Sassafras Tea
Sassafras tea is made from the roots and leaves of the Sassafras tree which is deciduous to North America. The leaves are lemon scented and quite pleasant and the roots have a distinct taste. Used by the Native American’s for it’s many medicinal properties it became a major ingredient in root beer and was also used in making sassafras tea which people drank both for it’s taste and it’s medicinal properties.
Sassafras tea was known for a number of medicinal properties including the fact that it can help remove blood toxins, improve blood pressure and provide relief for those who suffer from colds, flu and bronchitis.
However, concern that an ingredient in sassafras called safrole could cause liver damage in humans caused sassafras to be banned by the FDA in the 1960s. However, products made with the sassafras leaves and roots in which the safrole has been removed has been allowed by the FDA in more recent years.
For those wanting to enjoy the health benefits of sassafras tea today your best option is to purchase a sassafras tea concentrate that guarantees that it is safrole free and use that. Using sassafras root or powders may not be safe unless they explicitly tell you that the safrole has been removed. With the concentrate all you need to do is use an ounce of the concentrate and add hot or cold water depending on whether you want hot or cold tea and it is ready to drink.
While many people still use the sassafras root with safrole still in it claiming that the benefits outweigh the risk it is still better to be safe than sorry and make sure
