Why is saffron important

While these findings from test-tube studies are promising, the anticancer effects of saffron are poorly studied in humans, and more research is needed. Summary Saffron is high in antioxidants, which may help kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. However, more human research is needed. Premenstrual syndrome PMS is a term that describes physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms occurring before the start of a menstrual period.

In women 20—45 years of age, taking 30 mg of saffron daily was more effective than a placebo at treating PMS symptoms, such as irritability, headaches , cravings, and pain Another study found that simply smelling saffron for 20 minutes helped reduce PMS symptoms like anxiety and lowered levels of the stress hormone cortisol Summary Both eating and smelling saffron appears to help treat PMS symptoms, such as irritability, headaches, cravings, pain, and anxiety.

Studies have shown that saffron may have aphrodisiac properties — especially in people taking antidepressants. For instance, taking 30 mg of saffron daily over four weeks significantly improved erectile function over a placebo in men with antidepressant-related erectile dysfunction Additionally, an analysis of six studies showed that taking saffron significantly improved erectile function, libido, and overall satisfaction but not semen characteristics In women with low sexual desire due to taking antidepressants, 30 mg of saffron daily over four weeks reduced sex-related pain and increased sexual desire and lubrication, compared to a placebo Summary Saffron may have aphrodisiac properties for both men and women and may especially help those taking antidepressants.

According to research, saffron may help prevent snacking by curbing your appetite. In one eight-week study, women taking saffron supplements felt significantly more full, snacked less frequently, and lost significantly more weight than women in the placebo group In another eight-week study, taking a saffron extract supplement helped significantly reduce appetite, body mass index BMI , waist circumference, and total fat mass 3. However, scientists are unsure how saffron curbs appetite and aids weight loss.

One theory is that saffron elevates your mood, which in turn reduces your desire to snack Summary Saffron has been shown to reduce snacking and curb your appetite. In turn, these behaviors may help you lose weight. Summary Saffron has been linked to several other potential health benefits, such as improved heart disease risk, blood sugar levels, eyesight, and memory.

However, more studies are needed to draw stronger conclusions. In small doses, saffron has a subtle taste and aroma and pairs well with savory dishes, such as paella, risottos, and other rice dishes. Add the threads and the liquid to your recipe to achieve a deeper, richer flavor. Saffron is readily available at most specialty markets and can be purchased as threads or in powdered form. In fact, using too much saffron can give your recipes an overpowering medicinal taste.

Summary Saffron has a subtle taste and aroma, which makes it easy to add to your diet. It pairs well with savory dishes and should be soaked in hot water to give a deeper flavor.

Alternatively, you can purchase saffron in supplement form to reap its benefits. As a dietary supplement, people can safely take up to 1. However, only 30 mg of saffron per day have been shown to be enough to reap its health benefits 7 , 17 , On the other hand, high doses of 5 grams or more can have toxic effects. Pregnant women should avoid high doses, as it may cause miscarriage 31 , Saffron tea or saffron mixed with warm milk can keep seasonal ailments like cold, cough and fever at bay.

The warm nature of this magical herb helps in relieving the discomfort caused by the flu and cold. The presence of antioxidants makes this wonder herb a great remedy for seasonal issues. Apart from that, it also helps in boosting immunity, which is essential to sustain virus attacks and other ailments.

Loaded with the goodness of potassium, consuming saffron everyday helps in dilating the blood, which further removes blockage from the arteries. This further reduces blood pressure and prevents heart attacks and strokes. A weekly guide to the biggest developments in health, medicine and wellbeing delivered to your inbox. Thank you for subscribing! Your subscription is confirmed for news related to biggest developments in health, medicine and wellbeing.

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Turmeric, paprika, and other substances have still been combined with saffron powder. Addition of artificial colorants is the most common way of adulteration with the aim of misleading the consumer for improving the appearance of the dried stigmas or even other extraneous materials to give rise to the coloring strength of the aqueous extract.

When saffron is used for therapeutic purposes, adulterations make it completely useless or even harmful. There are various methods used to detect the adulterants in saffron products. When the saffron product is disperse in water, it immediately changes to a characteristic form that is simply distinguished from Crocus stamens, florets, safflower, marigold, or arnica.

