SAFFRON EXTRACT (CROCUS SATIVUS) BENEFITS

KEY BENEFITS OF SAFFRON

        • Supports cognitive function
        • Supports vision
        • Supports mood

ABOUT SAFFRON

Spices such as saffron are made from the flowers of the Crocus sativus plant. For at least 4000 years it has been used and traded as a spice, and it is considered the world's most expensive spice by weight.

 

Saffron has a long list of traditional uses and a wide range of applications. Saffron was considered beneficial for sleep and mood enhancement, as well as being a heart tonic in traditional Iranian medicine. It was also used in India for relaxation and sleep support, as well as a nerve tonic and heart tonic.

 

Saffron is primarily produced in Iran. Furthermore, growers from Greece, Morocco, Spain, and Turkey are also fairly significant. The spice saffron refers to the reddish-maroon stigmas and threads (called saffron threads).

 

The price of the highest grades of saffron increases substantially. A saffron's strength is determined by its active compounds.

 

Stronger saffron contains more crocin (which gives saffron its color), picrocrocin (which gives it its bitter taste), and safranal (which gives it its characteristic smell).

 

Additionally, saffron contains carotenoids such as zeaxanthin, lycopene, and lycopene.

Similarly, Crocin belongs to the family of carotenoids. A majority of carotenoids are fat-soluble (i.e., are oil-soluble). Among other reasons for using it in rice dishes and other water-based recipes, crocin is water-soluble.

 

In recent years, saffron has gained increasing attention for its medicinal properties, including its effect on mood, cognition, vision, sports performance, appetite regulation, metabolic function, sleep, and women's health.


SAFFRON FULL BENEFITS

Mood

 

  • Supports a positive mental-emotional bias [1–9]
  • Supports a calm mood [3,4,7–9]

 

Brain function

 

  • Supports focus and attention [10]
  • Supports healthy brain aging [11–13]
  • Supports sleep [14–16]
  • Supports dopamine signaling [17,18]
  • Supports GABA-glutamate signaling [17]
  • Supports acetylcholinesterase activity [18]
  • Supports brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels [19,20]
  • Supports neuroprotective functions [18,21–25]
  • Supports long-term potentiation [15]

 

Vision

 

  • Supports retinal function [26–28]
  • Protects macular health [27–29]
  • Supports visual acuity [27,29]
  • Protects retinal cells against light-induced damage [30–33]
  • Protects retinal cells against damage and degeneration [22,27,29,33–36]
  • Supports healthy intraocular pressure [37]

 

Exercise performance

 

  • Enhances reaction times [38]
  • Supports muscle strength [38]
  • Supports muscle recovery functions [39]

 

Antioxidant defenses

 

  • Supports antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx]) [18,21,36]
  • Replenishes glutathione (GSH) levels [18,36]
  • Supports free-radical scavenging [18,21,35,36]
  • Promotes healthy prooxidant-antioxidant balance [40]

 

Mitochondrial function

 

  • Supports the activity of mitochondrial enzymes [18]
  • Supports mitochondrial membrane potential [35]

 

Metabolic function

 

  • Supports cytokine balance [41]
  • Supports appetite regulation [42]
  • Supports healthy lipid levels and blood pressure regulation [43,44]

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