Culinary uses
The dried and ground leaves are used to make
filé powder, a spice used in the making of some types of
gumbo.
The roots of Sassafras can be steeped to make tea and were used in the flavoring of
root beer until being banned by the
FDA. Laboratory animals that were given oral doses of sassafras tea or sassafras oil that contained safrole developed permanent
liver damage or various types of
cancer. In humans liver damage can take years to develop and it may not have obvious signs.
In 1960, the FDA banned the use of sassafras oil and safrole in foods and drugs based on the animal studies and human case reports. Subsequently, both Canada and the United States have passed laws against the sale of any consumable products (beverages, foods, cosmetics, health products such as toothpaste, and others) that contain more than specific small amounts of
safrole.
[10]
Sassafras tea can also be used as an
anticoagulant.
Sassafras was a commodity, prized in
Europe as a cure for
gonorrhea.
[11]