Saffron Tea Benefits

Saffron, or Crocus sativus, is a perennial herb that grows in Spain, India, Greece and China. This plant features bluish-purple flowers with small, orange stigmas. These stigmas are harvested by hand and used to make health supplements, including saffron tea. Practitioners of traditional medicine have long used saffron tea to treat various health conditions. Modern research has validated that saffron supplements do offer certain health benefits. Consult your doctor before treating specific illnesses with saffron tea.

Chemistry

Drugs.com reports that saffron stigmas contain various active ingredients, including crocin, which gives saffron products their unique yellow color; picrocrocin, which gives saffron its distinctive taste; and safranal, which gives saffron its characteristic aroma. Other active compounds include a cartenoid called crocetin, as well as several antioxidants. Saffron supplements also contain beta-carotene, riboflavin and thiamine, all nutrients with health-boosting properties.

Mood Benefits

Sipping saffron tea might help to relieve symptoms of depression. According to Drugs.com, clinical studies indicate that consuming 30 mg of saffron every day is as effective for treating mild to moderate depression as other types of treatment, including two prescription medications called fluoxetine and imipramine. Saffron is one of the most expensive herbs, however, and the cost of drinking saffron tea daily to treat depression might outweigh any benefits. According to the "British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology," consuming saffron supplements seems to relieve the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. Talk to your physician before consuming any type of saffron supplements.

Cancer-Fighting Properties

The active compounds in saffron tea might contain strong anti-cancer properties. Drugs.com reports that saffron appears to inhibit the spread of diseased cells while maintaining the health of normal cells. Lab animals with cancer live longer when treated with saffron supplements. Drugs.com adds that you can drink saffron tea without affecting your prescription cancer medications, but check with your doctor first. Although preliminary research shows promise, more research is needed to study the effects of saffron on cancer cells.

Cardiovascular Benefits

Drinking saffron tea might help to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. The low incidence of heart disease in Spain and Japan might be due to the crocetin-rich foods included in the daily diet of those cultures. According to Drugs.com, clinical studies indicate that taking 400 mg of saffron every day for a week results in lower systolic blood pressure readings. Lab animals treated with crocetin showed reductions in their triglyceride and cholesterol levels, but human research needs to be completed.

Other Health Benefits

Drugs.com reports that the crocin found in saffron increases blood flow to your retina, which might prevent or delay age-related macular degeneration or vision loss. Ancient cultures used saffron to treat high fevers, release toxins, invigorate the blood and increase sex drive. According to the journal "Phytomedicine," crocin also appears to have aphrodisiac properties when tested on lab animals, but human studies are needed to validate this claim.