It has been over a year since Canadian medical studies have shown promising effects for treating multiple sclerosis. According to one researcher, "“We found there is a compound in saffron, known as crocin, which exerts a protective effect in brain cell cultures and other models of MS. It prevented damage to cells that make myelin in the brain,” Power said. “Myelin is insulation around nerves, and multiple sclerosis is characterized by inflamed brain cells that have lost this protective insulation, which ultimately leads to neurodegeneration.”"
Power noted they are not close to a clinical trial stage yet, but the finding is still exciting. It has been known in the research community for years that crocin protected neurons in certain situations but Power and his team wanted to delve further into this area.
His team discovered that inflammation and a specific type of cell stress are closely linked and lead to neurodegeneration and inflammation, which cause cells to lose their protective coating, a process known as demyelination. In experiments conducted by Power and his colleagues, the use of crocin suppressed both inflammation and this specific type of cell stress, resulting in decreased neurological impairment in lab models and cell cultures with multiple sclerosis.
“There are still many questions to be answered about how crocin exerts these neuroprotective effects, but this research highlights a potential treatment role for crocin in diseases involving chronic neuroinflammation—something that had not been recognized until now,” says Power.
He explained the research demonstrates a new mechanism in multiple sclerosis, provides new potential drug targets in the future and helps explain why physicians see inflammation in multiple sclerosis."
Since CIDP involves an inflammatory demyelinating process as well, could there be a positive impact on CIDP patients from the use of saffron? Although that question remains, I think that I'll personally take it as a supplement to see if there is any improvement over time.
One should, however, be knowledgeable about saffron, it's contraindications, and the limited MS research done thus far. The dose is also not established as of yet.
Further information can be found in the links below:
http://www.news.ualberta.ca/article.aspx?id=16A67AC5B280418EAF7DF2CAFE449154
http://www.mecfsforums.com/index.php?topic=10338.0
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/geenen_rach/references.htm