Dr Adrian Lopresti, an author who published a study on saffron, promotes the usage of the spice as an alternative to pharmaceutical antidepressants. The researcher has claimed that the exotic spice is not only safe, which leaves out many of the side effects that antidepressants could produce, but in some studies it has shown to be more effective.
Antidepressants are a common medication prescribed, but may have a range of side effects such as sleepiness or constipation. On the other hand, saffron was not linked to such. The only ones noted were very minor digestive issues. Although not much is known about how saffron works, some say that it is partially due to the spice's antioxidant effect.
People diagnosed with depression commonly have high levels of inflammation. This led researchers to conduct studies on antioxidants anti-inflammatories in place of antidepressants. Saffron became a potential candidate as it contains an anti-inflammatory called crocin and an antioxidant called crocetin. Although more research is needed, Dr. Lopresti has high hopes that the spice can be considered a good alternative to the pharmaceutical drug.
If you are interested in trying out saffron to alleviate depression symptoms, the study used 15 milligrams of the spice, taken twice daily. This dosage should be continued for at least 6 weeks before you make a decision about whether or not it helps.
Category(s):Health / Illness / Medical Issues
Source material from PsyBlog
