Saffron Can Help Reverse Age-Related Vision Loss

People have used saffron since ancient times, due to its countless medicinal properties, bright yellow color, and subtle flavor. This golden herb enriches the taste of various dishes, but it is also a versatile natural remedy.

It stems from the dried orange-red stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, which are harvested by hand. It is the world’s most expensive spice, as a pound of dried saffron takes about 70,000 flowers and numerous hours to be produced.

A team of Australian and Italian researchers found that it can reverse vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration.

This retina-destroying degenerative disease is more common in the elderly, even though it can affect the young as well. It causes blurry vision and dark spots that appear in the field of vision, and might ultimately lead to vision loss and blindness.

A controlled, double-blind trial that involved 25 individuals with macular degeneration showed that daily supplementation of 20 milligrams saffron drastically improved the condition after three months in all participants.

Professor Silvia Bisti, a visiting scholar based at The Vision Centre at the University of Sydney, reported that this study was the first to reveal the link between antioxidant-rich saffron supplements and eyesight, and patients became able to read one or two lines smaller than before, while others could read a book or newspaper again.

She claims that these effects are due to the ability of the spice to boost oxygen levels in the body and prevent cell death.

Professor Benedetto Falsini, who conducted the trial, added that the positive effects wore off soon after participants stopped taking the saffron pills. Therefore, saffron can be used to retrieve vision and fight macular degeneration.

The findings of this study are highly promising as they offer hope to people suffering from genetic eye diseases, like retinitis pigmentosa.

In order to prevent vision impairment and blindness at bay, you should drink one cup of saffron tea daily, and this soothing healing drink, rich in antioxidants, will prevent the degeneration of the cells and boost the function of the blood vessels supporting the eye and retina.

You can prepare saffron tea plain, by steeping the threads in hot water. Yet, the spice can have a strong and bitter taste, so numerous recipes feature the herb paired a variety of different ways.

You can add various herbs and spices to enrich its flavor and make it tastier for consumption.

Here is one tasty saffron tea recipe we recommend:

Saffron Tea Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon wedges
• 1/2 gm saffron
• 8 leaves mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 liter water
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions:

Bring the water to boil, and then place the tea leaves and saffron in a large teapot. Pour the boiling water over them and leave it for several minutes.

Next, strain the tea, and pour it into teacups. You can then add sugar, and serve this healthy drink with a mint sprig and lemon slice.

You can add a teaspoon of honey to boost the health benefits of the tea.

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