* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
The root of this plant is as thick as a thigh or an arm, grey outside, red inside, and impregnated with a very sweet-smelling essential oil which is used as a stimulant, tonic and carminative. The wood is regarded as a sudorific.
Name
Sassafras albidum (Nuttall) Nees (Lauraceae), commonly called sassafras.
Source
From the leaves, stems, and bark of a tree that grows mainly in the Eastern United States. A pleasant smelling essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the bark. The main constituent of the oil (80 percent) is safrole. Safrole is a phenyipropene, and is closely related to the molecules that give cinnamon and anise their distinctive aromas. But unlike the related oils, safrole has been classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a probable carcinogen.
History
Until safrole was classified as a carcinogen, sassafras oil was used as a soft drink flavoring. Powdered bark still is used to thicken Cajun gumbo. Native American Indians used a decoction made from the bark to treat infected wounds. Safrole was first banned in 1960. Then, in 1976, the FDA clarified its initial ruling and also banned the sale of sassafras bark and leaves for herbal teas. Health food stores continue to sell sassafras, but with labeling that indicates it is for external use only. Safrole-free extracts have been produced to use as flavoring, but in animal experiments they also enhance tumor growth.
Traditional Claims
Carminative, anodyne, and diaphoretic.
Commission E Recommendations
The Commission has never issued a report on sassafras.
Proven Effects
In the absence of any clinical studies, it is impossible to guess just what clinical benefits might be derived from using this herb. After safrole, the other main components of the oil are camphor (3.2 percent), methyleugenol (1.1 percent), and an assortment of sesquiterpenes, the best known of which is parthenolide, the molecule found in feverfew that relieves the pain of migraine headaches. Sassafras might have some of the same effects as feverfew but that possibility has never been investigated. Methyleugenol is clove oil, a commonly used dental anesthetic, which may mean that sassafras might be used for that purpose as well. The oil may also have some anti-inflammatory effects - several widely used anti-inflammatory medications (Sulindac and Indocin to name just two) are produced starting from the safrole molecule. Anecdotes suggest that the oil can be used to kill headlice. However, the oil can be very irritating to the skin.
References
Carlson M, Thompson RD. Liquid chromatographic determination of safrole in sassafras-derived herbal products. J AOAC Tnt 1997;80(5):1023-8.
Kapadia GJ, Chung EB, Ghosh B, Shukla YN, Basak SP, Morton JF, et al. Carcinogenicity of some folk medicinal herbs in rats. J Nail Cancer Inst 1978;60(3):683-6.
Kapadia GJ, Paul BD, Chung EB, Ghosh B, Pradhan SN. Carcinogenicity of Camellia sinensis (tea) and some tannin-containing folk medicinal herbs administered subcutaneously in rats. J Natl Cancer Inst 1976;57(1):207-9.
Segelman AB, Segelman FP, Karliner J, Sofia RD. Sassafras and herb tea. Potential health hazards. Jama 1976;236(5):477.
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Directions
Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tea bag for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the pot, cover and let steep for 2-4 minutes. Pour into your cup; add milk and natural sweetener to taste.
Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 5 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea itself. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into the serving pitcher straining the tea bags. Add ice and top-up with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
Cautions
Not recommended if you are pregnant or lactating.
Concerns
In spite of concerns that massive amounts of safrole might end up in teas made with sassafras (up to 200 milligrams per cup), modern measurement suggests that the actual concentrations are closer to 5 milligrams. Nonetheless, safrole is clearly a carcinogen in experimental animals, and safrole-containing products should not be used on a regular basis.
Warnings
Safrole is used by some underground chemists as a starting material to make "ecstasy," and related designer amphetamines. While there may be some doubt about the carcinogenicity of low levels of safrole, exposure to high concentrations could be very dangerous.
Drug Testing
There are no published reports, but the configuration of the safrole molecule is not that different from that of some designer amphetamines, and use of sassafras could conceivably cause a false positive workplace screening test for abused drugs. Of course, even if a false positive screening test did occur, confirmation would disclose that it was safrole, and not MDA or MDMA.
Additional Information
TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
