Bursting Myths Around The Use of Saffron During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life. Women feel as if they are blooming and growing beautiful each day in the entire journey of 9 months. There is no correct or incorrect way to go through a pregnancy! it can be the best thing that happened to you or just as any other ordinary event in your life. Your feelings are completely acceptable. However, it can be full of worries and anxieties. Because of unnecessary restrictions imposed by myths, one such myth is about saffron during Pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a time to experience immense joy and happiness. The soon-to-be parents are usually full of anticipation, slight anxiety, and excitement to welcome the arrival of their baby. It is a natural phenomenon in the life cycle of a woman and, therefore, should be treated as such. Unfortunately, many families are overburdened with anxiety and apprehension. Encapsulated by myths and misconceptions generated by the society we live in. Let’s understand a few of the facts and myths about using saffron during pregnancy.

What is saffron?

Saffron is a spice obtained from the flower commonly known as the “saffron crocus”. The fresh and pure crimson stigma and styles are called “threads”. Which are carefully collected, dried, and are mainly used for seasoning or colouring agents in food. Saffron is the most precious and expensive spice in the world. As it does not only add color, flavor, and aroma to the food but also bestows some incredible health benefits. 

Some of the impressive clinically proven health benefits of saffron during pregnancy are:

• A Powerful Antioxidant. 
• Improves Mood and Treat Depressive Symptoms & helps in controlling mood swings. 
• Have Cancer-Fighting Properties. 
• May cause reduced Appetite and help in subsequent Weight Loss. 
• Easy to Add to Your Diet & easy to use
• Helps in Digestion: Many women during pregnancy complain of certain problems like constipation, bloating, and heartburn. Saffron alleviates these symptoms by reducing acidity, improving blood flow, and boosting metabolism in general.  

Your legacy/ancestors affect what you eat more than you may realize. Your elders may even have multiple pieces of advice for you when you’re pregnant about. “what’s good to eat for the baby, what to avoid.” (If you have lots of aunts and grandmothers, you’re probably nodding along in agreement with what I am saying).

So, if your family culture has saffron as a popular or commonly used spice, you might have already encountered some advice about saffron’s benefits during pregnancy

Indians have a very common myth. It is believed that if the pregnant or lactating mother drinks milk with saffron, the newborn will have a fair/lighter skin complexion. But actually, there is no evidence to support this and it is not proven scientifically anywhere. It does not change or affect your baby’s color however introducing saffron in your diet in any form is generally safe and beneficial. But please do take your doctor’s advice for the inclusion or exclusion of saffron in your diets. (Want to know how to use saffron during pregnancy check our latest blog on how to use saffron during pregnancy)

To sum up, Saffron makes your baby fair-skinned – Not true! Saffron, when mixed in food adds an orange tinge! It is beyond my imagination why this expensive spice gained such a reputation in pregnancy. As per the research published in the Hindu, No food that you eat can have any effect on the color of your baby’s skin. That is determined by genetics which the baby has inherited from its parents.