Saffron strands have been used for thousands of years. It has long been a popular spice and a popular luxury spice as well. In fact, saffron is the most popular spice in the world, second only to cinnamon. The health benefits and medicinal properties of the highly priced spice, lend it a tremendous value to both culinary and health markets worldwide. Modern scientific research indicates that saffron is useful as a diuretic, aphrodisiac, appetite suppressant, an anti-inflammatory agent, and to induce mensuration.
Saffron Spice originated in ancient Iran. Ancient Persians used the aromatic spice saffron in cooking and herbal medicines. It was also used to heal respiratory disorders. Saffron extract is extracted from the golden flowers of the garbanzo bean, also known as the Crocus sativus L., commonly found in the Middle East and Africa. The flower heads contain carvings of animals and birds, which were used to flavor saffron.
In the 6th century, theosperma, a purple, spiky plant native to the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, became the world’s first known saffron and remains the most prized spice for saffron consumption to this day. Modern scientists use a variety of molecular distillation techniques to produce dried saffron, which can now be purchased in dried form from reputable spice suppliers. It is often packaged as ground saffron, because its fragrance is less powerful than when it is ground. When dried, saffron loses its fragrance. However, it still retains some of its health benefits.
All spices have antimicrobial and antifungal properties, but saffron is exceptional in the medicinal properties it possesses. It has antiseptic and antibacterial activity and is effective against both yeast and bacterial infections. Saffron is especially good against staph infections, urinary tract infections, gonorrhea and candida (yeast). Candida, which causes yeast infections, grows well in the presence of Saffron, and can develop resistance to other prescription drugs if consumed within a week. Saffron is also believed to help normalize the functions of the immune system, regulate blood sugar and cure chronic diseases such as cancer.
According to tradition, saffron stimulates the flow of “ighters” in the blood. ighters are blood-clotting cells that break down a clot in the blood. This may explain why Saffron also helps to prevent and treat arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) because it apparently improves the function of platelets (which are blood-clotting cells in the arteries). There are numerous known medicinal properties for Saffron, including the treatment of blood-borne viruses, skin disorders, flatulence, gasolu, rheumatism, neuralgia, anemia and oral malodor, and much more.
Although many of these health benefits are credited to Saffron, the actual sources of the spice are debatable. The traditional spice saffron comes from Iran, and its primary ingredient, cashew, is grown in the Near East. The origin of saffron may be Asian, but most of the market is based in the Middle East. In addition, although cocoa butter is sometimes included in saffron recipes, the unsaturated fats in cocoa are not absorbed through the skin, making chocolate a poor replacement for Saffron. As a result, some health benefits attributed to Saffron have been attributed to the butter instead of the cocoa butter.