It has been reported that saffron is toxic to humans and when consumed as food, it may make the stomachache worse. In addition, the saffron can cause a stomach ache similar to the pain experienced during the early stages of acute bacterial stomach inflammation (a side effect the manufacturer has put up signs in restaurants that warn about consuming saffron). It seems the stomach ache may be caused by some acid molecules or by inflammation rather than a direct gastrointestinal issue. There is also the concern for possible neurological disturbances as saffron is a powerful tonic that causes salivation. You probably shouldn’t eat too much saffron, so consider carefully if you have sensitive stomach problems before making your decision to eat it.
You probably shouldn’t eat too much of any saffron (including saffron oil), or you may end up with severe side effects. Eating too much of saffron oil (and you can read more about why some oils don’t help digestion properly with our article on eating certain oils) can lead to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If these problems happen while you’re eating saffron, you’ll probably be advised to wait for them to go away. You need to consult your doctor if you experience these problems if you try to eat more saffron oil.
How much is too much of saffron?
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) considers the amount of saffron added to food to be less than 0.2% by weight. The FSA has published a guideline on how to calculate the amount of saffron in food products (in a nutshell, the total amount of the product needs to be over 4 grams of saffron to be listed on the label and you need to read this). We do agree that there are cases where you may need to read up on your food labels!
For example, many people are concerned about eating too much saffron by taking saffron oil to a meal as the oil contains significant amounts of saffron. There is a significant concern about saffron containing too much vitamin C in foods, and a large scientific debate is ongoing as to whether this is the cause of some of the side-effects reported by people who put saffron oil in their mouths. However, studies have shown that saffron oil should not come in direct contact with skin (e.g. saffron oil mixed with skin cream, etc.), but rather should be contained in a spoon or
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