That trademark orange-yellow spice that is derived from the styles and stigmas of the plant Crocus sativus was one of the favorite spices of the royals. Most royal foods had this as an ingredient. People stock saffron at home to use it during special occasions or while making special dishes. Although it is expensive, very less quantity is sufficient to get that distinctive "rich" aroma of saffron (kesar).
The reason it is so expensive is because saffron is normally cultivated in cool hilly places, and picking the flowers becomes quite challenging. Once the flowers are picked, sorting out the stigmas and styles is quite labor intensive and time consuming. It is an educated guess that you need about 80,000 flowers to get just 500 g of saffron. Saffron has many health benefits that amply outweigh the cost.
Health Beneficial Ingredients of Saffron
- Safranal: This is a volatile oil that is present in saffron, which has antioxidant, anticonvulsant, and antidepressant properties. Safranal is believed to be cytotoxic (ability to kill cells) to cancer cells.
- Carotenoids: Saffron is rich in carotenoids such as, alpha and beta carotenes, zeaxanthin, lycopene. Zeaxanthin is good for the eyes and protects against macular degeneration. Alfa-crocin is another carotenoid compound present in saffron that lends it the golden yellow color. This has antioxidant, antidepressant, and anti-cancer properties. These carotenoids also protect the body from various infections and they act as immune modulators.
- Vitamins: Saffron has vitamin C, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin B9 (folic acid). These are beneficial against common cold, menstrual symptoms, and anemia.
- Minerals: Saffron is rich in many minerals including iron, copper, manganese, magnesium. It also contains potassium, which is an essential component in our body fluids and cells and help it to streamline our heart rate and BP. The abundant minerals present in saffron makes it a good antiseptic, anti-convulsant, and digestive agent.
Other Health Benefits of Saffron
- Skin: Saffron is used in many anti-aging creams and lotions, bath soaps, and moisturizers due to its proven benefits for the skin.
- Others: According to researches done in India and UK, saffron is beneficial for sore gums as well as heart and lung ailments.
Apart from these, saffron is also found to be beneficial for the following conditions:
- Insomnia
- Inflammation
- Digestive problems
- Asthma
- Depression
What was good for the royals is good for common mortals too! People nowadays are quite aware and concerned about their health as well as do not mind paying extra for the good life. At the same time, natural products are gaining popularity over synthetics and chemicals. Returning to nature, of course, has many benefits.
