Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
20 verified / 20
Classification
Sleep & Mood
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.
What is Saffron?
Saffron (Crocus sativus) is a sleep and mood supplement used for mild–moderate depression. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Saffron's carotenoids (crocin) and safranal appear to modulate serotonin. Multiple RCTs and meta-analyses find that 30 mg/day reduces symptoms of mild-to-moderate depression, in some trials comparably to low-dose SSRIs, with fewer side effects. It also shows promise for anxiety and PMS. Most trials are small and short, so it is best viewed as a complementary, not primary, treatment.
Purported Benefits
✓Mild–moderate depression
✓Anxiety
✓Possible PMS relief
Evidence by outcome
The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.
| Outcome | Evidence | Effect | Studies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild-moderate depressionMultiple meta-analyses/RCTs show benefit vs placebo and parity with SSRIs, but trials small and short. | Moderate | ↑ benefit · moderate | 4 |
| Anxiety symptomsLarge SR (46 RCTs) found benefit vs placebo and comparable to SSRIs with fewer adverse events. | Moderate | ↑ benefit · moderate | 2 |
| PMS symptomsSingle small early trial (Agha-Hosseini 2008) showed reduced PMS vs placebo; not replicated in entry. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · moderate | 1 |
| Sleep quality/insomniaMeta-analysis and a 165-person RCT show improved sleep; effect small-to-moderate. | Moderate | ↑ benefit · small | 2 |
| Glycemic/cardiometabolic markersDose-response meta-analyses show statistically significant but not clinically important reductions. | Mixed | ↑ benefit · small | 2 |
| Cognition (MCI/Alzheimer's)Meta-analysis of 4 small RCTs (n=203) improved ADAS-cog; evidence limited. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · moderate | 1 |
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
30 mg/day standardized extract.
Active Compounds
Safety & Cautions
Safe at supplement doses. Very high doses (>5 g) are toxic. Avoid in pregnancy. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Saffron with any medicine.
Saffron drug interactions
Known or theoretical interactions between Saffron and common medications — educational, not exhaustive. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Saffron with any medicine.
Caution
Antidepressants
May add to serotonergic/antidepressant effects; monitor when combined.
Saffron has antidepressant-like serotonergic activity that may add to antidepressant drugs. Lopresti — Saffron for depression (RCT)
Key Studies ★ 20 studies
meta-analysis
Han 2024 meta-analysis (saffron vs SSRIs)
✓ PubMed
Across 8 RCTs, saffron showed a nonsignificant difference from SSRIs in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms, with fewer adverse events, supporting it as a potential SSRI alternative.
systematic review
Hosseini 2024 systematic review (neuropsychiatric)
✓ PubMed
Pooling 46 RCTs (4-48 weeks), saffron was more effective than placebo for depression (effect size -4.26) and anxiety (effect size -3.75), with additional benefits across cognition and other psychiatric outcomes.
meta-analysis
Ghaderi 2024 meta-analysis (metabolic syndrome)
✓ PubMed
In RCTs of patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders, Crocus sativus supplementation significantly improved glycemic control (fasting glucose, HbA1c) and cardiometabolic parameters versus control.
meta-analysis
Saffron T2DM meta-analysis 2023
✓ PubMed
Systematic review and meta-analysis found saffron/crocin added to standard antidiabetic therapy improved metabolic profile in type-2 diabetes patients versus control.
meta-analysis
Saffron T2DM GRADE meta-analysis 2024
✓ PubMed
GRADE-assessed meta-analysis of RCTs found saffron supplementation reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetes patients, with no adverse effect on renal or liver function.
systematic review
Seyedi-Sahebari 2024 ADHD systematic review
✓ PubMed
Systematic review of 4 clinical trials (118 children/adolescents) found saffron effective for ADHD symptoms either as monotherapy or adjuvant to methylphenidate, with an acceptable safety profile.
