Saffron is a spice that can do wonders for your health when consumed on a regular basis. It may be time to consider including it in your diet plan to experience improved health and mood.
Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world and rightly so. It can cost anywhere between 500 Dollars to 5000 Dollars for a pound. It is handpicked and produced meticulously which makes it a labor intensive process to get saffron in our homes.
There are a host of benefits of saffron due to which it’s a popular spice since ancient times. Saffron has a beautiful color and smell and is used in various savory and sweet dishes across the world. It is also at times consumed as a tea. Historically, saffron extract has been used to treat a variety of health problems as well. It is known to have health – boosting and healing properties. Some of the health problems it is known to combat are menstrual issues, stomach issues, ulcers etc.
What is saffron?
Saffron comes from the flowers of crocus sativus Linné. It flowers only during October and November for about three to four weeks. The flower contains dark red stigmas which are thread like structures, these threads are carefully picked and dried. These threads are the saffron spice. The origin of saffron is largely debated but it may have possibly originated from Iran. It is now largely cultivated in India, Greece and Europe. Saffron has been popular for its medicinal properties. It is known to be consumed to boost libido, improve memory and mood.
Nutritional Value Of Saffron
Saffron has a large amount of plant compounds that act as antioxidants. Some of these compounds are crocetin, kemperanol, crocin and safranal. It is rich in nutrients which makes it a go to for various health issues.
Hundred grams of saffron would contain the following nutrients:
- Sodium- 148
- Potassium- 1724 mg
- Dietary fibre- 3.9mg
- Protein- 11gm
- Sodium- 148
- Calcium- 111 milligrams
- Iron- 11.1 mg
It also contains minerals as per required Daily intake :
- Vitamin C- 134%
- Vitamin B6- 50%
- Magnesium- 66%
- Iron- 61%
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