1. Introduction of saffron:

Produced in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of more than 3,500 meters, it is famous for nourishing blood and promoting blood circulation, and it is a beauty treasure that resounds all over the world. Qinghai saffron is a famous Chinese herbal medicine in Qinghai Province. Crocus sativus, also known as crocus and crocus sativus, is a perennial flower of Crocus in Iris family and a common perfume. It is a native species in southwest Asia and was first cultivated by Greeks. Mainly distributed in Central Asia and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Two. Efficacy and function of saffron

Saffron has a wide range of uses. It is an essential edible spice in Spanish, French and other European countries, and an extremely precious medicinal material in China. Crocus sativus has a wide range of medicinal uses, and has the effects of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, cooling blood, detoxicating, relieving depression, calming nerves and beauty beauty. It is mainly used for treating gynecological diseases such as irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain due to blood stasis, infertility, etc. It has remarkable effects on treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, regulating liver and kidney functions, regulating three highs and resisting cancer.

Medicinal efficacy and function of saffron;

According to ancient Iranian medical records, saffron can treat headache and toothache, and has diuretic, refreshing, beautifying, aphrodisiac, detoxification, blood pressure lowering and blood circulation promoting effects. Indians use saffron to treat fever, depression, arthritis, weakness and infertility.

China Yuan Dynasty's "Eating" records that saffron is sweet, flat and non-toxic. The main heart suppresses depression, and long-term eating makes people happy.

Ming Dynasty's Compendium of Materia Medica records that saffron is depressed, boring, appetizing, nourishing the body for a long time and pleasing the color.

Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica in the Ming Dynasty records that crocus: passion flower, which comes from the land of returning to the west and the kingdom of Arabia, has red and blue flowers. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was used as food. According to Zhang Hua's natural history, the red and blue flowers in Zhang Qian are planted in the western regions, so this is a kind, or the local atmosphere is slightly different. It smells sweet and non-toxic. Indications: stagnation of heart-qi, qi stagnation and blood circulation. Long service makes people happy. Treat fear.

Modern pharmacological studies have found that crocus sativus can reduce the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, lower cholesterol and promote fat metabolism, thus achieving the effect of reducing blood lipids; Saffron can inhibit oxygen free radicals, thus achieving antioxidant effect; Saffron also has the functions of exciting uterus, promoting blood circulation to stop bleeding, resisting nephritis and promoting retinal artery blood flow.

In recent years, saffron has been widely used to treat coronary heart disease, angina pectoris and thromboangiitis obliterans, and has a good regulatory effect on hypertension, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Modern pharmacological studies have found that crocus sativus can effectively prevent and treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and has good anticancer activity.

Saffron has been approved by the Ministry of Health of China and the Food and Drug Administration of the United States with the functions of enhancing immunity, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood lipid, relieving physical fatigue, improving hypoxia tolerance, removing acne and relaxing bowels.

The cosmetic efficacy and function of saffron;

Saffron has the functions of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, dredging collaterals, cooling blood and removing toxic substances, diminishing inflammation and relieving pain, improving human immunity, removing toxic substances, caring skin, promoting sleep and improving energy, and is especially suitable for women. According to legend, Wu Zetian often used saffron as tea to achieve the effect of beautifying the skin. In addition, because saffron can lower cholesterol and promote fat metabolism, taking saffron regularly can also play a role in losing weight.

3. The usage of saffron:

1, saffron tea: Saffron tea brewing method: take 5 ~ 10 saffron filaments, soak them in boiling water, and drink them with the filaments after 3 ~ 5 times. Taboos for the use of saffron: pregnant women, menstrual period and bleeding patients should use it with caution!

