Does saffron help with postpartum depression?
Studies show that many new mothers experience depression after pregnancy due to childbirth.
Your mind and body endure many changes during pregnancy and after child delivery. If you feel sad and emotional for longer than 2 weeks after pregnancy, you should reach out for help.
There are different kinds of treatment for depression after pregnancy, such as therapy and medication.
In addition, the consumption of some foods and ingredients such as saffron, Paradissaffron in particular and physical activities such as exercising may be effective in improving this condition.
What is postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression is a quite common condition, which happens in a period after you deliver your child. The postpartum depression is associated with many psychological and emotional changes and happens after about 15 percent of the births. It may cause extreme mood swings, fatigue, and a feeling of despair. The severity of those emotions can make it difficult to take care of your baby or even look after yourself. Depression after pregnancy is a serious condition, but you can successfully deal with it through the right treatments.
The symptoms of depression after pregnancy
Feeling humpy or exhausted after having a baby is a common condition. However, depression after pregnancy goes far beyond that and interferes with your ability to function properly.
Symptoms of Postpartum depression differ from person to person and even day to day. Some of the main indications are:
- Feeling sad and crying a lot for no particular reason
- Feeling exhausted but being insomniac
- Sleeping too much
- Not being able to stop eating
- Not being able to eat at all
- Unknown pain and aches
- Feeling angry, irritable or anxious without no particular reason
- Feeling totally out of control
- Not being able to make simple decisions
- Not being able to enjoy things you were interested in before
- Feeling disconnected from your baby
- Feeling unreasonably guilty
- Having sudden thoughts about harming yourself or your baby
The role of saffron in improving postpartum depression
Due to its impressive variety of plant compounds, Saffron might help enhance some of the postpartum depression symptoms such as mood swings, sadness and loss of memory.
Some the most impressive health benefits of saffron are:
- improving mood swings and treating depressive symptoms
- improving inflammations
- protecting brain cells against progressive damage
- killing cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed
- reducing PMS Symptoms
- boosting the sexual desire
- reducing appetite
Is Saffron good for depression?
According to research, saffron can help improve mild to moderate depression but decisive recommendations need more studies. However, current research indicates that consuming saffron or its extract for 6-12 weeks may help improve symptoms of major depression. Some studies show that saffron might be as effective as taking a prescription antidepressant, such as fluoxetine, imipramine, or citalopram. Early research in patients already taking an antidepressant shows that taking crocin, a chemical found in saffron, for 4 weeks reduces symptoms of depression more than taking the antidepressant alone. However, taking saffron might not help all types of depression. Saffron contains chemicals that modify mood, kill cancer cells, decrease inflammations, and act like antioxidants.
Hormonal effects during pregnancy and after childbirth
Your body endures many changes in preparation for child delivery. During pregnancy, hormones rise and fall, affecting your physical and emotional state. Some of the hormones that mainly affect your mood and body condition are:
Estrogen and progesterone:
These hormones play the most fundamental role of all. During pregnancy, they support the growing fetus and your rapidly changing body. Study shows saffron aromatherapy decreases cortisol and increases estrogen.
Prolactin
Prolactin raises the level of milk production, and it remains in the body for as long as breastfeeding. It affects metabolism, behavior, and immune system functioning. The fluid regulation is also one the main roles of the mentioned hormone. Prolactin is one possible explanation for depression after pregnancy.
Oxytocin
This is another crucial hormone for labor. It helps the muscle contractions for childbirth, and flows milk into the breasts when it is time for breastfeeding.
Relaxin
The ovaries, placenta, and uterine lining produce this hormone throughout pregnancy. It prevents muscle contractions and premature labor in the first and second trimesters. In addition, it elevates the rupture of tissues surrounding the fetus to ease delivery.
How long do postpartum hormones last?
The first six weeks after child delivery is known as the postpartum period. This hard time requires all sorts of care for you and your baby. Some researchers believe that the period lasts up to 6 months. Apparently, the period of balancing the hormones can vary wildly from person to person. However, some changes take much longer to resolve.
Does saffron improve mood?
There is growing evidence that saffron can help improve and balance mood, and it might be a useful addition to treatment for depression.
A study in the Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science found that a saffron extract increased dopamine levels in the brain without changing the levels of other brain hormones, such as serotonin. Other research suggests that taking 30 milligrams (mg) of saffron each day could cause similar effects as drugs that treat mild-to-moderate depression, such as imipramine and fluoxetine.
Does saffron increase serotonin?
While it has been proposed that saffron enhances serotonin levels in the brain, the exact mechanism of this action is unknown. More specifically, a saffron extract might restrain serotonin absorption in synapses.
The bottom line
Saffron is an expensive spice, but it is popular due to its unbelievable color, taste, aroma and its positive effects on depression after pregnancy. The variety of its health benefits makes it one of the most desirable ingredients to add to your diet. While there are many trustworthy places to buy Saffron from, there are also many fake Saffron promoted online. To identify pure saffron you should consider its smell, appearance, taste, and price. Also, pay attention to how long it takes the Saffron to release its color in water. Hence, you need to buy this golden herb from a reputable source. Paradissaffron is premium-quality Persian Saffron that is harvested from the best sources available in the world. You can certainly trust this brand since the quality is assured.