Coffee anyone ?

greybeard

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The "I drank the tea and it's gone" method. Seriously? I see no harmful effects from an occasional cup of sassafras tea.

It (safrole) occurs naturally in a variety of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper, and herbs such as basil. In that role, safrole, like many naturally occurring compounds, may have a small but measurable ability to induce cancer in rodents. Despite this, the effects in humans were estimated by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to be similar to risks posed by breathing indoor air or drinking municipally supplied water.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safrole

Considering the number of times I have seen concerns raised about 'suspected' cancer causing agents, I assumed you would have performed due diligence in the matter.
We know for sure it is a cancer causative in rats but extensive tests have not been done on humans, but that isn't unusual. Lots of things have caution labels or even banned outright simply because of "Known to cause cancer in laboratory rats".

True, many spices contain safrole, but not to the levels contained in some sassafras roots.
In a great # of things, people point out that various substances have been used for centuries "with no problems" but, as they say, Absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence.
On an almost daily basis, I flew thru air, drove thru and even walked thru terrain where Agent Orange was sprayed by the thousands of gallons but I haven't (yet) gotten cancer, therefore, agent orange doesn't cause cancer?

Globally many millions of people used tobacco their entire long lives and never got cancer, therefore, cigs aren't nearly as bad for us as is made out to be?

The Cherokee Indians used sasafrass extensively for centuries, but they had their own method of removing the safrole. I thought you may have used their method instead of one of the chemical methods that commercial spice makers use to reduce the safrole level in commercially prepared spices.
 
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Baymule

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I don't give it a thought. I dig up some roots, wash, then boil them. I'll say this, I've been sick for 2 weeks with a very annoying dry hacking cough. A cup of sassafras tea and the coughing STOPPED and didn't return for 8-9 hours.
 

Baymule

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Coffee is on, eggs hashbrowns toast and bacon too...
Another nice sunny day to get wood split.
Ohhhhh that sounds soooo good! We've both been sick, hungry, but the desire to cook a meal just hasn't been there! Thank God I bought a package of flour tortillas, been making breakfast burritos. LOL LOL You have inspired me!
 

Bruce

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Coffee is on, eggs hashbrowns toast and bacon too...
Made a frittata with the last 4 of my little russets. Just sausage and some scallion (home grown) along with 2 eggs donated by the hens.

The Cherokee Indians used sasafrass extensively for centuries, but they had their own method of removing the safrole.
Would you happen to know that process? Not that I personally need it, wouldn't know a sasafrass plant if it was in a pot next to me. Don't even know if they grow here. But if it is simple, maybe Bay would want to give it a try.
 

greybeard

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RollingAcres

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Gonna take more than a bunch of nasty old safroles to take your mean, ornery, "old" self out... :yuckyuck:gig:lol:

Dad-blamed right about that! Maybe why I am getting cranky in my "old" age, all them saffroles trickling through my liver, might be poking holes in it like liver flukes......

:gig:gig:gig
 

greybeard

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I tend to take a very long and wide view of all things. and am, and always have been of the opinion that we, (especially those of us that are of sufficient age and/or ag experience that future new entries into farming might consider 'mentors') should be very careful what we 'put out there' as being 'harmless'.
Everything we type here, will be read for years to come, by young people (and not so young) looking for advice and general guidance. It is incumbent upon each of us to set the best example possible, post the most accurate and factual information possible IF this board is to be regarded as the pre-eminent small farm/herd resource on the web.

If we tend to think, "Ahh...no one reads any of this or takes it seriously", we would be very wrong. I have already seen direct quotes of complete posts from this board with thread URLs included and usernames printed,in a commercially marketed book by a well known author that according to Amazon and Wiki, is "a renowned writer, historian, and animal advocate". Not all he had to say was complimentary either. This means, that not only are members and farm interested people reading these posts, but many thousands of others as well.
Just some of the names and urls leading to their posts:
greybeard
WildRosebeef
Bossroo
Francismilker
Herferds
Aggieterpkatie
Royd


And from BYC, there were even more..a lot more.
Homesteading Today had it's share of notoriety as well.
A typical review of the book:

__________ is a cogently written treatise on the subjects of animal rights and animal welfare. The author exposes the duplicitous nature of the claims that breeding animals for slaughter is or can be "humane". Highly recommended.
6 people found this helpful

Macmillan Publishers, a Thomas Dunne book, so not some blog contribution or backalley paperback.

We tend to tout our successes, but the truth is, before success and longevity came upon on us, we learned our lessons and walked the harrowing path of success thru our mistakes...no need to allow future generations to make the same mistakes, even if they didn't cause us any harm personally.
I have seen first hand, the results of poor advice being followed as 2 different 4h kids lost animals when they followed some unique 'holistic' parasite control method they found somewhere on the internet and I have seen the same advice given on this board by well intentioned but less-informed-than-they-should-be members.

I'm 68 1/2 so if I get cancer tomorrow, no big deal, no big loss. I've already "lived' my life.
I have lots and lots of blood and death and suffering on my hands already. I don't want anymore.

I advise my grandchildren against risky endeavors, even tho I may have indulged in them myself at a younger and much more naive age and one of the things they will never get at my house is sassafras.
 
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