In my personal pantry you can find many potent herbs and healthy spices. Among them, one that I appreciate immensely is the exotic spice, saffron, which has many nutrients and chemical compounds beneficial for our health.
It is made out of dried saffron stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) and because it can take up to 75,000 saffron blossoms to produce a single pound of this spice, it is considered to be the world’s most expensive spices.
However, due it’s incredible medicinal properties, I believe that it’s worth the price, especially when you are careful and know where to buy it from.
I personally procure them from specialized spice markets and only buy whole dried stigma (pistils) instead of powdered saffron since often than not it may be adulterated.
I pick a well-sealed container from an authentic selling company label which displays the date of package and expiry.
I then store it in a closed box and keep it in a cool dark place (because light rays oxidize the pigments in saffron and offset its flavor).
I also relish in its bright crimson-red color, and when rubbed between fingers, it releases a very pleasant aroma and stains golden-yellow. Also, it has a very unique, pungent bitter-honey taste with a pleasant aroma.
Now let’s see how could you benefit from this exotic spice:
- Promotes satiety and weight loss.
- Treats anxiety and depression.
- Improves sex life by:
- Being a natural aphrodisiac
- Preventing premature ejaculation
- Preventing infertility
- It treats alopecia (when applied on the bald spot on the scalp).
- It protects against cancer.
- It enhances learning and memory retention.
- It protects against colds.
All of these are benefits that have been researched in medical trials and patients taking different dozes of saffron have noticed great results.
Here are some ideas on how to use saffron as treatment:
To increase sexual stimulation: consume a glass of milk with a pinch of spice before bedtime for 15 days.
To treat patchy baldness: Mix the spice in a 4-ounce liquorice and 4-ounce milk, and apply the mixture topically to induce hair growth.
To treat colds and fevers: Mix saffron in 8 ounces of milk and apply on the forehead for a few minutes.
Incorporate this spice into your diet in the following ways:
Fish marinade: mix saffron threads, garlic, and thyme in vinegar.
Golden elixir: Crush a tiny piece of saffron into a glass of champagne or sparkling apple cider and drink it.
Exotic coffee: spice your morning coffee with saffron and cardamom to enjoy a soothing and heart healthy drink.
Simple Indian yogurt drink: Add a few threads of saffron, one tablespoon of honey, and a pinch of cinnamon in a 10-ounce yogurt.
Because this spice is so potent, I would not recommend its consumption during pregnancy and nursing.
You should always consume small doses of it, only one tablespoon at maximum per day, otherwise it could be toxic for your body.
Other than that, you can enjoy it safely in small quantities, not only you will surprise your taste buds with its incredible flavoring, but it also boosts your body’s capacity to cope against many illnesses.
As I always like to say, and it’s the pure truth, your health is in your hands.