This is the first article of a series in which I will discuss why saffron is so amazing, what makes it, understandably, very expensive. Let’s all learn more about this fantastic herb, plant, spice and get to use it with much more awareness and awe to our Creator. Let’s go!
Winter is coming!! Yes, it’s still November, and technically it’s still autumn, but don’t you already feel the cold air and the darker days? Seven years in Norway, and I’m still not used to the Norwegian winter. The thing is that with the dark months ahead of us, also comes depression and feeling down symptoms. The ones with clinical depression feel worse, so it's important to up our game. Not to mention that with the new Covid-19 rules, we keep feeling more and more isolated.
While I was researching the relationship between mental health and plant-based foods, I found very interesting data on saffron. Known as ‘the most expensive spice in the world’ it has several benefits on emotional problems like depression and anxiety and thought this would make an awesome article here, on the blog.
Most of us experience some kind of minor depression or have experienced depression or know of someone close with either clinical depression or other kinds of emotional problems. I have struggled with anxiety, never diagnosed, but I have understood it. I have been trying to avoid stress when possible, and to use some tactics to handle it with more awareness.
You could be in a different situation, where medication has already been prescribed to you. Even though you don’t like the side effects, you still need to be able to tackle your emotions and live the best life you deserve.
The goal of this article is to inform you of scientific data that shows the advantages of saffron in dealing with depression and inspire you to look more into the world of plant foods.
A study was conducted by A A Noorbala 1, S Akhondzadeh, N Tahmacebi-Pour, A H Jamshidi, where a comparison between the well-known antidepressant Prozac and the spice saffron was made. Believe it or not, both resulted in symptom reduction for patients diagnosed with depression.
The negative side of saffron is its high price, yes, saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Interesting enough researchers also found that smelling saffron for about 20 mins had an improvement on the anxiety symptoms. That’s awesome, as we can carry a saffron bag close with us to smell it when needed.
Smelling saffron for about 20 mins had an improvement on the anxiety symptoms...
While Prozac has the half price of the same dose of saffron, it comes with unwanted side effects, for example, sexual dysfunction in 20% of patients, weight gain, insomnia and withdrawal symptoms.
Watch this video on Michael Greger MD., website Nutritional Facts for reference.
Saffron is so much more than a spice! I got so excited about it that I will be sharing with you a series of articles on saffron’s properties and benefits for our health and well-being. Which indeed makes it a real treasure.
So, what is your opinion, should we give saffron a try?
Do you want to learn more about foods that are beneficial for your body, and want to improve your diet?
Join the Grow Community
A space for women who are interested in learning about food, nutrition and lifestyle routines that will give them more energy, promote self-love and contribute to their overall health.
There you will find tutorials, recipes, shopping lists, you will have a monthly live group coaching session with me and much more. Join here!
Are you willing to take a further step towards a more balanced diet, to clean your body from toxins and refresh your health so that you can feel stronger, more energetic and happier, take a look at my Detoxification Program.
Did you like this post? Did it inspire you to live more healthy, or did you learn something new? Help me to share with the world:
With love & gratitude,
I love this article, I will start smelling saffron from now on ;) Thank you!