Sassafras Root Bark

History:

Sassafras is one of three species of laurel and the only one that is native to eastern North America (the other two are found in eastern Asia), and it is considered the most important. It may be a small, aromatic bush or grow as a large, deciduous tree to a height of fifty or sixty feet with a rough, gray (or reddish brown) bark, bearing many slender branches and hairless leaves, which can be of three different types (a smooth oval, a two-lobed or a three-lobed leaf) - sometimes all three being found on the same tree and even the same branch. The young leaves and twigs are mucilaginous and produce a lemony fragrance when crushed. The roots are large and woody, with a spongy bark, and the plant also produces small greenish-yellow flowers that bloom in the spring, followed by small, pea-sized fruit (actually, a blue-black berry on a red stem). Sassafras is an attractive ornamental that thrives in deep, rich, neutral-to-acid soil in sun or shade, sheltered from late spring frosts. When the Spanish arrived in Florida in the early sixteenth century, they discovered the fragrant Sassafras tree but mistook it for a cinnamon tree, which has given it one of its common names, Cinnamon Wood. The name, Sassafras, was given to us by the sixteenth-century botanist, Nicolas Monardes, and is said to be a corruption of the Spanish word for saxifrage, another plant species. Native Americans added many therapies to our modern pharmacopœia, including Sassafras, and they used the bark as a general tonic, diaphoretic, diuretic and blood cleanser by urinating or sweating out wastes from the system. They also used it for skin health. Word soon spread about the plant's amazing powers, reaching Europe, and Sassafras may have been the first American plant therapies to reach the Old World, where it was widely used as a medicine, first in Spain in the 1500s, and under cultivation in England before 1633. For a time it became a major Colonial export, second only to tobacco. Europeans also created Sassafras tea, which soon became highly fashionable but lost its luster when Sassafras also gained a reputation for venereal support (unjustified). Early settlers considered the root bark as a total health tonic and also fermented the roots with molasses to make beer, and during the Civil War, Sassafras tea became a popular beverage. An oil extracted from the bark of the roots (eighty percent of which is safrole) remained in use for dentistry and as a flavoring for toothpastes, root beer and chewing gum until the early 1960s, when the FDA banned its use as an additive, as safrole was found to be a carcinogen. The root bark extract and leaves are now treated commercially to produce a safrole-free product, and today, the safrole-free root extract is used in herbal preparations, perfumery and as a flavoring agent for candy, beverages and aromatic teas, and the leaves are used for filé powder (an important thickening ingredient in the Creole dish, filé gumbo). It is not possible to make a safrole-free Sassafras at home. Sassafras from Herbal Extracts Plus, which is derived from the leaves of the plant, is totally safrole-free. Sassafras is a sweet, aromatic, warming herb (with a fennel-like fragrance) and contains lignins, sitosterol, tannin, resin, alkaloids (boldine, cinnamolaurine) and volatile oil.

Recommended Dosage:
Take one (1) capsule, two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

Contraindications:
Pregnant and nursing women should avoid Sassafras Herbal Supplement, and excessive use (many times the recommended dosage) may produce a narcotic effect. Sassafras should not be used for a prolonged period of time. Rare side effects have included vomiting, changes in your vision or heart rate (pulse), blood pressure, trouble walking or hallucinations. Sassafras has the potential to interact with many prescription medicines broken down by the liver. Do not give Sassafras to children.

Capsule Information:
Our Sassafras Root Bark supplements are encapsulated in 100% Gluten-free, Vegetable Cellulose, Certified Kosher, size "00" Capsules.(click here for size comparison) Each capsule contains approximately 600 mgs.

Special Note:
If any medical terms on our website are confusing or unknown, we have compiled a small dictionary of terms for you. Click here for our Definitions, and go directly to the word in question for further information.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein by Herbal Extracts Plus is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.