Kusumbha (Safflower Flowers): Benefits, Evidence & Safety

TL;DR

Kusumbha is the Ayurvedic name for the dried flowers of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), traditionally used for skin, chest and menstrual complaints. Laboratory and animal studies suggest antioxidant and blood-sugar-related effects, but human trial data on the flowers are lacking: and safflower is contraindicated in pregnancy. (46 words. Sources: Drugs.com; Antioxidants 2024.)

What it is

Kusumbha is the Sanskrit/Ayurvedic name for the flowers of safflower, Carthamus tinctorius L., a thistle-like plant of the Asteraceae (daisy) family (clinical overview). It is also called dyer's saffron, false saffron or American saffron: it is not true saffron, which comes from the stigmas of Crocus sativus.

This article covers the flowers (petals) specifically, the part used in traditional herbal practice, not safflower seed oil, which is a different product with its own evidence base. The flowers' characteristic constituents include the yellow pigment hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) and the flavonoid kaempferol, whose levels vary with flower colour (flower-chemistry study, Molecules 2026).

Traditional use

In Ayurvedic medicine, safflower flowers are traditionally used for scabies, arthritis and chest pains, and infusions of the flowers are used to soothe coughs and bronchial conditions (traditional-use summary). In traditional Chinese medicine the flowers (Hong Hua) are used to invigorate the blood, dispel stagnation, and treat menstrual disorders, abdominal pain and wounds. Anglo-American herbalism has used them for fever and skin rashes (same source). Safflower petals were also historically valued as a dye: hence the name "dyer's saffron." All of these are traditional uses, not clinically proven effects.

What modern research says

Blood sugar and liver effects (animal study)

A 2024 study in Antioxidants gave diabetic rats a methanolic extract of safflower flowers (300 mg/kg) for 8 weeks: fasting blood glucose, free fatty acids, cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol fell significantly, liver structure improved with less fat accumulation, and the effects tracked Nrf2/PPARα antioxidant and fat-metabolism pathways, with lower oxidative and inflammatory markers (MDA, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6) (animal study) (PubMed 39334757). Promising as a mechanism, but rats are not people: human relevance is untested.

Carbohydrate-digestion enzyme (laboratory study)

A 2026 study compared red, yellow and white safflower flower extracts and found they inhibit α-glucosidase, an enzyme involved in carbohydrate digestion, in test-tube assays. The flavonoid kaempferol was the strongest inhibitor (IC50 0.1768 mg/mL), and white-flower extract showed the strongest effect among the extracts (in-vitro study) (Molecules 2026). Laboratory enzyme inhibition does not translate directly into blood-sugar effects in humans.

What human evidence exists — and its limits

A medically reviewed clinical overview of safflower concludes that "clinical trial data are lacking to recommend use of safflower for any indication" (Drugs.com). Most human research on safflower concerns the seed oil, not the flowers, for example, a 12-week randomized, double-blind trial in 67 metabolic-syndrome patients found 8 g/day of safflower oil reduced waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose and insulin resistance versus placebo (RCT, oil, not flowers) (trial summary). Do not read oil studies as evidence for the flowers.

Safety & contraindications

FAQs

What is kusumbha?

Kusumbha is the Ayurvedic/Sanskrit name for the flowers of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), a thistle-like plant in the daisy family. The dried orange-red petals are the part used in traditional herbal practice, as teas, powders and colouring, distinct from safflower seed oil used in cooking. Its key flower compounds include hydroxysafflor yellow A and kaempferol.

Is kusumbha the same as saffron?

No. Safflower is sometimes called "false saffron" or "dyer's saffron" because its petals were historically used as a cheaper substitute for saffron's colour, but true saffron is the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus: a different plant, far more expensive, with its own distinct chemistry and evidence base. Do not confuse the two when reading traditional recipes or research.

What is kusumbha traditionally used for?

In Ayurveda the flowers are traditionally used for skin complaints such as scabies, arthritis, chest pains, and, as infusions, coughs and bronchial conditions. Traditional Chinese medicine uses the flowers (Hong Hua) for menstrual disorders, abdominal pain and "blood stasis." These are long-standing traditional uses; none is supported by human clinical trials of the flowers.

Does kusumbha lower blood sugar or cholesterol?

In animals and test tubes, there are signals: safflower flower extract lowered fasting glucose and lipids in diabetic rats, and flower extracts inhibited the carbohydrate-digesting enzyme α-glucosidase in the lab. But no human trials of the flowers exist, and a medically reviewed overview states clinical trial data are lacking to recommend safflower for any indication. Do not use kusumbha to manage diabetes or cholesterol.

Is safflower safe in pregnancy?

No: medicinal use is contraindicated. Drugs.com's medically reviewed monograph states safflower is contraindicated in pregnancy, with abortifacient and emmenagogue effects suggested. This applies to the flowers and concentrated preparations, not to trace culinary exposure: but to be safe, avoid safflower teas, powders and supplements entirely if you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, and consult your doctor.

Can I just use safflower oil instead of the flowers?

They are different products with different evidence. The flowers (kusumbha) are the traditional herbal part; the oil comes from the seeds and is mainly a cooking oil. The small human trials that exist, such as the 12-week metabolic-syndrome trial, tested the oil, not the flowers, so their results say nothing about kusumbha preparations. Do not substitute one for the other when following traditional uses.

Sources

Tier 1 (peer-reviewed journals):

Tier 3 (medically reviewed monograph; herbal encyclopedia):

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Safflower is contraindicated in pregnancy — consult a qualified practitioner or your doctor before any medicinal use.