A Brief Ancient Greek History
Plants have been used for medicinal purposes by human beings for over 60,000 years so tracing the first recorded use of any given flower is difficult. However, many historians believe that Saffron was first cultivated in Greece, during the Middle Minoan era on the island of Crete. Since my father was born in Crete, I am going to assume this is true. It seems like a likely origin story of Saffron, because its botanical name (Crocus Sativus) originates from Ancient Greek Mythology, in which a mortal named Krokus got accidentally injured by the God, Hermes, so he granted him immortality by transforming his soul into a purple flower, and his blood into three red stigmas at the heart of the flower. Krokus was destined to live eternity spreading beauty and health across the land whenever the flowers bloomed every Autumn.
Modern Medical uses of Saffron
Saffron is one of my Yiaya’s (Grandmother’s) favourite flowers to use in her Traditional Greek Herbal Recipes. It is known as “The Sunshine Spice” and “Gold of the Earth” for being the only herb that is more expensive per pound than Gold. It has been used in Traditional Greek Medicine for thousands of years to increase focus, boost memory, and increase circulation in the mind… hence why my Yiaya calls it the flower of the mind. Today modern studies back up these claims and more with the following being the most known benefits of the ancient flower:
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Saffron is a natural mood booster.
- Several clinical studies show saffron supplements were significantly more powerful than placebos at treating mild to moderate depression. Comparative studies have also shown that 30mg of Saffron daily was more effective than pharmaceutical SSRI’s at treating depression, with participants experiencing less side effects as well.
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Saffron improves memory and cognitive focus.
- Clinical studies have shown Saffron has a wide array of cognitive uses from improving memory to mood to focus. It is believed that it accomplishes this through its active ingredient, crocin, which fights neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. This can likely be attributed to its ability to protect neurons in the brain from inflammation and unnatural cell death.
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Saffron alleviates anxiety and stress.
- Several studies have demonstrated Saffron was more effective at alleviating symptoms of stress and anxiety than a placebo. This is likely due to the active ingredients in Saffron, which have been shown to reduce cortisol in the blood, which is a steroid hormone responsible for the feeling we call stress.
Is all Saffron made Equal?
Saffron may seem like the magical flower from Tangled because of its endless list of powerful benefits for human health. However, this may make you skeptical of those selling it which is a wise position because I can tell you as a herbalist, not all Saffron on the market is equal in quality. Saffron must be grown according to very meticulous rules in a very specific climate at a very precise time of year otherwise it loses its medicinal density. In addition, Wildcrafted Saffron contains more natural chemicals responsible for its health effects than indoor grown Saffron, this is because the struggles of the natural world such as inclement weather and dry climates are what triggers the flower to generate its healing properties. These reasons are why the Saffron contained in our product, Sunny Honey, is sourced from the oldest surviving monastic community in the world, Mt. Athos (also called The Holy Mountain). Saffron is known to thrive in Mediterranean climate and is cultivated with love and prayer on The Holy Mountain by the monks who respect the flowers powerful application to human health. Saffron is native to the geographical location of Mt. Athos, and since the monastic community has remained a private autonomous land for over 1200 years, the Saffron flowers that grow wild all over the mountains belong to the oldest and most highly evolved Saffron flowers in the world, because they have had thousands of years to grow uninterrupted by industrialized pollution and human activity.
