Saffron is healthy for several reasons. The most impressive health benefits of saffron include its ability to improve your breathing, optimize the digestive system, eliminate pain, improve your sleep, reduce bleeding, improve heart and circulatory health, prevent diabetes, strengthen bones strengthen and improve your immune function. Research also shows that saffron (supplements) can be effective in treating mild to moderate depression. But be careful, because too much saffron is dangerous and can cause complaints.

• What is saffron?

• Precious spice
• Saffron crocus
• Taste
• Powder, threads and supplements

• Saffron stimulates immunity
• Saffron healthy for blood circulation (blood circulation)
• Saffron healthy for the heart
• Prevent diabetes
• Saffron effective for mild to moderate depression
• Saffron strengthens the bones
• Improves nerve function
• Analgesic properties
• Saffron can prevent cancer
• Saffron for stomach disorders
• To treat inflammation
• Warning for saffron overdose

• Side effects

 Saffron crocus / Source: KENPEI, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

What is saffron?

Precious spice

Saffron is a spice extracted from the saffron crocus, a root vegetable. Saffron has been known since ancient times for its color, flavor and medicinal properties. This spice appears, for example, in the love poem Song of Songs in the Bible (Song of Songs 4:14). This exotic and precious spice originates from Southern Europe and is now grown worldwide in many countries, especially in Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Iran and in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Saffron crocus

The saffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.) is a root vegetable from the irises family and grows about 15-20 cm tall and produces purple-colored flowers during each flowering season, which lasts from October to November. In the center of the petals there are three red stamens with pistils and during flowering the flowers are harvested and then dried over a fire or in the sun. These dried orange-yellow stamens form ‘saffron’, a valued seasoning.

Taste

Saffron has a distinct flavor that comes from chemical compounds such as picrocrocin and safranal. It also contains a natural carotenoid chemical compound, crocin, which gives saffron its golden yellow hue. These properties together with its medicinal properties make it a valuable ingredient in many cuisines worldwide.

Powder, threads and supplements

The most common form of saffron is in the dried or powdered form, but you can also get saffron supplements at certain health stores. Only a small amount of the herb is needed to have an effect, and the maximum to be consumed in a day is between 0.5 grams and 1 gram of this valuable herb.

Saffron stimulates immunity

Saffron contains high concentrations of certain important nutrients, including vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is important for human health because it stimulates the production of the immune system’s white blood cells, the body’s first line of defense against disease. It is also crucial for the production of collagen, a protein found in the deeper, living layer of the skin, which contributes to wound healing, muscle growth, blood vessel repair, tissue production and healthy skin.

Saffron healthy for blood circulation (blood circulation)

Saffron can function as an effective energy booster and can increase your metabolism by improving blood circulation. Saffron contains a high concentration of iron, a mineral necessary for the production of red blood cells and which stimulates circulation and oxygenation (saturation with oxygen) of organs and tissues in the body. This improves the efficiency and functioning of the tissues and organs and it also prevents anemia.Saffron healthy for the heart / Source: Rainer Zenz, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Saffron healthy for the heart

Improving heart health seems to be one of the most important goals of human health today, and a simple way to do this is to increase your potassium intake. Saffron is a good source of potassium, among other things. This mineral can help dilate the veins and blood vessels, effectively lowering the pressure on blood vessels and arteries, allowing blood pressure to drop and the burden on the cardiovascular system. This can prevent atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart attacks and strokes.

Prevent diabetes

Crocetin in saffron tackles insulin resistance. Insulin resistance often results in type 2 diabetes over time. Research also indicates that consuming saffron in combination with resistance exercise (which aims to improve the strength of the muscles to be contracted) is effective in the treatment of diabetes. [1]

Saffron effective for mild to moderate depression

Saffron is known to relieve mild to moderate depression, and improve mood in those who consume it regularly. The many active compounds in saffron have some effect on the endocrine system and can stimulate the release of beneficial hormones that keep you happy and healthy. The herb has been praised as a natural antidepressant by numerous studies and organizations.[2]

Saffron strengthens the bones

Some minerals and organic compounds in saffron are associated with optimized nutrient absorption, especially calcium. By maximizing the amount of calcium your body can absorb from food, you have a better chance of improving bone density and preventing the onset of conditions such as osteoporosis (bone loss) and other degenerative age-related diseases.

Improves nerve function

The B vitamin family is one that is often overlooked in human health, but it plays an important role in nerve function throughout the body. More specifically, the high vitamin B6 content in saffron may benefit your nervous system and nerve pathways.

Analgesic properties

Pain relief is always a valuable property of an herb or natural remedy, and the volatile compound safranal in saffron acts as a sedative in many people. This sedative effect can help relieve pain, reduce anxiety and stress, improve sleep patterns, and generally calm the mind and body, which is always a good thing.

Saffron can prevent cancer

Among the more than 100 different compounds present in the complex form of saffron are also antioxidants. Dozens of antioxidants have been found in saffron, many of which seek out free radicals to eliminate them. Free radicals are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism that can cause healthy cells to mutate or die. Removing free radicals boosts overall immune system health, but more specifically it can also prevent cancer from developing or spreading in the body.[3]

Saffron for stomach disorders

One of the oldest and best known uses of saffron is for stomach upset and excessive flatulence. The sedative and anti-inflammatory effects of saffron help soothe the stomach and reduce inflammation, relieving symptoms such as constipation, bloating, cramps and other serious conditions such as stomach ulcers.

To treat inflammation

Saffron oil and creams can eliminate pain throughout the body by smearing or massaging the substance on the painful area. For people suffering from sports injuries, arthritis, rheumatism, gout and other inflammatory conditions, this is a great remedy. It can also be used for bruises. The fast-acting antioxidants in saffron help speed up the healing process.

Warning for saffron overdose

Side effects

Consuming saffron in high doses is potentially dangerous, as the high concentration of active ingredients can have a range of effects on the body. However, in small doses (such as in meals or in the form of supplements), saffron has no known side effects and has no allergenic properties. Some side effects that have been reported include dry mouth and throat, dizziness, nausea, feelings of anxiety and panic, fatigue and appetite changes, but these are rare.Notes:

1. Dehghan F, Hajiaghaalipour F, Yusof A, Muniandy S, Hosseini SA, Heydari S, Salim LZ, Azarbayjani MA. Saffron with resistance exercise improves diabetic parameters through the GLUT4/AMPK pathway in-vitro and in-vivo. Sci Rep. 2016 Apr 28;6:25139. doi:10.1038/srep25139.
2. Ellen Feldman. Saffron and depression: What do we know and where do we go? Integrative Medicine Alert 20(8):85-90 · August 2017
3. Escribano J, Alonso GL, Coca-Prados M, Fernandez JA. Crocin, safranal and picrocrocin from saffron (Crocus sativus L.) inhibit the growth of human cancer cells in vitro. Cancer Lett. 1996 Feb 27;100(1-2):23-30.