Meta-analysis
Zhang 2025 (Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat, 13 RCTs, GRADE)
✓ PubMed
GRADE-assessed meta-analysis of 13 RCTs in diabetes/prediabetes: saffron significantly lowered systolic BP (SMD -0.57, high certainty), fasting glucose (SMD -0.57, low certainty) and AST (SMD -0.49, low certainty); no significant effect on ALT, DBP or renal markers. Authors note effect sizes were not clinically important.
meta-analysis
Lian 2022 sleep-quality meta-analysis
✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of RCTs found saffron supplementation significantly improved sleep quality versus placebo (PSQI MD -2.14, 95% CI -2.86 to -1.42; ISI MD -2.63), with best results around 100 mg/day.
meta-analysis
Ayati 2020 MCI/dementia meta-analysis
✓ PubMed
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 4 RCTs (203 patients) found saffron significantly improved cognition (ADAS-cog, CDR-SB) versus placebo in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, and was comparable to conventional drugs, though evidence remained limited.
Systematic review
Zamani 2022 (Frontiers in Nutrition, 32 RCTs)
✓ PubMed
Dose-response meta-analysis of 32 RCTs (n=1674): saffron significantly reduced triglycerides (-8.81 mg/dl), total cholesterol (-6.87 mg/dl), LDL (-6.71 mg/dl), fasting glucose (-7.59 mg/dl), HbA1c (-0.18%), HOMA-IR (-0.49), systolic BP (-3.42 mmHg), TNF-alpha and waist circumference, and increased total antioxidant capacity.
meta-analysis
Ranjbar 2019 sexual-dysfunction meta-analysis
✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 5 trials (173 participants) found saffron produced a statistically significant positive effect on sexual dysfunction overall (standardized mean difference 0.811, 95% CI 0.356-1.265), with effects varying by sexual-function dimension.
Meta-analysis
Hausenblas 2013 meta-analysis
✓ PubMed
Significantly reduced depressive symptoms vs placebo.
randomized controlled trial
Broadhead 2024 saffron AMD extension trial
✓ PubMed
In an open-label 12-month extension of ~93 adults over 50 with mild/moderate AMD, ongoing oral saffron 20 mg/day was associated with sustained modest improvement in retinal/visual function.
randomized controlled trial
Schuster 2025 insomnia RCT
✓ PubMed
In a 4-week, 3-arm, double-blind RCT of 165 adults with moderate insomnia, saffron extract (20 and 30 mg/day) significantly reduced insomnia severity and improved sleep quality versus placebo, with a small-to-moderate effect and reduced perceived stress.
RCT
Lopresti et al. 2025 (J Nutr)
✓ PubMed
12-week double-blind RCT in 202 adults with subclinical depressive symptoms found 28 mg/day saffron extract (affron) produced a significantly greater reduction in DASS-21 depression scores than placebo, with improvements emerging by week 5.
RCT
AJCN 2025 saffron subclinical depression
✓ PubMed
6-week double-blind RCT in 51 healthy adults with subclinical depression found saffron did not significantly improve the primary combined depression/anxiety/fatigue outcome, with only a secondary self-perceived mental-health benefit (SF-12 53.8 vs 44.6; P=0.04).
RCT
Helvian et al. 2025 (J Pharmacol Pharmacother)
✓ Source
8-week double-blind RCT in 56 medical students with mild-moderate depression found 30 mg/day saffron significantly lowered HDRS scores vs placebo at week 8 (10.5 vs 18; p<0.001), with no significant change in cortisol.
RCT
Kashani / Akhondzadeh 2016 (Pharmacopsychiatry)
✓ PubMed
Double-blind RCT in mild-to-moderate postpartum depression: saffron 30 mg/day was comparable to fluoxetine 20 mg/day over 6 weeks on HDRS, with complete response in 40.6% (saffron) vs 50% (fluoxetine), non-significant difference, and similar adverse-event rates (underpowered preliminary trial).
Review
Lopresti 2014 review
✓ PubMed
Comparable to antidepressants in head-to-head trials.
Study
Agha-Hosseini 2008
✓ PubMed
Reduced PMS symptoms vs placebo.