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Sassafras tea

In early times, Sassafras Tea was considered to be very medically sound, in that it was used to treat several health issues. A few average uses of Sassafras was in the treatment of various skin diseases, dropsy, syphilis, typhus, rheumatism, and even used as a stimulant, drank much like coffee is today. The bark was for some time used in flavoring drinks, foods, and for various forms of medicines.

Before going any further, let us look at the plant itself. The Sassafras is actually a tree that grows wild all over North America. They do not grow overly large, reaching an average height of six feet tall and very narrow. They have a very sleek bark with a gray to orange brown hue to them. Harvesting the roots when the tree is young produces the tea itself. Then simply clean them and boil them in hot water.

As far as the dangers of the plant goes, there is still much research underway with no definite answers on the human side. However, there have been many tests performed on lab rats that reveal instances of consistent cases of various forms of cancer. Several chemicals have been found in the Sassafras root that can prove to be fatal to the human physiology.

Though there are no positive results, it appears that Sassafras tea will inevitably be found to be extremely dangerous in consumption, and in many cases even prolonged physical contact. Many “green” organizations continue to swear by it regardless of scientific discoveries. In the end, before attempting to drink this concoction, ask yourself one question, “Is it worth the risk?”

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