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31-08-2004, 05:26 AM

(Curious) wrote in message . com...
Gautam Majumdar wrote in message .uk...
On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 06:24:18 +0100, Curious wrote:

Is sandalwood poisonous if eaten?

Can't say about sandalwood as a whole but sandalwood oil is not poisonous
to humans. It is used in various medicinal preparations of the Ayurvedic
(ancient Indian) system.

I was thinking of making a thin watery drink with the following whole
ingredients [raw, natural, organic, un-processed, solid, all products
whole and not juiced] with my VitaMix blender:

1. Sandalwood

On the FDA's Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list. Toxic doses are
so enormous that no one is likely to ingest anything like enough to be
troublesome.

2. Licorice

Also GRAS. Good for you in small quantities. Larger quantities of
glycyrrhizin, the active principle, have been known to cause edema and
are moderately estrogenic.

3. Betal Leaf [Paan]

Chewing betel (paan, paan masala) is a significant cause of cancer in
Asian countries where this is a practice. Making a steady diet of any
significant amount of it would be unwise at best.

4. Mints [peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, etc.]

Mostly safe. Salicylates (wintergreen) and pennyroyal (in the mint
family) are toxic if overconsumed. Pennyroyal is especially dangerous
for pregnant women.

5. Garlic

OK for humans, but known to be toxic (in fairly large doses) to dogs
and cats.

6. Cinnamon

Irritating if used regularly in quantity. Some cases of mouth cancer
have been linked to long-term, large-quantity use of cinnamon chewing
gum.

7. Ginger

Safe and generally good for you. Contact dermatitis or allergy can be
a problem for people who handle ginger regularly.

8. Tamarind

Safe and good for you even in large quantities.

9. Anice

Safe in reasonable quantities.

10. Parsley

Parsley as an herb is fine. Parsley oil must be used with caution and
in moderation, and pregnant women should not take it at all.

11. Holy Basil [Tulsi]

Safe in all quantities that appear to have been tested. Seems to have
much value as an antioxidant.

12. Scallions

As with garlic, OK for humans, but be careful with cats and dogs
around.

13. Lime
14. Lemon

Safe in the quantities anyone could reasonably ingest.

15. Mustard Leaves

Safe except in large quantities, but I'm surprised anybody finds them
palatable in any quantity.

16. Lavender

Safe, except for pregnant women.

17. Rose petals

Safe, so long as the roses have not been treated with pesticides.

18. Parrot Tulip petals

Allergic reactions are not uncommon; otherwise, these are safe. As
with roses, be sure the plants were not treated with pesticides.

19. Turmeric

Safe even in large quantities.

[snip]

A few of the items in your list are not entirely safe, but only
dangerous in large quantity or long-term use. Betel (paan) is the most
dangerous, but not very. Some of these are definitely inappropriate
for pregnant women.

But a "thin, watery drink" of this stuff would meet just about none of
the nutritional needs of anybody. Overall, this sounds like a Really
Bad Idea. What sources have led you to believe that a diet of this
would be good for you?

--
Chris Green