Suffrin' Sassafras! « Forageporage's Blog
Let’s dispel the urban legend. There was a medical study showing a link between Safrole and cancer in laboratory animals (rodents). The rats were fed large amounts of this essential oil found in Sassafras. This study is absolutely irrelevant for two reasons.
First, it would be near impossible to consume an equivalent amount of Safrole, to make a comparison; even if you drank several cups of tea a day for your entire life! Think of the size of you, the size of a rat, the amount they gave the rat, and how many times more that would amount to, for you. Also, it’s important to consider what else (if anything) these animals were eating. Surely you and I won’t nourish ourselves exclusively on Sassafras!
And second, safrole is NOT water soluble. Therefore, there isn’t any in my tea. To extract the oil is an involved process.
In THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED Holistic Herbal , David Hoffman explains:
“Herbal oils can be used in two forms, depending on the method of extraction. First of all there are the pure essential oils, which are extracted from the herb by a complex and careful process of distillation. Only an expert can make these at home. These oils are best obtained from specialist suppliers, who distill them as the basis for aromatherapy and as such take care that they are as pure as possible.
The second way of extracting oils is much simpler and resembles the method of cold infusion. Instead of infusing the herb in water, it is put into an oil, whereby a solution of oil is obtained in the oilbase.” (1)
When you look at all the research it seems that the REAL problem is (exactly) that Sassafras makes you feel good! Seriously! Safrole EXTRACT is used in the manufacture of MDMA, also known as, “Ecstasy”! Although the extraction is NOT possible for most of us; our dear government doesn’t want us thinking we’re free to use what The Universe has freely given us. Thanx, again, Uncle Sam, for saving us; from ourselves!
I’m pasting an article about Safrole from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ; below, incase you would like to read more and come to your own informed decision. (Appendix I) Please, at least read the article. The list of references contain hours of interesting and very educational reading! THANX WIKIPEDIA!
I’m using neither of these extraction methods to make my tea.
Ocotea Cymbarum Oil - Bookshelf
Kings Chem Guide
Safrole is the main component of sassafras oil, from which is makes up 70 to 75% of the oil by weight. Safrole also exists in Ocotea cymbarum oil (Brazilian ...Karch's pathology of drug abuse
In 2005 the DEA discovered large quantities of Ocotea cymbarum (also referred to as Brazilian sassafras, Ocotea cymbarum oil, Ocotea cynbarnum, ...Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Ocotea Cymbarum Safrole is an important chemical intermediate which is commercially available only from natural sources, such as the ocotea cymbarum oil of ...Annual report on essential oils, synthetic perfumes, & c
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OCOTEA CYMBA RUM OIL • An oil obtained by steam distillation from the wooil of a Brazilian tree. Used chiefly as a source of safrole (see), a natural oil, ...Guide One Directory
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ocotea oil: Definition from Answers.com
ocotea oil ( ə′kōdēə ′öil ) ( materials ) A volatile essential oil obtained from the wood of a Brazilian tree, Ocotea cymbarum ; a source of safrole;