toxins than probably a beer is illegal. That being said--I got this from the FDA website for your perusal. I think perhaps the lack of clear notices is probably indicative of a) more than just you and your dad goes to the woods to gather roots for tea b) I don't think it's a law that's really talked about, perhaps because it's another unpopular one c) with all the problems out there in the world--I really don't think law enforcement is going to have time to monitor all sassafras trees and the root usage of them :)
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/FCF189.html
TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES (CONTINUED)
PART 189--SUBSTANCES PROHIBITED FROM USE IN HUMAN FOOD--Table of Contents
Subpart B--Substances Generally Prohibited From Direct Addition or Use
as Human Food
Sec. 189.180 Safrole.
(a) Safrole is the chemical 4-allyl-1,2-methylenedioxy-benzene,
C10H10O2. It is a natural constituent
of the sassafras plant. Oil of sassafras is about 80 percent safrole.
Isosafrole and dihydrosafrole are derivatives of safrole, and have been
used as flavoring compounds.
(b) Food containing any added safrole, oil of sassafras, isosafrole,
or dihydrosafrole, as such, or food containing any safrole, oil of
sassafras, isosafrole, or dihydrosafrole, e.g., sassafras bark, which is
intended solely or primarily as a vehicle for imparting such substances
to another food, e.g., sassafras tea, is deemed to be adulterated in
violation of the act based upon an order published in the Federal
Register of December 3, 1960 (25 FR 12412).
(c) The analytical method used for detecting safrole, isosafrole and
dihydrosafrole is in the "Journal of the Association of Official
Analytical Chemists," Volume 54 (Number 4), pages 900 to 902, July
1971, which is incorporated by reference. Copies are available from the
Division of Food and Color Additives, Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition (HFS-200), Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch
Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740, or available for inspection at the Office
of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700,
Washington, DC 20408.
[42 FR 14659, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 42 FR 56729, Oct. 28, 1977;
47 FR 11855, Mar. 19, 1982; 54 FR 24900, June 12, 1989]
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I would interpret that as being illegal to sell foods containing safrole to the public, not being illegal to brew yourself a cup of sassafrass tea. The FDA is generally in the business of checking/regulating the food you buy before it gets to you, not checking to see what's on your plate or in your glass.
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I think you are right Hillbilly. I think I remember seeing something more specific about it being illegal to sell sassafras (with the saphrole intact) for the purpose of consumption. Just remember all--we should all feel safe when we eat foods that have the FDA's approval :sarcasm off:
>:D
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I got on this thread late but if anyone is interested here's what little I know, Yes the FDA made it illegal for consumption but as far as I know there is no law preventing a person from digging/drinking it themselves.
Sasafrass should only be dug in a month with the letter 'R' in it. This way the sap is in the roots.
I drink Sasafrass tea all the time--seems to make me feel better. I have an old book on cures and natural medicines that says drinking the tea is a natural blood thinner.
Yes its a natural mosquito repellant--our woods are choked with it--my neighbor said the ol' timers always said if you got sasafrass trees in your woods the sceeters stay out.
And one of my friends (Dave Sawyer) had a grandfather (as he says) who died from drinking sasafrass tea--he must have consumed too much-----he was 97 when he passed.
I'M IN NO WAY CONDONING THE DRINKING OF SASAFRASS TEA--I just think its hard to believe a natural herb/root could be more harmfull for us than all the cr&p they shove in our processed foods these days.
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Also, the classic cajun "file gumbo" is seasoned and thickened with dried, powdered sassafrass leaves. I'd guess that tons of leaves are used by people in Louisiana for seasoning every year, and you don't hear about anything bad happening to them because of it. They apparantly learned to use it from the Choctaws, who undoubtedly used it for hundreds of years.
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All this talk about sassafrass is making me want to get some and try it. Danny
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Hillbilly,
That's very interesting. One of my thousands of "things to do" is try to find the paper trail that leads to my native american roots..a horrible, daunting task. I, for whatever reason, was not aware that Choctaw were even in Louisiana! Thanks for that info I'll have to do some looking into that!! On a note more on topic (sorry!) Safrole is also in Nutmeg, but people aren't pulling that spice off the shelves, either.
Glenn R.,
Thanks for confirming the mosquito-repellant aspect of it. Man, I wish I had some land--I'd love to plant a bunch of trees (some Sass in there too of course!) Sit back and just watch them grow along with a family..ahh it's a dream!
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I'm kinda late on this subject but it makes a great bow!
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I just bought another pound of the roots...I love the way the stuff smells, and I've thought about making my next bow (if I ever finish my first which is a HUGE IF) out of Sassafras. That root-beer like smell is just awesome to me.
...I don't think my wife feels the same way unfortunately >:(
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Nobody mentioned the narcotic properties in sassafras, you can chew it like bitter root for toothaches, I drink the tea for migraines, and it's d4mned tasty.
Beleg - paper trails and indians don't get along =P Especially with the five civilized tribes, unless you're in OK it's highly unlikely you'd find most any information
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I puchased some sassafras essential oil for my buisness not long ago. The paper work I had to fill out was quite detailed. Turns out the oil can be used not just for making ecstasy but for Meth also. Thats why the original law was passed to make it difficult to sell and purchase sassafrass. But, you can still purchase it if you fill out the correct paper work.
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Drug companies, FDA, all one and the same. One pays, one accepts, and then tells the public it is supposed to protect, not to do what ever the ones paying says not to do. Oh, yeah, I'm from the Government, I'm here to help you. Uh, thanks, but no thanks.
Just look at the mah wong, and the celebrex, I think it was. appx. 5,000 people died from abusing, or not following directions for Mah Wong. Well the FDA being the celestial guardians they are, put a stop the sale of Mah Wong, and told how awful it was. Along comes Celebrex and another drug, put out by the Drug companies, and it kills appx 50,000 people, and now it has been revised to appx 80,000 people that have died from using these products. Oh, ok, we will take it off the market. For a month. Then with their magical wand the FDA approves the products, if they will put in very fine print that it may cause problems, and death. Hmm, I wonder how much palm grease that tooK? Anyway, like I said FDA, Drug companies, one and the same. Hey, here is some research money, oh, and could you just sign this drug off please......