For most of us, the thought of shedding body fat is a daunting one with complicated diets and exercises needed to achieve the end goal. But it doesn’t have to be that hard – it’s simply a matter of re-balancing our lifestyles. An easy way to start improving the quality of your sleep and boosting your weight loss is by drinking a cup of tea before bed, as previously noted. Here Rena Goldman, HealthLine.com, reflects on saffron tea benefits; medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, RD, LD:

“Saffron is a spice that comes from the flowers of crocus sativus Linné. The crocus grows in the Middle East and parts of Europe. It’s most commonly cultivated in Iran, India, and Greece.

It only flowers for about three to four weeks during October and November. The flower produces dark red stigmas, also called threads, which are removed carefully by hand and dried. These are considered to be the saffron spice.

Saffron has also been used for culinary purposes to add color and flavor to foods, as a fabric dye, and a perfume ingredient. Like many other herbs and spices, saffron can be prepared as a tea.

Today, saffron still holds a high value as both a spice used for cooking and an alternative treatment for various health conditions. Some studies have shown the spice to be effective for a variety of uses.

Read on to learn more about its health benefits and how to make saffron tea.

What is the history of saffron?

The crocus saffron grows to 20 to 30 centimeters (cm). It takes three years from the time they’re planted as seeds for the crocus to produce flowers. Each plant makes about three to four flowers, and each flower has about three stigmas.

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world because it must be harvested by hand. It also takes a large quantity of blossoms and dried stigmas to make 1 kilogram (kg) of the spice.

The spice has a long history. It’s believed that humans used saffron as early as 3,500 years ago. Historically, people used it to treat a long list of health conditions, including:

• trouble urinating
• menstrual issues
• eye disorders
• ulcers
• stomach issues
• tumors
• mental disorders

What are the health benefits of saffron tea?

Antidepressant

Saffron has been nicknamed the “sunshine spice.” And that’s not just because of its red and sometimes yellow coloring. The spice is believed to have mood-boosting properties. There may be some science behind these claims, too.

One older study in the Journal of EthnopharmacologyTrusted Source found saffron to be as effective as the drug fluoxetine (Prozac) in treating mild to moderate depression.

A review in the Journal of Integrative Medicine examined several studies involving the use of saffron for treatment of depression in adults over 18. Researchers found that saffron did improve symptoms for people with major depressive disorder. This may make the spice a good alternative for people who don’t tolerate antidepressant medications well.

Boost memory

Saffron contains two chemicals, crocin and crocetin, which researchers believe may help learning and memory function. One studyTrusted Source published in Phytotherapy Research using mice found that saffron was able to improve learning and memory problems. This promising research shows that saffron may have potential in treating diseases that affect the brain, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”

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