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Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. A lower HRV is found in people with medical and psychological conditions including several cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, depression, and bipolar disorder. A higher HRV is believed to be a sign of good health and increased parasympathetic activity. In fact, a decrease in HRV is associated with an increased risk of mortality after myocardial infarction or bypass operation.
Stress reduction, improved physical fitness, better diet quality, and weight loss can increase HRV. However, psychological stress, shift work, smoking, alcohol abuse, and toxic exposure lowers HRV.
In an animal study [1], saffron was orally administered to rats for 7 days. The researchers found that saffron administered at higher doses increased HRV and lowered resting heart rate.
These findings suggest that saffron’s antidepressant, anxiolytic, and overall health-enhancing effects may be associated with its ability to increase HRV and parasympathetic (rest and digest) activity. As HRV is a measure of vagus nerve activity, these results suggest saffron may also have an effect on the vagus nerve. Increased activity of the vagus nerve (vagus nerve stimulation) is a treatment for epileptic seizures and treatment-resistant depression.
