Safflower: Unlocking the secrets of a timeless healing herb

By oliviacook // 2025-09-17

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Safflower has been valued for centuries across cultures for its applications in cuisine, daily life and traditional medicine, with historical evidence from ancient Egyptian tombs and traditional practices in Iran, Thailand and China.
Contemporary research is validating the plant's traditional uses, confirming its potential as a therapeutic agent through rigorous studies and clinical trials.
Safflower extracts improve blood flow, prevent platelet aggregation and reduce blood clots, with studies showing positive effects on blood pressure, cholesterol levels and arrhythmia in animal and clinical models.
Animal studies demonstrate safflower's potential in bone health, reducing bone resorption and influencing hormonal activity in reproductive organs, though excessive use can have adverse effects.
Safflower promotes hair growth, offers antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits for the skin and exhibits antimicrobial effects against various infections, including malaria and fungal infections, due to its bioactive compounds.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) has been valued across cultures for centuries for its diverse applications and roles in cuisine, daily life and traditional medicine. Today, modern science is beginning to validate many of these age-old practices and uncover the plant's potential as a therapeutic powerhouse. Historically, safflower held cultural and medicinal significance – evident from its discovery in ancient Egyptian tombs and its raw consumption and remedies in Iran. Its vibrant dyes were prized in carpet weaving across Europe, the Middle East and South Asia – a legacy reflected in its botanical name "tinctorius" (meaning "dyer"). In Thailand, safflower extracts have been used traditionally to enhance hair color, while Ayurvedic medicine applies it for conditions, like amenorrhea (abnormal absence of menstruation), arthritis, scabies (contagious skin infestation caused by a mite) and wounds. Persian/Iranian medicine leveraged safflower for diabetes, fevers, skin conditions and as a natural remedy for menstrual pain and inflammation. Traditional Chinese medicine lauds safflower florets (Carthami flos) for addressing gynecological issues, heart disease, hypertension and strokes. With the rise of modern research, safflower's traditional uses are stepping out of history and into the laboratory. Rigorous studies and clinical trials are shedding light on its remarkable potential – often confirming age-old claims while uncovering new scientific explanations. A comprehensive review published in the journal Electronic Physician highlights these findings – bridging the gap between traditional wisdom and modern science.

Cardiovascular health

Studies show safflower improves blood flow, prevents platelet aggregation and reduces blood clots without harmful side effects. In animal models, safflower extracts counteracted adrenaline-induced blood flow reduction, strengthened heartbeats and lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol while boosting "good" HDL cholesterol. Clinical trials also reported reduced arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), hypertension (high blood pressure) and improved cholesterol levels in coronary artery patients.

Musculoskeletal health

Animal studies reveal that this ancient herb stimulates smooth muscle contractions, including intestinal and uterine tissues while reducing high blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. Its benefits extend to the heart, as safflower injections reduce heart damage following a heart attack in dogs. Safflower seeds are traditionally used in Chinese medicine for ailments like rheumatoid arthritis, thorax rheumatism and sciatica. One animal study focused on the seeds' ability to inhibit bone resorption (a process where bone tissue is broken down, releasing minerals into the bloodstream.) Researchers found that safflower seeds, especially when combined with a growth factor (like TGF-beta1), reduced bone degradation markers (like cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA and prostaglandin E2). These findings suggest that safflower may act as a natural inhibitor of enzymes responsible for bone loss, though its effectiveness depends on the dosage.

Reproductive health

Studies indicate safflower can influence hormonal activity – increasing uterine and seminal vesicle weight in animal models. However, prolonged use showed adverse effects, including a decline in healthy ovarian follicles, reduced reproductive hormones (like estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone) and developmental risks during pregnancy. Pregnant women are advised to avoid safflower due to its potential to disrupt embryonic development. Similarly, excessive safflower consumption has been linked to toxic effects on male fertility in animal studies.

Hair growth

Studies have found that its major compound, hydroxysafflor yellow A, plays a key role in encouraging hair growth in mice. This compound influences critical growth factors in the skin, such as vascular endothelial growth factor and keratinocyte growth factor, while reducing the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1. These changes promote healthier hair follicles. Supporting these findings, additional research on safflower's ethanol extract revealed it inhibits 5alpha-reductase activity (an enzyme associated with hair loss – making safflower one of the most effective Thai plants. Preparations using safflower have shown significant recovery rates in cases of alopecia – offering hope to those struggling with hair thinning or loss.

Skin and anti-inflammatory benefits

Safflower offers antibacterial properties that make it useful in treating skin infections and wounds. Its extract has been shown to provide relief from inflammation and retard the progression of skin tumors – thanks to its bioactive compounds like erytro-alkane-6, 8-diols and sterols. Moreover, safflower boasts antioxidant properties, primarily from its petal extract, which helps neutralize harmful free radicals. This activity is linked to the presence of carthamin (a compound that aids in protecting cells from oxidative damage).

Fighting infections and beyond

In laboratory studies, safflower's ethyl acetate and methanol extracts exhibited antimicrobial effects against Cryptococcus neoformans (the causative agent of cryptococcosis and cryptococcal meningitis), antimalarial activity against Phasmodium falciparum and antileishmanial effects against Leishmania donovani.

Mental health and chronic conditions

Research has indicated that the herb's flower extract can help alleviate symptoms of depression while also offering protection against chronic conditions like gastritis and nephritis. Clinical trials involving safflower florets showed positive results in up to 80 percent of patients with chronic and atrophic gastritis (inflammation and thinning of the stomach lining). In traditional Chinese medicine, safflower has been incorporated into treatments for respiratory conditions, such as chronic bronchitis and pertussis (whooping cough), as well as managing hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body). Modern applications have extended to throat sprays, which showed promising results in about half of the patients with acute laryngitis, pharyngitis and other throat issues.

Eye health

Safflower-based drops have shown exceptional results, particularly in pediatric myopia. According to Brighteon.AI's Enoch, safflower protects against damage caused by harmful UV rays and slows the progression of degenerative eye diseases like macular degeneration – conditions often exacerbated by modern environmental toxins, EMF pollution and pharmaceutical-induced damage. Visit GrowYourMedicine.com for more stories like this. Watch the following video to learn more about safflower plants. This video is from the Health with Benefits channel on Brighteon.com.

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