You may be somewhat familiar with saffron, that prized spice used not just to add flavour but to add colour to certain dishes, particularly those from European, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines. Its exact origin isn’t clear, but we know that the spice can get expensive because of how difficult it can be to harvest.
Besides saffron’s culinary uses, it has several known health benefits too, which only serves to add to its value. The good news is, you don’t have to limit yourself to cooking dishes that have saffron, or ordering the same whenever you go out to eat. You can experience its health benefits for yourself by drinking saffron tea. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits you can look forward to.
Saffron Tea Provides Antioxidants
Many of the health claims attributed to saffron and saffron tea hinge on the high levels of particular antioxidants found in the spice. The main ones are crocin, safranal, and picrocrocin, along with compounds like crocetin and kaempferol.
These antioxidants are key in protecting the body from free radicals and in combating oxidative stress. This is especially crucial for people with a family history of heart disease and cancer, since oxidative stress and free radicals play a big role in the development of such health conditions.
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Saffron Tea is an Antidepressant
It’s not just saffron’s red and sometimes yellow colouring that has earned it the nickname “the sunshine spice”. The truth is, it’s believed to have the ability to boost your mood, and a study has even found saffron to perform comparatively to Prozac when it comes to treating mild to moderate depression. Meanwhile, one scientific review has found that people with major depressive disorder saw an improvement in symptoms thanks to saffron.
This means that saffron and saffron tea can be a great alternative for those who don’t tolerate conventional antidepressant medications.
Saffron Can Boost Memory
Two of the compounds mentioned earlier, crocin and crocetin, are believed to have an effect on memory function as well as learning. One study involving mice showed that the test subjects did better when tested on memory and learning after ingesting saffron. This means that the spice, whether used in food or made into tea, has a chance of treating diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, which primarily affect the brain.
Given all of the above, it’s clear that saffron deserves every bit of its reputation as a highly prized spice, and not just because of the difficulties faced in gathering and processing it. Just a quick look at these saffron tea benefits proves that it is, indeed, worth every cent.