Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Expensive, but Worth it

Family: Iridaceae; (includes Iris, Gladiolus, Crocus)

Genus and Species: Crocus Sativus

Also known as: Saffron Crocus or Spanish Saffron, but not American Saffron, which is Safflower

Parts used: Stigmas (part of the pistil)

Saffron is the yellow-gold spice that for centuries was literally worth its weight in gold. It still is, costing around $500 an ounce. Like the price of gold, saffron’s value in herbal Healing has fluctuated. But its value may be on the rise again because of its potential to help reduce some risk factors for heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death.

75,000 Flowers to the Pound

The Arabs introduced saffron into Spain around the 8th century, and that country has been a major exporter ever since. Saffron’s violet, lilylike flowers contain three yellow-orange stigmas, the part with economic value. Used as a dye, spice, medicine, and perfume, saffron stigmas have been in great demand since ancient times. It takes about 75,000 flowers to yield I pound of saffron. You don’t have to be an economist to understand why this herb has always been so expensive.

Because of its value, saffron has a long history of adulteration. The adulterant of choice has always been safflower, also a source of yellow-red dyes and variously known as fake saffron, dyer’s saffron, and bastard saffron.

Egyptian Aromatic

Saffron was a favorite of the ancient Egyptians The nobility wore robes dyed with saffron, anointed themselves with saffron perfumes, ate foods spiced with the herb, and used it like other aromatics to treat head, respiratory, and gastrointestinal complaints.

India’s traditional Ayurvedic physicians considered saffron a circulatory stimulant, kidney and liver remedy, cholera treatment, menstruation promoter and aphrodisiac. Chinese physicians prescribed it for depression, menstrual complaints, and complications of childbirth.

Despite its cultivation in Moorish Spain, saffron was rare in northern Europe until after the Crusades. But by the 14th century, it had become so popular as a dye, spice, perfume, and medicine that spice merchants throughout the continent were known as saffron grocers.

Under the Doctrine of Signatures-the medieval belief that plants’ physical appearances revealed their Healing value-anything yellow was linked to the liver’s yellow bile and considered good for that organ. Folk healers recommended saffron for jaundice. They also used it to treat insomnia and cancer.

Highly Regarded, Widely Touted

Herbalist John Gerard called saffron a lifesaver: “For those at deeth’s doure and almost past breathing, saffron bringeth breath again.”

Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper considered it “elegant … exhilerating … and useful. … It strengthens the heart exceedingly … [Saffron] is particularly serviceable in disorders of the breast … and hysteric [menstrual] depressions. It strengthens the stomach, helps digestion, cleanses the lungs, and is good in coughs.” But for all his praise, Culpeper also considered saffron potentially hazardous: “When the dose is too large, it produces a heaviness of the head and sleepiness. Some have fallen into convulsive laughter, which ended in death.”

In 1851, scientists isolated the herb’s most active constituent, crocetin, which America’s 19th-century Eclectics prescribed as a menstrual remedy, menstruation promoter, and treatment for childhood fevers. But America’s botanical physicians considered saffron “too costly” and noted the herb was so frequently adulterated, preparations called saffron could not be relied upon to contain the herb.

Contemporary herbalists recommend saffron as a sedative, expectorant, sexual stimulant, pain reliever, digestive aid, and menstruation promoter.

Culpeper may have been right when he said saffron “strengthens the heart exceedingly.” The herb is indeed expensive, but it costs a lot less than some clot-dissolving drugs injected directly into the heart to treat heart attack (up to $2,000 per dose) or bypass surgery (approxiMatély $25,000). People who use enough saffron might actually save money in the end, because it may help control some risk factors for heart disease.

Cholesterol - Several animal studies show injected crocetin produces significant cholesterol decreases. Of course, people who ingest whole saffron orally may not receive the same benefit as animals injected with the herb’s active constituent. Population studies, however, support the herb as a protector against human heart disease. Certain populations in Spain have little heart disease (or stroke) despite a relatively high-fat diet. Some experts credit the liberal use of olive oil in cooking. But an article in the British medical journal Lancet argued for saffron-also used liberally in Spanish cuisine-as the more important protective factor.

Artery-Clogging Deposits - Crocetin also increases the amount of oxygen in blood. Some researchers suggest this additional oxygen slows the growth of the artery-clogging plaque deposits involved in heart disease.

Blood Pressure - Animal research in China shows saffron reduces blood pressure, and in the United States, crocetin is used to treat high blood pressure in cats. These findings suggest it may help control another important risk factor in human heart disease.

Women’s Health - Saffron may stimulate the uterus, lending some credence to its traditional use in menstruation promotion. Pregnant women should not use medicinal amounts. Other women may try it to trigger their periods.

Rx for Saffron

For potential heart disease prevention or menstruation promotion, use 12 to 15 stigmas (threads) per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Take up to 1 cup a day. Saffron tastes pleasant and richly aromatic, but it becomes bitter in large amounts.

Medicinal doses of saffron should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Crocetin has been used to induce abortion. Unfortunately, it’s toxic in large amounts. Fatalities have been reported in women attempting to terminate pregnancy.

The medical literature contains no reports of harm from recommended amounts of this herb, however.

Saffron is included in the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, saffron is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

Saffron should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If saffron causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Save the Stigmas

Saffron grows from a bulb called a corm. It’s a perennial, showy ornamental that rarely grows taller than 18 inches. Saffron has no true stem. What appears to be the stem is actually the tubular portion of the flower envelope (corolla), which is surrounded by leaves resembling blades of grass.

Plant corms in the fall or spring, 3 inches deep with the root side down in light, well-drained soil under full sun. Allow 6 inches between plants. The flowers bloom briefly in late summer or early tall. Carefully collect the three-pronged stigmas and allow them to dry. Store them in a sealed glass vial in a cool, dry place.