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When Shruti Haasan openly admitted to undergoing plastic surgery. How to care for your baby's skin the right way. List of Partners vendors. You may know of saffron as the spice used to flavor dishes like bouillabaisse and paella, but saffron extract has a long and varied history in herbal medicine spanning over 2, years. According to a review study from , it's been used in various countries to treat skin disease, respiratory issues, poor vision, pain, mental illness, gynecological problems, erectile dysfunction, and infections.
Derived from the crocus flower Crocus sativus , saffron is a perennial stemless herb that's largely cultivated in Iran and some other countries including Spain, India, and Greece. The flower of C.
It takes about 36, flowers, which are harvested by hand, to yield a single pound of stigmas. Over , dried stigmas obtained from about 70, flowers yield grams of pure saffron. Hence the reason it's often referred to as "Red Gold.
More than chemicals are present in saffron, but the key ones are crocetin and crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, which are responsible for saffron's color, taste, and odor. Saffron has been shown to be helpful in several diseases, and according to a review study from , it's time to move into more advanced stages of study or to even develop a drug for the use of saffron in the treatment of depression and Alzheimer's disease.
Preliminary studies suggest this culinary spice is helpful in treating mood disorders. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 60 adults with anxiety and depression received either 50 milligrams mg of saffron or a placebo twice daily for 12 months. In a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders , adults with major depressive disorder took crocin an active constituent of saffron or a placebo along with Prozac fluoxetine , Zoloft sertraline , or Celexa citalopram , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs SSRI that are commonly used for depression.
Results revealed that the group taking crocin had significantly improved scores on self-reported assessments compared to those taking the placebo.
In a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders , adults with mild-to-moderate depression took either a saffron supplement or Prozac daily for six weeks. A review of six clinical trials with placebo or antidepressant controls published in the Human Psychopharmacology in concluded that "research conducted so far provides initial support for the use of saffron for the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression.
When studied on teenagers with mild-to-moderate symptoms in a study, however, the improvements in anxiety and depressive symptoms that the adolescents reported after taking 14 mg of saffron twice a day for eight weeks were inconsistently corroborated by their parents.
Although the use of saffron in depression is poorly understood, some research suggests it may work like SSRIs to increase brain levels of serotonin, a chemical known to regulate mood. When used as a weight-loss aid, saffron supplements are purported to curb appetite and reduce cravings. Some proponents suggest that saffron increases brain levels of serotonin and, in turn, helps prevent compulsive overeating and the associated weight gain.
Saffron extract shows promise as a means of controlling compulsive eating, according to a small study published in Nutrition Research in For the study, healthy women who were mildly overweight took either a saffron-containing supplement or a placebo every day for eight weeks. Caloric intake was unrestricted. Study results showed that members of the saffron group experienced a significantly greater decrease in snacking and a significantly greater reduction in body weight compared to members of the placebo group.
The study's authors note that saffron's supposedly mood-enhancing effects could contribute to the decrease in snacking frequency. Saffron is added as an ingredient in some vision supplements, and several small studies suggest it may be beneficial in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration. In one randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial published in , adults with mild-to-moderate AMD were given 20 mg of saffron or a placebo for three months.
Researchers concluded that saffron modestly improved visual function and that due to the chronic nature of AMD, longer-term supplementation may produce greater benefits. Preliminary research suggests that saffron may inhibit the aggregation and deposition of beta-amyloid plaques in the human brain and may, therefore, be useful in Alzheimer's disease. Extracts of petals of the saffron plant were also found to have chronic anti-inflammatory activity. This effect could be attributed to the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins.
However, the other chemical constituents of saffron and their mechanisms are yet to be investigated 6. In rat studies, safranal, a constituent of saffron, was found to delay retinal degeneration. The compound could also reduce rod and cone photoreceptor loss. These properties make safranal potentially useful for delaying retinal degeneration in retinal pathologies 7. Saffron supplementation was also found to induce a mid-term, significant improvement in the retinal function in the case of age-related macular degeneration.
However, more research is warranted with respect to saffron supplementation in clinical practice 8. In rat studies, the crocin in saffron was found to boost non-rapid eye movement sleep. Other clinical trials also indicate that saffron supplementation could help improve symptoms of depression in adults dealing with major depressive disorder. One of the symptoms, as per research, is insomnia. However, further long-term follow-ups are required before firm conclusions can be made in this regard The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of saffron extracts could imply its therapeutic potential for various issues of the nervous system.
Some accumulating evidence also suggests that crocin in saffron could play a role in cognition. Most animal studies show saffron to exhibit antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidemic effects in treating gastrointestinal disorders. However, the efficacy of the spice in treating human gastrointestinal issues is yet to be investigated and understood One rat study links the possible wound healing properties of saffron to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Saffron could significantly increase re-epithelialization in burn wounds, as compared to cream-treated wounds The study raises the possibility of the potential efficacy of saffron in accelerating wound healing in burn injuries Saffron is rich in carotenoids that seem to impact immunity. A study done on healthy men showed that daily use of saffron about mg could have temporary immunomodulatory effects without any adverse reactions A herbal drug containing saffron was found to offer relief to women with primary dysmenorrhea.
The study concluded by stating the need for more clinical trials to determine the efficacy of the herbal drug Saffron helps reduce the risk of heart disease by strengthening the circulatory system. The spice is rich in thiamin and riboflavin, and these promote a healthy heart and help prevent various cardiac issues Due to its antioxidant properties, saffron helps maintain healthy arteries and blood vessels.
The crocetin in the spice indirectly regulates blood cholesterol levels and reduces the severity of atherosclerosis Saffron may also be useful in treating hypertension, as per a rat study Some research suggests that saffron could be useful for patients dealing with liver metastasis. The carotenoids in saffron may help inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species. The benefits and medicinal properties of this highly priced spice, make it a valuable culinary ingredient worldwide.
Modern research suggests that saffron can be used as an aphrodisiac, diaphoretic [to cause sweating], carminative [to prevent gas] and to bring on mensuration. Some other benefits are mentioned here under: 1. Protects against cancer: Saffron contains a dark orange, water soluble carotene called crocin, which is responsible for much of saffron's golden color. Crocin has been found to trigger apoptosis [ programmed cell death] in a number of different types of human cancer cells, leukemia, ovarian carcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, and soft tissue sarcoma.
Researchers in Mexico who have been studying saffron extract have discovered that saffron and its active components display an ability to inhibit human malignant cells. Not only does the spice inhibit cells that have become cancerous, but it has no such effect on normal cells and actually stimulates their formation and that of lymphocytes [immune cells that help destroy cancer cells].
A photo posted by jelkahribar on Mar 13, at pm PDT. Promotes learning and memory retention: Recent studies have also demonstrated that saffron extract, specifically its crocin, is useful in the treatment of age related mental impairment. In delayed puberty: In under developed girls, saffron has an overall stimulant effect.
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