3 ways saffron helps with eye health

If you’ve ever cooked using saffron spice, you know that it’s flavorful and aromatic. For me, saffron is a must-have for many dishes.

Unlike other herbs, the active medicinal compounds in saffron come from a tiny part of the flower, not from a bulb or the leaves. The painstaking labor required for harvesting it by hand makes the price of saffron extremely high. That’s also why it hasn’t been studied for human diseases as much as, say, rosemary, turmeric, garlic or sage.

Specific components of saffron spice have demonstrated benefits in several eye ailments. These diseases include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and cataracts.

AMD may lead to blindness, especially among persons over 65. The eye disease occurs gradually and with little to no warning. It begins with a loss of central vision, and may eventually progress to total blindness. Researchers know the breakdown of the macula occurs, but aren’t sure why. Obviously, reversing the progressive condition would be the dream scenario, but halting it would suffice.

Studies suggest saffron offers protection against oxidative damage in patients with early AMD. It’s important to note that conventional medicine has found no way of restoring vision loss from AMD. Treatments such as prescription drugs and laser surgery may slow its progression.

So, if an herb can augment your current protocol, have a conversation with your ophthalmologist about it for three reasons: 1. Saffron contains many different constituents, including crocin and crocetin. These have shown neuroprotective properties for the eye in multiple studies. 2. Saffron contains potent antioxidant capabilities, meaning they neutralize those troublesome free radicals that attack the retina and the macula. 3. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled trial studies published in the Journal of Translational Medicine have produced information about saffron that is impossible to ignore. In one trial (using their proprietary form of saffron from France), patients who supplemented for three months with a low-dose of saffron (20 mg/day) experienced improvements in retinal sensitivity, color perception and visual contrast. When the trial was extended over a year, the participants experienced even more benefits in terms of increased visual acuity!

We know saffron can improve low mood, and now it appears that oral saffron supplementation may partially reverse the damage to visual perception. No one is claiming that saffron cures AMD, but the benefits are pretty crisp! Even a modest improvement in eyesight is a big deal to many people.

Ask your doctor if saffron is right for you. You can cook with it as a spice; otherwise saffron teas, supplements and extracts are available nationwide. ■

DEAR PHARMACIST BY SUZY COHEN For more articles and advice, sign up for Suzy’s newsletter at www.suzycohen.com

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