Sarsaparilla has quite a several components, giving it its healing effects. People use sarsaparilla for skin diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), kidney disease, sexually transmitted diseases, and many other conditions.
In manufacturing, sarsaparilla is used as a flavoring agent in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals.
Sarsaparilla is the common name of a soft drink that was popular in the early 1800s. Traditionally Sarsaparilla drink was made from the sarsaparilla root alone. The extract made from sarsaparilla root has a slightly bitter flavor profile, which is why most producers now include ingredients like liquorice to try and reduce the bold flavor.
The drink was used as a home remedy and was often served in bars. In most Southeast Asian countries, it is known by the common name sarsi, and the trademarks Sarsi and Sarsae. It has been described as a similar taste to root beer or birch beer.
Sarsaparilla was traditionally used--along with other substances like sassafras, licorice root, mint, nutmeg, and more--to flavor root beer. Sarsaparilla contain safrole, a compound recently banned by the FDA due to its carcinogenic effects. Safrole was found to contribute to liver cancer in rats when given in high doses,
Sarsaparilla
