Saffron is a yellow-red spice harvested from the dried stigmas and tops of styles of "Crocus satisvus," a fall-flowering plant native to Asia Minor. You can find saffron in medicines, perfumes, dyes and as flavoring for food and beverages. According to the book, "Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Home Reference Guide to 550 Key Herbs With All Their Uses as Remedies for Common Ailments," it takes approximately 150,000 flowers to obtain 1 kg of saffron, making saffron one of the most expensive spices in the world.
Ancestral Uses of Saffron
The Greek poet Homer claims that Zeus used saffron to enhance his sexual power. According to the book "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine," the Greeks also used saffron for insomnia. Native Americans added saffron to a glass of milk before sleep. The Romans used saffron to sober up from wine. The Arabs recognized anesthetic and antispasmodic properties in saffron. Additional uses of saffron included the treat of ailments such as stomach upsets, bubonic plague and smallpox.
Chemical Composition of Saffron
According to the book, "The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body," the stigma of the saffron plant has a variety of chemical components including carbohydrates, minerals, mucilage, riboflavin, thiamine, color pigments such as crocin, anthocyanin, carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin and aromatic essence called "safranal" and flavoring substances such as picrocrocin. Crocin is fundamental in giving saffron its color. Additionally, saffron has oil soluble pigments such as lycopene, alpha carotene, beta carotene and zeaxanthin.
Saffron Use in Depression
According to a study that appeared in the February 2005 "Journal of Ethnopharmacology," saffron may be effective in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Crocin and safranal are the active compounds of the spice. The study compared the use of 30 mg of dried saffron extract containing 0.7 safranal to 20 mg of fluoxetine per day. Significant improvements in depression symptoms were seen in the patients taking 30 mg of dried saffron extract. Since insomnia is one the symptoms of depression, this study may also help to explain the connection between saffron and insomnia.
Saffron as an Herbal Medicine
A study conducted by Mehrdad Modaresi at the Islamic Azad University in 2007 concluded that saffron's essential oil could be useful in insomnia of nervous origin. This study helps to confirm the study comparing saffron with fluoxetine, reinforcing the idea of saffron's use in insomnia caused by mental illness. Additionally, the study found that you can use saffron as a mind tranquilizer to cure insomnia and help fight depression. According to the "Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Home Reference Guide to 550 Key Herbs With All Their Uses as Remedies for Common Ailments," soaking saffron in milk or hot water for 20 minutes releases the active components in saffron. Therefore, the book recommends infusing saffron with milk to make a home remedy that can help treat insomnia and depression.
References
- Bastyr Center for Natural Health: Health Conditions and Concerns
- "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine"; Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno; 1997
- "Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Home Reference Guide to 550 Key Herbs With All Their Uses as Remedies for Common Ailments"; Andrew Chevallier; 2000
- "The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body"; Stacey Chillemi and Michael Chillemi; 2007
- "Journal of Ethnopharmacalogy"; Hydro-Alcoholic Extract of Crocus Sativus L. Versus Fluxetine in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depression: a Double-Blind, Randomized Pilot Trial; AA Noorbala, et al.; February 2005
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