In addition, true saffron should easily dissolve in aqueous phase and spread the special odor of saffron. If the water extract of true saffron is dried and a rod dipped in sulfuric acid is drawn across the surface, a blue color appears and turns purple or reddish-brown. Other detection methods include color reactions, microscopic study, thin layer chromatography TLC , and high-performance liquid chromatography HPLC.

HPLC is considered the most effective one. Most of the countries have prohibited the use of synthetic dyes as food coloring agents. Detection of artificial colors, such as naphthol yellow, tartrazine, quinoline yellow, sunset yellow, in saffron is nowadays carried out by UV-Vis spectrometry, when crocetin is precipitated. This procedure may be used alternatively or in combination with HPLC procedures. Alonso and co-authors were reported a colorimetric reflection method on saffron samples.

This method is a very useful technique for quality assessment of saffron. Moreover, there is a Hunter Lab system which is similar to CIE system for color measurement of food products. This method analyzes fast and did not require any sample treatment. The most important factors that cause decomposition or reduce the quality are as follows: Humidity of product and relative air humidity, temperature of the surroundings, direct sunlight, oxygen, and quality of packages.

Nowadays, saffron is cultivated in Iran and a few countries with old civilization. The restrictions of production and high demand of consumption resulted in the high price of saffron. The recent reports about pharmacological activity and medicinal properties of saffron make it the object of frequent adulteration and frauds, and the object of various phytochemical and biotechnological researches.

Furthermore, the certification of the origin and quality of saffron as a medicinal food led to the frequent usages of chemical and molecular techniques. Determining of chemical composition of saffron is another effort for PReventing the saffron adulteration. The HPLC analytical procedures are sensitive, reproducible, and allow obtaining the sufficient amounts of the saffron components for further analytical assessments.

The relative air humidity, temperature of the surroundings, direct sunlight, and quality of packages are the final parameters that impact on the quality of the product. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Pharmacogn Rev v. Pharmacogn Rev. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Address for correspondence: Dr. Box , Tehran, Iran. E-mail: ri. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Saffron is the most valuable medicinal food product because of its importance in Iran's agricultural economy. Keywords: Crocus sativus , Iridaceae, phytochemistry, saffron, standardization. Pharmacological activities There are clinical trials conducted evaluating the efficacy of saffron in mild-to-moderate depression. Phytochemistry Saffron is a noteworthy medicinal and spicy plant because of its powerful odor and intensive natural yellow color.

Open in a separate window. Figure 1. Figure 2. The main chemical structures of the isolated compounds from Crocus sativus. Natural habitat and the land under cultivation C. Standards and criteria Appropriate season for collection Collection of saffron flowers and isolation of stigmas are not easy and started just after the appearance of the first flower in the field because the flowers remain only for days.

Appropriate method of collection Collection of flowers has been carried out by hands of the workers. Drying methods Collected stigmas of saffron must be dried in order to store for a long time. International standards of the plant material Saffron as a medicinal food plant material must follow the international standards.

Table 1 The important chemical characteristics of dried saffron on the basis of ISO Microbial pollutions Crocus flowers are blooming on the surface of the soil and hence the organic fertilizers and compost are the main sources of microorganisms. Adulterants Mixing of saffron with materials such as beet, pomegranate fibers, and red-dyed silk fibers are occasionally observed for decreasing the cost of saffron. Methods for purity determination There are various methods used to detect the adulterants in saffron products.

Packaging and storage The most important factors that cause decomposition or reduce the quality are as follows: Humidity of product and relative air humidity, temperature of the surroundings, direct sunlight, oxygen, and quality of packages.

Saeidnia S. Future position of crocus satives as a valuable medicinal herb in phytotherapy. Pharmacognosy J. Evans WC. Harper D. Online Etymology Dictionary.

Availabe from: www. Mozaffarian V. Tehran: Farhang Moaser Publisher; A dictionary of iranian plant names; p. Abrishami MH. Iranian saffron. Historic, cultural and agronomic prospects; pp. Leffingwell JC. Leffingwell Reports. Rechinger KH.