Saffron is not only the most expensive spice in the world. According to a study published in Journal of Pharmacology, it improves the effects of treatments for depression.
Saffron is generally known for its antioxidant, relaxing properties and to stimulate digestion. This spice, derived from a purple flower called Crocus sativus would also help fight depression. And this, when combined with conventional treatments. This is the result of a study, published in the journal Journal of Pharmacology.
Decrease in depressive symptoms by 41%
Australian researchers enrolled 139 patients in this study. The participants were separated into two groups: in the first they took a placebo, in the second they took saffron as a dietary supplement. After eight weeks, researchers found a 41% decrease in symptoms of depression in patients who took saffron, compared to 21% in those who did not. In addition, the scientific team also noted “an improvement in the quality of sleep, initiative and motivation” in people who received the food supplements.
A way to avoid increasing doses
This isn’t the first time a study has been done on the benefits of saffron on symptoms of depression. In 2017studies showed that the spice was even as effective as Prozac® in mild to moderate depression. In addition, saffron has been used for millennia, especially in traditional Persian medicine, to improve mood. The present study, on the other hand, is the first to present saffron as an adjuvant to conventional antidepressant treatments. “When pharmaceutical antidepressants don’t work, the current solution is to increase the dose or change the drug, which risks increasing side effects. A new option could be to combine antidepressants and saffron”, explains Adrian Lopresti, lead author of the study.
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