Written by: Zoé Jouan | 01/2023

There is a reason why the term red gold has been used to define saffron. This one-of-a-kind spice has a fascinating history. Filled with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory virtues, modern studies have shown and are still trying to prove the power that saffron might have on curing depression, anxiety, and regulating mood in general. When you take a closer look at the myths and stories, you realize that those beliefs have persisted for thousands of years, even at times conducting in men stealing and starting wars to get their hands on the spice, which we’ll get to in a minute. 

To understand the great benefits that saffron can bring to your daily life, we’ll be digging deeper into the past thousands of years…the recent research, as well as easy tips to consume your saffron in the best way possible. 

The first traces of saffron go back 50 000 years, although we aren’t sure of the exact location where saffron first originated. It is someplace between Greece, Mesopotamia, and Iran. Since the very early stages, the spice was used for many different things including dyes, medicine, body washes, and even perfumes. The people from West Asia, who most probably are the first consumers, would often scatter it across their beds and drink it in hot tea. They believed that it would improve their sexual drive and fight melancholy. 

Saffron quickly became the spice of the rich. Frequently consumed by the Roman Empire and Queens such as Cleopatra. The charismatic ruler of Egypt used it in her bath so that her lovemaking would be more pleasurable. As you already see, saffron has been a strong ally for centuries. 

The quest for the healing effects of the rare spice didn’t stop there. During the black death that occurred in the 14th century and that remains to this day the deadliest pandemic of mankind, saffron was believed to help heal the sick. Therefore, there was a strong demand for medicament and Western Europe was lacking it since many farmers that were producing saffron were dying of the plague themselves. That resulted in nobles stealing important shipments which led to a fourteen-week-long war now called: The saffron war…

East Asia, South Mediterranean, Western Europe…why do all these civilizations believe that saffron can help the human body? 

One answer is easier than the other, physically speaking it has been proven that saffron has very powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The spice comes from the same family as turmeric and cumin, which are known for their similar virtues but according to doctors, the saffron’s properties are stronger. It helps deeply with internal swelling and irritation of the body, PMS, reducing the stomach’s acidity and appetite. It has also been known to help cure acne, boost the liver, and decrease the risks of contracting certain types of cancer.

Recent studies have shown the benefits of saffron on mood health and its power against varying forms of depression. Those hypotheses are still ongoing but, recent meta-analysis research has been studying it for years. They went so far as giving saffron to a certain amount of people dealing with mental health issues and giving the other part chemical anti-depressants and came up with the diagnosis that saffron had the same impact as medicaments but didn’t come with the side effects such as the loss of libido and weight gain. Now, don’t go throwing your bottle of pills out the window just yet! 

However, more psychiatrists have been giving their patients saffron as a supplement that they should take with their prescribed medicaments to reduce side effects that they might encounter. 

The pharmacological effects of saffron are mainly attributed to crocin, crocetin, picrocrocin, and safranal. These components are proven to have great effects, especially crocin, as an antidepressant and anticonvulsant but also on our immune, respiratory and nervous systems.

So, how can you incorporate this delicious yet very expensive element into your daily habits? There are a few ways, first, you could buy saffron supplements at your local pharmacy or herbalist. This might be the cheapest and easiest way to start taking the spice. However, and as I always recommend, there is no better way to ingest all of the great elements than by cooking it. It is proven that when you cook saffron, it releases a lot more phytochemicals, and therefore, you benefit more from it. If you buy a couple of grams of saffron, it can actually last you a while since you shouldn’t ingest more than 1.5 grams of it. Try adding it to your white rice (it will create a savory buttery taste that you soon won’t be able to live without), your chicken, or even as a saffron latte! 

Smelling it has also been advised for reducing stress and balancing hormones, you can invest in saffron oil and smell it in the morning before you get up!

In conclusion, we can definitely agree on one thing, saffron has more than one trick up its sleeve and can become an interesting supplement for you. Of course, if you are taking any sort of medical treatment, we recommend you speak to your doctor and get his approval on the topic. We are only here to share our findings about the amazing powers of food and how you can Choose to Chew them happily, but have never pretended to be men of the science!  

Should I say, let the saffron flow!