2, saffron wine: saffron single medicinal wine: saffron 3 ~ 4 grams, white wine 1 kg (500 ml), soaked for a week and drunk, 20 ~ 30 ml per day. Saffron blood tonic wine: 500g of Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, 250g of Radix Angelicae Sinensis, 25g of Stigma Croci, 250g of Fructus Lycii, 25g of Fructus Citri Sarcodactylis, 250g of longan pulp, 250g of pine nuts, 500g of Poria100g, 500g of dried tangerine peel and 5kg (5000ml) of Yuquan liquor. Drink it after soaking for one month, twice a day, 50ml each time. It has effects in invigorating kidney, promoting sperm production, invigorating spleen, invigorating qi, nourishing blood and activating collaterals, and can be used for treating kidney deficiency and blood deficiency, dizziness, lumbago, anorexia, insomnia, and irregular menstruation of women. Please follow the doctor's advice on the actual dosage of saffron wine, and use it with caution for pregnant women, menstrual period and bleeding patients!

3, saffron porridge: practice 1: rice100g, saffron 10 ~ 20 pieces, add appropriate amount of water, cook porridge once a day. It is suitable for traumatic pain, chronic hepatitis, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris and apoplexy sequelae caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis. Method 2: Soak 10 ~ 20 pieces of saffron in boiling water, boil 100g of rice, then add saffron water, and cook porridge to serve.

4, saffron mask: saffron whitening mask: saffron 1 g, angelica dahurica 10 g, peach blossom 10 g, ground into powder and prepared with honey. Saffron red wine mask: saffron 1g is ground into powder, appropriate amount of pearl powder, one spoonful of honey, and mixed with red wine. The saffron mask has the functions of whitening skin, increasing skin luster and elasticity, anti-wrinkle, removing spots, resisting oxidation and delaying skin aging.

4. Suitable crowd and taboo of saffron

The main function of crocus sativus is to enrich blood, which has the functions of nourishing blood, promoting blood circulation, enriching blood, promoting blood circulation and regulating blood. Because it contains a lot of iron, it is a very suitable herbal tea for women to drink. However, the daily health care dosage should not be too large.

Taboo:

1, crocus sativus can cause rhythmic contraction of uterus, improve the tension and excitability of uterus, and spasmodic contraction can occur at high dose. Pregnant uterus is sensitive and prone to miscarriage, so pregnant women can't take it.

2, women should not take it during menstruation;

3, ulcers are mainly gastric ulcers, or some patients with long-term ulcers should not take them.

5. Identification items or methods of saffron:

1. soaking method: take three or two tablets and soak them in water. You can see that the oranges are plummeting, the water is dyed yellow, but the flowers don't fade. Although the flowers are red, the water is bright yellowish. Moreover, there can be no powdery precipitation. If there is precipitation, it must be doping. In addition, if the flower turns brown or white or other colors in a short time, or it is broken, it is also fake. This flower should be bright red, colorfast and unbreakable.

2. Smell method: Authentic saffron has a strong floral fragrance, which is very special, while fake or adulterated goods have a very weak or even inaudible taste. Buyers and friends can go to the local big pharmacy to smell the best saffron, and then compare our goods to compare the quality.

3. Observation method: Put the saffron on white paper and spread it out for careful observation. Authentic saffron is long, dark red in color, glossy without oil, small in yellow style, and fragile and easily broken after drying. (If it is a group, it is probably mixed with water. Illegal profiteers often mix water with saffron for profit. If they are mixed with too much water or mixed unevenly, they will form a group; If the flowers are silky and soft when you buy them, be sure to mix them with water. Although some real crocuses are broken, each one is trumpet-shaped, and it is difficult to make fakes dyed with radish shreds. Or shake the saffron in a plastic bag. Some saffron will stick yellow pollen on plastic bags, with a thin layer of light yellow, which is easy to identify, while fakes will not.

4. Shiatsu method: take a little saffron with facial tissue and wrap it in the middle and squeeze it hard. There must be no oil stains on the paper, otherwise it will be doped with minerals or vegetable oil.

5. Saffron: There is only one word difference with saffron, so it is often mistaken for the same thing in concept, and some people regard saffron introduced and cultivated in Tibet as saffron. In fact, these are two completely different plants. Crocus sativus belongs to the genus Panicum in Dicotyledonous Compositae, and Crocus sativus is a perennial herb in the genus Iris in monocotyledonous, which has similar but different effects and cannot be confused.