According to a new study conducted by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, University of L'Aquila, Italy, the pricey golden culinary herb, saffron, possibly holds an important key to the prevention the loss of eyesight in old age.  

The findings of the study suggest that saffron has noteworthy effects on the genes that normalize the performance of the eye’s vision cells, and can thus help improve vision in people suffering from eye diseases causing blindness.

Lead researcher Silvia Bisti, professor at the ARC Centre, said that saffron, made from crocus flowers, protects the eye’s photoreceptors from damage, and has the potential to slow down and even overturn the course of blinding diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration or AMD, and retinitis pigmentosa.

Prof Bisti said: “Saffron is not simply an anti-oxidant. It seems to possess a number of other properties which are protective to vision. For example it appears to affect genes which regulate the fatty acid content of the cell membrane and this makes the vision cells tougher and more resilient. And, the point about saffron is that it is completely safe and harmless.”

The Italian study has been substantiated not only by successful experiment on mice, but also a tryout with patients suffering AMD in Rome – indicating that saffron may cause damaged eye cells to recover!