Replied By Scienceview1 (Westmount, Quebec, Canada) on 02/26/2013
Amazing story about saffron and its benefits for eyeight and general health. There is actually a product the combines saffron with benefits of the natural compound also found in red wine, resveratrol and carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
Remember that by stabilizing the effect of saffron after longer term supplementation means that the potency of saffron stays the same and does not decline over long time consumption. In fact once patients stopped taking the saffron pill, the effects slowly faded away. Saffron is a protecting retina of the eye so you need it every day for eye health.
Replied By Carol (San Francisco, Ca.) on 02/27/2013
Thanks for this information. Can Saffron be purchased in a Health Food Store? And how much should be taken... more or less the suggested amount?Replied By Scienceview1 (Westmount, Quebec, Canada) on 03/06/2013
Hi Carol, The daily dose needed is 20mg of high quality saffron- only the red part of stigmas. There has been actually a product in the market (UK and now Canada) that has saffron and nine other ingredients for eye health. Remember that healthy life-style for eye health includes exercise, no smoking, protecting against exposure to intense light (from computer screens, sunlight etc) are the key. Again, taking daily green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale etc) are very important. Control blood pressure and cholesterol levels and nourish your eyes with eye health nutrients.Replied By Scienceview1 (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) on 03/10/2013
Hello, Lutein and zeaxanthin are macular pigments, naturally concentrated in macula of the eye. Our body cannot synthesize these important compounds so we need to take them via foods (green leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale) or take supplements that have lutein/zeaxanthin. The product mentioned above also has macular pigments.
Protect your eyes from sunlight by wearing proper sunglasses that have anti-UV coating.
Replied By Nezhad (Montreal, CA) on 04/27/2014
As for a high quality saffron product for macular degeneration look for one made with saffron stigma powder, the same quantity used in in Italian study. Saffron as a supplement was approved by Health Canada to help maintain eyesight in AMD.