The root of Sarsaparilla is about 50 percent starch and when eaten provides fiber and other nutrients. In 1960 the FDA banned the use of sassafras oil in foodstuffs after evidence accumulated showing that the main constituent, safrole, was carcinogenic. Sarsaparilla-flavored sodas are available in the south of Vietnam but much more difficult to find in the north. The drink is still popular in certain Southeast Asian countries, but is no longer common in the United States. my lovely niece sent me some a few weeks ago and as soon as i sipped that sarsaparilla i was 10 again.

Hires first experimented with Sarsaparilla in his Philadelphia pharmacy in 1869, selling root beer made with Sarsaparilla as a cold drink at the Centennial Exposition in 1876 in Philadelphia. In a 1942 study published in the "New England Medical Journal", patients were given large daily doese of Sarsaparilla extracts over a 2 - 3 month period resulting in over 50% of psoriasis sufferers condition improving. American soldiers stationed in Northern Ireland during World War Two are said to be responsible for the drink's popularity.Astilbin improves potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemia and kidney injury through regulating oxidative stress and inflammation response in mice. Preclinical studies in breast cancer tumors and liver cancer have also shown the antitumor properties of sarsaparilla. When possible, choose a supplement that has been tested by a trusted third party, such as USP, ConsumerLabs, or NSF. Explore the tabs on this page to find out more about the quality, manufacture and suggested use of this herb.

It was commonly used to treat coughs and colds by the Native American peoples, who made a soothing tea using Sarsaparilla roots to calm sore throats and clear stuffy noses. The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink notes that it evokes images of "languid belles and parched cowboys". Until it went out of favor in the late nineteenth century, Sarsaparilla was in widespread use as a cure-all and tonic, especially for syphilis.

There are two well known sarsaparilla brands in Indonesia, Badak (from North Sumatra) and Indo Saparella (from the Special Region of Yogyakarta). Sarsaparilla was one of the first flavourings to be used in soft drinks and was also used as a foaming agent and flavouring for root beer.