spices | Saffron for restful sleep

In autumn, bees are also interested in the most expensive spice in the world. Photo: IMAGO/Zoonar Around 100,000 crocus flowers have to be collected to obtain 500 grams of saffron threads. The real saffron is a special type of crocus with purple petals, from whose reddish-orange flower threads the most expensive spice on earth is made. The botanical name is Crocus sativus and the plant belongs to the iris family. The difference to the crocus species that bloom in spring is that saffron sprouts and flowers in autumn after a cold stimulus. The flower pistils used as spices have been harvested in October in Lusatia for the past five years.

At the beginning of planting in this country it was only a few grams, but now it is a whole kilogram that is produced in Lusatia. Compared to the harvest volume of around 200 tons worldwide, especially in Iran and Afghanistan, this is only a small fraction, but interesting for research.

»Saffron could be an effective treatment for symptoms of depression and anxiety.«

Known as an important ingredient in Spanish paella, a dish made from rice, green peas, sweet peppers, seafood and (leftover) meat, the spice is also popular for sweet dishes, as the song line “Saffron makes the cake gel” tells us. Dishes seasoned with the reddish saffron threads acquire an intense yellow color and an aromatic taste with a mild spiciness. This brings a summer mood to the plate, which is very welcome in the rainy, wet and cold season.

Over the past decade, the potential of highly concentrated saffron extracts as medicines for a range of diseases has been intensively researched. These include inflammatory fatty liver disease, depression and sleep disorders and type 2 diabetes. The focus is also on preventing macular degeneration as well as learning difficulties and poor concentration.

The traditional medical knowledge about saffron for gastrointestinal complaints or melancholic moods has a long history in the main saffron growing countries in Persia, the Middle East, India and the Mediterranean region. Since 2016, several clinical and preclinical studies with standardized saffron capsules have become known that promise to approach scientific evidence.

There are several possible mechanisms to make the effect of saffron plausible. Similar to St. John's wort, saffron ensures that mood-enhancing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine remain active in the brain for longer. Saffron probably also inhibits the release of cortisol during stress. Different processes may interact and can therefore naturally contribute to improved general well-being, relaxation and restful sleep.

In addition, saffron as a spice or as a herbal medicine has been confirmed to have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect and, for example, inflammatory markers in the blood have been determined.

However, suitable dosages for children or adults still need to be confirmed in larger clinical studies. “Saffron could be an effective treatment for symptoms of depression and anxiety,” conclude scientists led by Wolfgang Marx, an expert in nutritional psychiatry at Deakin University in Australia.

Saffron capsules are not suitable for pregnant women because they can cause uterine bleeding. Pregnant and breastfeeding women can also enjoy a deliciously seasoned paella or a risotto seasoned with saffron threads.

Because saffron is very expensive, there are always attempts to counterfeit it. When shopping, it is advisable to prefer visible saffron threads. While in the Middle Ages official “saffron inspectors” were used to assess and test for authenticity, modern quality control is carried out in accordance with international standards such as ISO-3632, according to which objective parameters for color intensity, aroma and slight bitterness are analyzed.

The natural sunny yellow color comes from the water-soluble dye crocetin, which is glycosidically bound in the plant and is known in this connection as crocin. This dye is probably primarily responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect.

The slightly bitter-sharp taste is caused by the ingredient picrocrocin. The light and moisture sensitive essential oil contains mainly safronal. In the kitchen, it is advisable to soak the delicate flower threads in a little lukewarm water and only add them at the end of the cooking process so that the aroma and taste are well preserved.

The harvest is entirely manual work in the early hours of the morning, before the hot midday sun can harm the delicate flowers. For women in Afghanistan, selling saffron is an opportunity to be independent from opium poppy cultivation and opium production.

High-quality saffron contains at least 20 percent crocin, six percent picrocrocin and 0.3 percent safronal. Crocus flowers from Afghanistan and Spain perform best, while the largest harvests come from Iran. Low mountain climates and warm, dry summers are good conditions for the formation of the valuable ingredients.

Saffron was already cultivated in Germany in the late Middle Ages, for example in Thuringia and in Saxony until the 16th century. During the so-called Little Ice Age between the end of the 16th century and the middle of the 19th century, the use of real saffron stopped in Germany. Food was particularly important at the time of famine during the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century.

In the south of Brandenburg, in the Lusatian Lake District, the trained technician Matthias Trentzsch has revived saffron cultivation. He is particularly motivated by promising studies that research the use of saffron in connection with cancer. In 2023 he received the Brandenburg Innovation Prize for his work.

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