Is it harmful to take saffron?
Saffron has many benefits, such as treating irregular menstruation and beautifying the skin. Although saffron has many benefits, we need to be cautious of its side effects. Let's learn more about them.
Saffron, also known as "Xihonghua" or "Fan Honghua," was originally introduced to Tibet, China from India. Due to its low yield and labor-intensive harvesting process, saffron is considered a rare and valuable Chinese medicinal material. While saffron has many benefits when consumed as a tea, we should be aware of its potential side effects.
Saffron's side effects:
1. Common side effects:
Consuming saffron may lead to adverse reactions such as abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and even gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal cramps, and excessive menstruation in women. These side effects are mainly related to saffron's stimulatory effects on the intestines and uterus.
2. Nervous system stimulation:
Saffron contains factors that stimulate the nervous system. Prolonged consumption may cause nervous excitement and disrupt sleep patterns.
3. Endocrine imbalance:
While saffron is beneficial for regulating female hormones, excessive consumption can disrupt the endocrine system and lead to a series of side effects.
4. Menstrual disorders:
For normal women, menstruation is usually regular. However, saffron contains various components essential for women, which can easily cause shorter menstrual cycles and prolonged menstrual periods, thus severely affecting women's health.
5. Saffron poisoning:
Excessive consumption of saffron can lead to acute poisoning, causing adverse reactions such as vomiting, abdominal cramps, gastrointestinal bleeding, hematuria, confusion, seizures, etc. When poisoning occurs, some individuals may experience confusion, tremors, and in severe cases, seizures. Breathing may first be stimulated and then suppressed, leading to circulatory and respiratory failure. A few patients may experience dizziness, rash, and transient urticaria, which are related to saffron's stimulatory effects on the nervous system and allergic reactions.
The main causes of saffron poisoning are improper use and excessive dosage. Taking more than 5 grams at once can have serious side effects.
Treatment and rescue for saffron poisoning:
(1) Induce vomiting, perform gastric lavage with a 1:2000 potassium permanganate solution, and administer general detoxification drugs orally.
(2) Intravenous infusion of glucose-sodium chloride or 10% glucose injection.
(3) Symptomatic treatment and supportive therapy.
