Categories: Nutrition

Benefits of saffron

For some reason, if we are to rate spices in the world according to their prices, saffron will come out tops. It will rank as the number one! The reason for its exorbitant price is the way it is harvested. It is gotten from the flower of Crocus sativus. And then harvesting is done by hand! This makes it a hectic work that is done with so much time. No wonder 450 grams of saffron will cost no less than 500 USD. Let us find out what is contained in the most expensive spice on the globe.

SAFFRON HAS POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANTS

Most spices, fruits and vegetables have a lot of antioxidants, however, with saffron, it alone has such a wide range of antioxidants that make it special. These are plant compounds. Antioxidants guards your cells from destruction that is as a result of the process of oxidation.

Some of the numerous antioxidants contained within this unique spice are safranal, crocetin, and crocin. The last of the two, crocetin and crocin all fall in the carotenoid group. These are the compounds that are responsible for the color of saffron. These two are also known to have other abilities. Some of them being that, they are able to put your appetite in check, helping you to control how you eat. And then they also have the ability to guard the cells of your brain from destruction.

When it comes to the special and unique taste and smell of saffron, safranal is the compound responsible. According to some research work, safranal can also enable your learning abilities to improve.

SAFFRON HELPS WITH DEPRESSION

If there is a spice on earth that helps you to deal with depression, then it is the saffron spice. This is how it got its name as the “sunshine”. In some research work, it was proven that saffron helps to improve your mood and then reduces depression signs.

This is due to the presence of kaempferol in saffron. It works as effective as other antidepressants.