Backyard Farming the Natural Way

Saffron is a spice from the dried stigmas of crocus plants flowers.  It is used in cooking and has played an important role in traditional Persian medicine.  Saffron supplements are not widely available, but using some in your cooking may yield important health benefits. Saffron has uses for asthma, cough, as an expectorant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,  insomnia, atherosclerosis, intestinal gas and many other uses.

There is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that saffron possesses antidepressant activity, and a series of tests conducted in Iran found that the spice performed surprisingly well in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.  It was given in 30 milligram doses per day and performed better that placebo, and at least as well as conventional antidepressants.

Italian researches recently found that saffron may help shield the eyes from the damaging effects of the sun (thus helping to prevent cataracts). Furthermore, they found that saffron may be effective against macular degeneration and that it might help preserve the retina.

Saffron is a plant which can be grown in certain climates, and so you might be able to grow some yourself and harvest the flower stigmas when in bloom. I personally order some of the red stigmas online (ebay etc), as I have found that a cheaper option than buying it in the grocery stores.

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