My Vedic Life

What is Saffron :

Saffron is a plant. The dried stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) are used to make saffron spice. It can take 75,000 saffron blossoms to produce a single pound of saffron spice. Saffron is largely cultivated and harvested by hand. Due to the amount of labor involved in harvesting, saffron is considered one of the world's most expensive spices. The stigmas, and sometimes the petals, are also used to make medicine.

How is it prepared and available :

• In foods, saffron is used as a spice, yellow food coloring, and as a flavoring agent.
• In manufacturing, saffron extracts are used as a fragrance in perfumes and as a dye for cloth.

What are its benefits :

• Saffron has been utilized in ancient folk medicines and Ayurvedic health systems as an organic process aid, medicine, nervine, medicament, and adaptogenic agent for hundreds of years.
• Taking a specific saffron extract by mouth for up to 22 weeks seems to improve symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Saffron might work about as well as the prescription drug donepezil (Aricept).
• Some research shows the taking a specific product containing saffron, anise, and celery seed reduce pain during the menstrual cycle.
• Some research shows that taking a specific saffron extract improves symptoms of PMS after two menstrual cycles.
• Some research shows that taking a specific saffron extract improves symptoms of PMS after two menstrual cycles.
• Early research shows that taking saffron might reduce some symptoms of asthma in people with allergic asthma.