S a ff r o n

Saffron or Kesar, the King of spices is undoubtedly the most

precious
spice in the world.
It takes around 4,300 of the beautiful royal purple flowers of
the crocus plant to produce 28 gm of saffron.
Its name comes from the Arabic word zafaran, which means
yellow. The spice is obtained from the thread-like stigmas,
exactly three of which are present in every flower.
Hence, it is expensive that hundreds of rupees would buy
few grams of good quality saffron. Fortunately, due to its
intense flavoring and colouring power, a tiny pinch would
suffice in any recipe bringing it within the reach of the
ordinary household wanting to create that special delicacy
utilizing saffrons exquisite flavor and color.

For curing respiratory problems

(Colds and Respiratory Diseases)
As a spice, saffron helps clear

the lungs. When you have a

cold or respiratory illness, your
lungs become inflamed.
Drinking saffron will help clear
the phlegm from your lungs
and aid a faster recovery.
Saffron also helps ease asthma
by reducing inflammation and
clearing your airways.

Used in medicines that reduce

Stomach inflamation
Saffron tea can also ease

stomach aches and similar

ailments by stimulating the
stomach muscles.
Contractions enable the
muscles to relax and also
cool your body. That
explains the feeling of
relaxation people
experience after drinking
this tea.

For treatment

of enlarged
liver and
infection of
urinary bladder
and kidneys

As an

ingredient in
recipes for
treating
menstrual
disorders.

For

strengthenin
g the heart
and as a
refrigerant
for the brain

As an anti-depressant and relaxant

Behavioral Diseases:Saffron is also said to help
depression and insomnia.
According to the Bastyr
Center web site, crocin
and safranal are the
components of the plant
that help combat
behavioral diseases. There
is no clinical proof, though,
that saffron is effective
against these conditions.

As aphrodisiac for
impotency
The grass root function
of Kesar is to
strengthen internally .
Kings and emperors
used it in routine thats
why they could handle
100 queens. Maharaja
Ranjeet Singh Patiala
used Kesar in his
mouth freshener(PAN).

Prolonging vitality
The effect of the ethanolic saffron

extract on macromolecular synthesis

in three human cell lines:A549 cells,
WI-38 cells, and VA-13 cells. revealed
that the malignant cells were more
sensitive than the normal cells to the
inhibitory effects of saffron on both
DNA and RNA synthesis. It has been
suggested that the inhibitory effect on
cellular DNA and RNA synthesis, but
not on protein synthesis, is one of the
main mechanisms of action for

For treating diabetic

patients
The active constituent of
saffron viz crocetin, was found
to possess anti diabetic
activity . The active
constituent of saffron viz
crocetin, was found to possess
anti diabetic activity in
fructose-fed rats as it
alleviated free fatty acid
induced insulin insensitivity
and dysregulated mRNA
expression of adiponectin.

How to
use,
buy,
and
store

Be careful. True saffron is

expensive, has a deep orange to

brownish red color the redder the
strands, the better is the quality.
Yellow saffron has no curative
properties. Choose whole saffron
threads over powder saffron. The
threads have a better flavor and
the curative qualities are higher. It
is better to store saffron in an
airtight container in a dark, dry,
cool place. The flavor is better
distributed when the spice is first
allowed to soften in a little warm
water than adding to food directly.

With Best