AOR - Saffron 2.0

Product Notes:

Many of these uses and the complex properties of the saffron plant are now being rediscovered and studied extensively by medical science, with two applications in particular really standing out as promising alternatives to conventional treatments: improving mood and maintaining eye health. Two new ones have also appeared on the horizon: as a sleeping aid, and for reducing hyperactivity symptoms.

Researchers have identified more than 150 compounds in saffron, conferring many important properties (especially anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory), and many have concentrated on the ones related to its traditional uses to improve people's mood. Quite a number of studies have found that saffron does indeed have a variety of beneficial effects on the neurotransmitter system that helps regulate mood, stress, and appetite.

In fact, many have found it works as well as some standard antidepressants in the treatment of mild to moderate major depressive disorder, with several possible explanations why (with evidence of it being a monoamine reuptake inhibitor (especially of serotonin); inhibiting the NMDA receptor; and reducing homocysteine levels).

A side benefit of that is that it can reduce people's urges to eat more, by making them feel more full. It's also been found to be able to relieve feelings of anxiety, similar to the way GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) can.

Eye Health

Concerning eye health, saffron was found to be able to significantly increase reduced blood flow in the retina and choroid (which is a factor in ischemic retinopathy and/or age-related macular degeneration), which facilitated some recovery of retinal function (Xuan et al.. 1999).

Subsequently, there have been quite a number of studies on saffron having a significant neuroprotective effect on age-related macular degeneration (AMD): protecting the retina against damage and inhibiting photoreceptor and retinal degeneration or dysfunction.

This includes 6 published clinical studies which found visual acuity significantly improved using from 20 to 50 mg a day even for just three months, with one of them also finding that central macular thickness (CMT) decreased in those with the wet form of AMD, and another that contrast sensitivity (CS) improved. And as Heitmar (2019) explains with references to the scientific literature identifying several possible mechanisms of action, saffron may also be able to help with other ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and primary open angle glaucoma, owing to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-atherogenic, and anti-hypertensive effects.

Sleep & Hyperactivity

Regarding improving sleep quality, a new clinical study of people with self-reported sleep problems conducted by Lopresti et al. (2020) found overall insomnia was reduced by 25%, with subjects reporting finding it less difficult to fall asleep and having fewer interruptions in their sleep, and feeling more alert and refreshed when awakening.

In addition, among those with depression, there have been at least three other clinical trials prior to that showing an improvement in the PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) scores.

Finally, there have also been some recent studies on its effects on young people with ADHD, which found it helped with the hyperactivity symptoms.

Why is Saffron so Valuable?

Saffron 'Stigma' Threads

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, sometimes reaching $45,000 per kilo. This is because the flowers of the Crocus sativus, must be harvested by hand. It takes almost 200,000 flowers to get 80 grams of saffron.

Over the past millennia, saffron has been traditionally used as a painkiller and as a remedy for rheumatism, in addition to being used as a fragrant cooking spice and a dye.

Why "Affron"?

Of course, not all types of Saffron may be equally efficacious in those regards, so AOR has sourced a particular premium kind: Affron, which begins with certifiably genuine Crocus sativus L. from Spain, uses a proprietary process known as AFF ON Cool-Tech to concentrate and preserve its key bioactive ingredients without the use of chemicals, and standardizes each batch to contains the same relative amount of a certain complex of them.

This particular formulation has been clinically tested in a number of recent studies which have found that it does indeed have statistically significant effects in improving mood balance and relieving associated symptoms such as sadness, nervousness, tension and fatigue, while being very well tolerated. It has been shown to work as well as a popular SSRI anti-depressant in relieving mild to moderate depression, and does not have the latter's common side effect of low libido or erectile dysfunction; in fact, it's more likely to help in those areas.

Related Product: See Saffron 2020 XP from Persavita.