Health Benefits of Saffron

Amongst herbalists, aromatherapists and practitioners of traditional forms of alternative medicine Saffron has a long history. In ancient times Saffron was used to treat a wide array of ailments ranging from skin disorders, stomach upsets and smallpox to the bubonic plague.

Even though Saffron was, and still is, widely used throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean as a medicinal spice the ancient Persians were the first civilization to discover the medicinal uses of Saffron.

The Use of Saffron in Ancient Alternative Medicine and Herbal Remedies:

• The Minoan were the first civilization to take advantage of Saffron as an aromatherapy aid.
• Ancient Mediterranean people, such as physicians in Gaza and Greek courtesans used Saffron in their skin ointments, scented baths, perfumes, cosmetics and divine offerings.
• Egyptian healers used Saffron as a treatment for all varieties of gastrointestinal ailments.
• In Cleopatra's court, Saffron baths and Saffron flavored dishes were used by the dignitaries as aphrodisiacs.
• In battle, Persian warriors used Saffron as a hallucinogenic and drugging agent. That is because extremely high doses of Saffron can have a hallucinogenic effect and even lead to loss of life.
• Persian physicians and later Roman physicians used Saffron in medicines designed to prevent scaring and infections in wounds. In fact, it was Alexander the Great who imitated the Persian practice of using Saffron as a curative for wounds and brought Saffron bathing to Greece.
• Saffron is also firmly rooted withing the medicinal texts of Ancient Chinese medicine. "Saffron is mentioned in ancient Chinese medical texts, including the forty-volume Shennong Bencaojing (神農本草經—"Shennong's Great Herbal", also known as Pen Ts'ao or Pun Tsao) pharmacopoeia, a tome dating from 200–300 BC. Traditionally attributed to the legendary Yan ("Fire") Emperor Shennong, it documents 252 phytochemical-based medical treatments for various disorders".
  

The Use of Saffron in Modern Medicine:

• Modern medicine has discovered that Saffron possesses anticarcinogenic (cancer-suppressing), anti-mutagenic (mutation-preventing), immunomodulating, and antioxidant-like properties.
• The reddish color of Saffron is one of the Carotenoids naturally present within the retina of the human eye. Therefore, it is not surprising that a series of recent studies have shown that Saffron consumption can help protect the eye from the direct effects of bright light and retinal stress.
• Medications, containing chemicals naturally found in Saffron, are currently used to slow down the progression of Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that eventually leads to blindness.

The Use of Saffron in Modern Psychiatric Medicine:

• Since ancient times Saffron has been used as a means to elevate the mood and combat the symptoms of depression. A recent study, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2005;97:281–4) has shown that Saffron supplements are just as effective in alleviating the symptoms of mild to moderate depression as Prozac.
• Chemicals in Saffron are known to function like antidepressants on the brain by raising serotonin levels.