Adding spice to AMD supplements

A Cambridge-based company, Persavita, which targets age-related health changes, has launched a natural supplement featuring the spice saffron.

Persavita scientists worked with eye surgeon and ophthalmologist, Dr Kim Julian, to create the supplement ‘Saffron 2020,’ which is patent pending.

The nutritional supplement is based on research that suggests saffron may help protect against failing eyesight in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – the most common cause of blindness in old people.

In that study, conducted in Italy, patients with the dry form of AMD experienced improvements in their vision after taking saffron pills for three months.

Saffron is derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus.

Taken as a daily capsule, ‘Saffron 2020’ contains the same amount of saffron used in the Italian study, 20mg, and nine other ingredients known to support the eyes. These include the natural carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as resveratrol which is found in red grapes, plus antioxidant vitamins A, B2, C, E and minerals.

Company co-founder, Mahmood Piraee, a pharmacist with over 20 years of experience in natural products drug discovery, told OT: “This exciting finding offers a safe and natural solution to help preserve eye sight in old age.

“Although developed with the dry form of AMD in mind, feedback from our customers indicates that those with the wet form of AMD also show significant improvements when taking ‘Saffron 2020.’ There is no other similar product on the market,” he concluded.

For further information, visit the Saffron 2020 website.