Anyone interested in food will know what saffron is. And will appreciate why it is so beloved as a flavouring. But did you know that saffron also delivers a host of health benefits? What’s even better, you can get those benefits in a dietary supplement!
Each blossom of the crocus sativus, commonly known as the
saffron crocus, produces three reddish-orange stigmas…
Saffron is known widely for it’s exotic nature and it’s equally exotic price. It’s the dried stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, which must be picked carefully, by hand, and dried. And it takes 150 to 200 stig-mas to make up a single gram of saffron…
Mediterranean magic
Saffron makes flavour magic in a the signature dishes of a number of Mediterranean cuisines. Not-ably, Spanish and French. It’s a featured ingredient in classic Paella, the Spanish creamy rice dish which introduced most of us to it.
But there is another important dimension to saffron, one of which most us are unaware. Science has recently identified a whole laundry list of health benefits offered by the spice…
Here we go…
According to a current story in The Telegraph, saffron can deliver a host of health benefits which were, until recently, unsuspected…
Anti-cancer effects
Some of saffron’s bioactive compounds – crocin and crocetin – have shown anti-cancer effects in some laboratory and animal studies. These compounds appear to interfere with the processes that cancer cells rely on to grow and spread, including in leukaemia, breast and colorectal cancer.
Supports weight management
One 2020 analysis of studies in humans, published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, found that supplementation with saffron resulted in a ‘significant reduction’ in waist circumference and improved blood sugar management among those who took part in trials.
Eases depression and anxiety
A recent scientific review presents evidence that saffron can ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety. “It showed similar effects to prescription antidepressants and greater effects than a place-bo,” says Rachael Frost, a senior lecturer in Health and Social Care at Liverpool John Moores Univers-ity, who researched saffron in a study on over-the-counter supplements.
Eases insomnia and poor sleep
A recent review published in the journal Sleep Medicine found that a saffron extract – 28 mg daily for four weeks – was associated with ‘significant improvement’ in insomnia severity, sleep quality and restorative sleep compared with those taking a placebo. However, the two studies included in the review were small.
Eases menopausal symptoms and supports reproductive health
Although there’s no evidence saffron directly affects hormone imbalance, it may help alleviate meno-pausal symptoms, including low mood, anxiety and poor sleep. Saffron also appears to reduce the severity of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including mood swings, irritability, breast tenderness and bloating, and may also help relieve menstrual pain.
Supports eye health
The ancient Romans used saffron to treat eye complaints. And new evidence shows saffron may help in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and potentially slow the progression of the disease. It seems that crocin, an active ingredient in saffron, may help protect cells in the retina from inflammation and damage.
Supports cardiovascular health
This is an area with some of the strongest evidence supporting saffron’s potential health benefits. A major review of more than 30 clinical trials, involving over 1,600 people, has found that saffron sup-plements may bring small but significant improvements in several markers linked to heart and meta-bolic health.
Across the studies, people taking saffron saw modest reductions in blood sugar levels, total and so-called ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, triglycerides (plaque-inducing fats found in the blood), blood pressure and waist circumference. Some measures of inflammation and oxidative stress (a type of cell dam-age) also improved.
My take
If saffron supplements can really deliver all the benefits the new science claims… I think I’ll give it a whirl!
Meanwhile… I am happy to report my experiment with Turmeric supplements has made a noticeable, welcome difference in my daily life, and I’m going to keep taking them…
~ Maggie J.