Macular Health Research
Saffron
Saffron
(Crocus Sativus) is a bulbous
perennial of the iris family, grown in
More
recently, the use of saffron for eye health has become an important direction in
the prevention and treatment of eye diseases such as Age-related Macular
Degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Saffron is good for eyes due to the
unique chemical compounds found in the spice. Specifically, the compounds crocin
and safranal, which belong to the carotenoid family, are believed to assist
sight regeneration.
Used in
cooking for a number of centuries, saffron is especially beneficial for
eyesight, as it also has strong antioxidant properties, and it is safe and
harmless.
Age related macular
degeneration
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a deterioration
of the retina in the area of the macular. This usually occurs later in life, and
can have significant negative effects on the visual acuity of its sufferers. AMD
is the leading cause of legal blindness for people over 55 years of age in the
Western World, and causes many eye related diseases worldwide. Blindness is
caused by the loss of central vision, leaving only peripheral vision. AMD is
caused by a number of lifestyle factors such as oxidative stress, age, cigarette
smoking and sunlight damage3,4,5.
Saffron compounds
reduce intraocular pressure
AMD and other ocular diseases, such as
ischemic retinopathy, are
caused by a reduced blood flow to the retina and choroid6. A study
published in the Journal of Ocular
Pharmacology and Therapeutics investigated the ability of a compound called
crocin analogs, which are extracted from saffron, to increase the blood flow in
the retina and choroid. Increased blood flow would allow retinal function
recovery. The experiment was conducted by increasing the intraocular pressure of
the left eye, which reduced blood flow to only one third of the normal value.
The crocin solution was applied topically to the left eye, and the blood flow
measured.
The
results show three of the four crocin analogs significantly increased retinal
blood flow 2 hours after the crocin solution was applied to the eye. The crocin
analog that was not significant in increasing blood flow in the retina was found
to significantly increase the blood flow in the choroid at 60 and 120 minutes
after application of the drug. These results have been replicated in other
studies, where crocin analogs have significantly increased the blood flow in the
retina and choroid as well as facilitated retinal function recovery1.
Crocin analogs could be used to treat ischemic retinopathy and/or age-related
MD.
Prevents vision loss7
Recent
research has found important links between saffron and the prevention of vision
loss. Professor Silvia Bisti from the
The results show that saffron plays a protective role for
the eye’s photoreceptors, preventing damage and slowing the onset and severity
of ocular diseases such as AMD and retinitis pigmentosa, which can lead to
blindness.
A clinical trial conducted in
Animal studies have also found saffron protects eyes from
the damage caused by bright lights. This
may assist with UV damage to eyes caused by the sun, an important problem in a
country such as
Saffron has also been shown to prevent the onset of
hereditary eye diseases, which can contribute to loss of sight. Diseases such as
retinitis pigmentosa, which strikes young people and causes permanent blindness,
may be avoided through the intake of saffron. In addition, saffron
has been linked to vision cell recovery for people with AMD. It is clear that
saffron is the reason for this cell recovery, as when the participants stopped
taking saffron supplements, the improvements to sight also ceased.
These
strong results suggest an exciting future development in sight preservation.
Other benefits2
In
addition to improving eyesight, saffron has also been shown to have a wide range
of other health benefits. In traditional Iranian medicine, saffron is used as an
anticonvulsant remedy and has been used in contemporary medicine for seizures.
Saffron has also been found to boost immunity, by assisting white blood cell
maturity, and increasing the levels of enzymes responsible for breaking down
toxins.
Research
has linked saffron to reducing blood pressure, containing anti-inflammatory
properties and to being a strong antioxidant. Saffron has also been used with
cancer patients. A study conducted at the National Institute of Paediatrics in
1.
Abdullaev, F. I., Espinosa-Aguirrw, J. J. (2004). Biomedical properties of
saffron and its potential use in cancer therapy and chemoprevention trials.
Cancer Detection and Prevention, 28,
426-432.
2.
Encarnacion, M. F. (2010) Saffron- a natural dye of uncommon significance,
Histologics, 43(1), 22-23.
3. Trumbo, P. R., &, Ellwood, K. C. (2006). Lutein and
zeaxanthin intakes and risk of
age-related macular degeneration and cataracts: An
evaluation using the Food and Drug Administration’s evidence-based review system
for health claims, Am J Clin Nutr, 84,
971– 4
4. Smith et al. (2001). Risk factors for age-related
macular degeneration. Ophthalmology, 108(4),
697-704.
5.
6. Xuan,
B., Zhou, Y., Li, N., Min, Z., Chiou, G. (1999). Effects of crocin analogs on
ocular blood flow and retinal function.
Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 15(2), 143-152.
7. ARC Centre of Excellence
in Vision Science, (2009) Saffron may stop vision loss.
