The American Yellow saffron is known to have good benefits with asthma, depression, Insomnia, and whooping cough.

Saffron is known to be beneficials because it has shown positive effects in lowering blood cholesterol, enhancing memory, has good anti-oxidants to help fight cancer.

In Ancient believed it to be a good remedy for stomach aches, kidney stone relief, and to improve blood circulation.

They say to get its benefits is best to used in its dry whole stringy from instead of via a powder.

There are more than one type of saffron some call Crocus sativus L. Family: Iridaceae ... as the True Saffron.. Which is slightly different then the American Yellow Saffron listed above...

This one is said to increases oxygen and possibly possess antineoplastic activity.
Source(s):
Diet Health Club
http://www.diethealthclub.com/health-food/health-benefits-of-saffron.html

Saffron - Heath care clinic
http://www.health-care-clinic.org/alternative-medicines/saffron.html

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Saffron (pronounced /ˈsæfrən/, /ˈsæfrɒn/) is a spice derived from the dried stigma of the flower of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), a species of crocus in the family Iridaceae. The flower has three stigmas, which are the distal ends of the plant's carpels. Together with its style, the stalk connecting the stigmas to the rest of the plant, these components are dried and used in cooking as a seasoning and coloring agent. Saffron, for decades the world's most expensive spice by weight, is native to Southwest Asia.

Saffron is characterized by a bitter taste and an iodoform- or hay-like fragrance; these are caused by the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal. It also contains a carotenoid dye, crocin, that gives food a rich golden-yellow hue. Saffron also has medicinal applications.

The word saffron originated from the 12th-century Old French term safran, which derives from the Latin word safranum. Safranum is also related to the Italian zafferano and Spanish azafrán. Safranum comes from the Arabic word aṣfar (أَصْفَر‎), which means "yellow," via the Persian paronymous zaʻfarān (زَعْفَرَان‎). Saffron is known as "Kasubha" in Filipino, "Kesar" in Hindi/Sanskrit, and "Kong" in Urdu.

Saffron, the spice which is commonly used in Indian, Spanish and Italian cuisine, could hold the secret to preventing eye sight loss in old age, says a new study.

Saffron Health Benefits................................

The health benefits of saffron are not necessarily the first thing fans of the exotic spice think of. The spice is very difficult to harvest, making it an expensive ingredient. It takes more than 4,500 flowers to yield a single ounce of the spice. The expense and painstaking efforts may be well worth the effort considering the possible health benefits the spice offers.

Saffron is full of surprises, including its medicinal purposes. Health problems that have been treated with the spice include:

• Digestive problems
• Asthma
• Insomnia
• Menstrual problems
• Common colds
• Inflammation
• Depression

* It is used for the improvement of digestion and appetite.
* It is used for treating cough.
* It is found to be extremely beneficial for providing relief from gas and acidity related problems.
* Helps in curing Insomnia (a pinch of saffron taken with warm milk in the nite helps curing insomnia).
* It is used to cure spitting up of blood.
* It is a very popular answer to many skin problems, like dry skin, enhancing and lightening the skin tone etc.
* It is used for the treatment of kidney, bladder and liver disorders. It helps in improving circulation to the organs of digestion.
* It helps in treating various disorders like asthma, atherosclerosis, painful menstrual periods and even depression.
* Saffron is considered as a blood purifier and anti-inflammatory properties.
* It helps in relieving inflammation of arthritis also with providing relief from joint pains.
* Massaging the gums with saffron helps in reducing soreness and inflammation of the mouth and the tongue.
* It is recommend to use of saffron during pregnancy as the herb possess the property of raising the body temperature.
* Provides relief from low back pain.
* It is an antioxidant and has anti-cancerous properties.
* A number of people also believe that it is a potent aphrodisiac - that probably explains the kesar milk that is a part of the wedding night ritual.
* Saffron is also said to have anti-tumor properties.
* Saffron being a blood purifier helps in increasing the oxygen content of the blood thereby aiding in the overall health and well being of a person.

Saffron and Depression..................................................

A recent study suggests that saffron may be as effective as Prozac in treating mild to moderate depression. More research is necessary in order to determine the effectiveness of saffron in the treatment of depressive disorders. The approach is promising, but it may not be prudent considering how expensive the spice is.

Saffron and Vision.....................................................

Scientists based at the University of L'Aquila, in Italy, and Sydney University, in Australia, have discovered that saffron, often used in pilaf, can protect against some of the most common forms of blindness. Through the study, researchers revealed that eating saffron on daily basis helped to make the delicate cells in the eye needed for vision more resilient against disease, reports The Telegraph.

Animal studies further confirmed that a diet containing saffron can protect the eye from damage caused by bright sunlight and slow the progress of genetic diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. The researchers also found saffron had a beneficial effect in humans suffering from age-related macular degeneration, the most common form of blindness in old age.

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Herbalists claim that saffron possesses anti-cancer activity, but these claims are yet to be evaluated critically by medical experts. However certain compounds and saffron have positive effects in lowering blood cholesterol and triglycerides among heart patients. In ancient cultures, saffron was used to relieve stomach aches and kidney stones and also as an agent in improving the circulation of blood.

Some independent studies suggest that the use of saffron meet have beneficial effects on enhancing memory. While some medical research demonstrates the beneficial properties and activities of saffron such as memory enhancing, anti-cancer and antioxidant properties, the medical lobby at large is skeptical about the many claims of saffron.
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