What Is Saffron Extract And How Does It Benefit Your Health?
So You're Wondering About The Ancient Spice Saffron...
Where does Saffron come from and what is it used for?
A legendary spice grown in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and India, this herb is originates from a purple flower called saffron crocus. Saffron has a subtle and sweet taste making any dish more desirable. Saffron is so expensive because of the way it's harvested. The process requires quite a lot of labor.
The Amazing Health Benefits of Saffron
Saffron Antioxidant Power
Saffron is a powerful antioxidant. Saffron contains antioxidants like crocin, crocetin, safranal, and kaempferol. The carotenoids Crocin and crocetin both give saffron it's bright red color.
These antioxidants give saffron many of its benefits. Protecting the bodies cells against free radicals is a must in todays world. Free radicals are responsible for deteriorating your body causing pre mature aging and disease. saffron benefits1
Safranal which is responsible for saffron smell and flavor, has been shown in studies to boost your mood as well as benefit the memory and overall learning capacity. This anti oxidant in saffron also aids the brain in free radical protection. saffron benefits2
The other three anti-oxidants, crocin, crocetin, and kaempferol have been shown to give saffron these benefits:
- Anti - depressant
- Brain cell protection
- Anti inflammatory
- Appetie suppression (which helps with weight loss)
The benefits of saffron extract are numerous for the mind and body. saffron benefits3
Saffron For Mood And Anti - Depression
There's a reason why saffron is referenced as the sunshine spice. Not only is the color radiant but saffron has the ability to lift your mood. A few studies researched the effect of saffron on the subjects moods and the results were positive. Saffron proved to be a successful aid in the fight against depression. saffron benefits4
In these studies saffron was compared to other mood lifting drugs and faired just as well as the drugs normally used to treat depression, but there is a key difference, where drugs often have side effects saffron offers benefits. saffron benefits5
It seems that not only the threads that are normally harvested from the flower offer the positive benefits, but the entire flower as a whole can offer the same depression relief. saffron benefits6
Saffron May Reduce Cancer Risk
The antioxidant packed saffron flower is a great addition to your daily diet because of the free radicals that our bodies are bombarded by in the environement and from the food we eat. A great way to combat these damaging agents is to have a diet high in antioxidants. Damaged cells are known to create more of a cancer risk as they may go rogue so it is important to do everything you can to protect these cells. saffron benefits7
Certain studies have shown saffron to be able to suppress the growth of some kinds of cancer cells or even destroy them all together. Saffron could be a natural aid in cancer prevention. saffron benefits8
Combining Saffron with chemotherapy could prove to be beneficial as saffron can enhance chemos ability to kill off the cancer cells. saffron benefits9
Saffron may benefit the heart
The effect of saffron on the cardiovascular system have been promising. Saffrons ability to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) aids in preventing cardiovascular disease. Saffron also seems to aid in preventing clots and plaque build up in the arteries which could cause a stroke or heart attack in the future. Keeping the arteries clean and flexible is a life prolonging benefit. saffron benefits10
Saffron Might Help Alzheimer Patients
Protecting brain cells from oxidation damage and improving memory abilities are all promising benefits of saffron. Research is still out on these claims but there seems to be some potential with saffron aiding in either Alzheimer prevention or slowing the progression. saffron benefits11
Eye Health
Improve your eyesight and overall eye health with saffron. The saffron flower seems to be able to improve sight in grownups and protect the eyes from any further free radical damage. saffron benefits12
Blood Sugar Management
Saffron may be beneficial for diabetes patients who need help with blood sugar. Saffron may be able to actually lower the amount of sugar in the blood and even increase the insulin sensitivity. saffron benefits13
Weight Loss And Appetite Suppressant
Saffron May Increase Libido
In both men and women saffron may act as an aphrodisiac. In studies both genders that took saffron felt an increase in sexual desire and men who suffered from erectile disfunction showed drastic improvement when taking saffron supplements vs. the placebo group who experienced no improvements what so ever. saffron benefits15
PMS Decrease
Add To Your Diet
Saffron makes a delicious addition to many dishes but is hard to get consistenly through just diet alone. Luckily quality saffron supplements are available and make it easy to obtain saffron daily.
Conclusion
Saffron has shown to help depression, protect the brain cells against aging, reduce inflammation, suppress appetite and support weight loss. If you are looking to lose weight all of these benefits make saffron extract one of the best natural appetite suppressant supplements.
Saffron Extract Side Effects
The side effects of Saffron are slim to none but some people may feel negative side effects when taking saffron extract daily. Be sure to get saffron from a reputable company that does not add fillers to cut cost and dilute the product.
Always consult your physician before taking any supplement as it could interfere with certain medications. If you feel any negative side effects stop immediately and seek medical attention. That being said, saffron is a safe plant for most people and offers subtle aid in your daily health!
Read More Nutritional Blogs On Our Discover Tab
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions at heliossupplements@gmail.com
Helios Supplements
More Articles
saffron supplement amazon benefits