Saffron

What is saffron, and what does it mean as a supplement?

Saffron is the stigma of the Crocus sativus plant; in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Plant List it appears as “Saffron / Stigma; Safran; Stigma.” ^[11] In clinical studies, oral saffron preparations have been examined for mood and other areas; Tóth and colleagues included RCTs using “oral saffron at pharmacological doses.” ^[1] Because preparations differ across studies, the result of one study cannot be directly transferred to another product. The WFSBP/CANMAT guideline cites quality and standardization of herbal preparations as a key issue limiting confidence in these agents. ^[5]

Role in the body and purpose of use

Saffron is not a nutrient; it has no required function and no deficiency in the body. Purposes studied include depression and anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, age-related macular degeneration, and metabolic markers. A meta-research review (19 meta-analyses, 2013–2021) reports heterogeneous results indicating that saffron lowered fasting blood sugar, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, and total and LDL cholesterol, and improved depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and sexual dysfunction. The same review states that the reporting and methodological quality of the meta-analyses needs to be improved. ^[9] The main claims are given separately in the sections below.

Is saffron good for depression?

The meta-analysis by Tóth and colleagues included RCTs comparing saffron with placebo or commonly used antidepressants in patients with mild-to-moderate depression: 11 studies entered the qualitative analysis and 9 were statistically pooled. Saffron was significantly effective versus placebo (Hedges g = 0.891; 95% CI 0.369–1.412; p = 0.001) and was found to be non-inferior to the antidepressants tested (g = −0.246; 95% CI −0.495 to 0.004; p = 0.053). ^[1] The 12-study meta-analysis by Dai and colleagues also reported that saffron improved depressive symptoms more than placebo, was, in the authors’ words, “as effective as” synthetic antidepressants (the abstract does not state that this rests on an equivalence test), and that there was no significant difference in frequency of side effects between saffron and placebo or antidepressants; the authors stated that larger, multicenter, longer-term studies covering different ethnic groups are needed. ^[2]

The 2026 meta-analysis by Mahmoudi and colleagues included placebo-controlled adult studies lasting at least four weeks in which saffron was the only difference: 34 RCTs, 1,769 participants. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; 14 studies, 817 participants) fell by a mean of 4.39 points (95% CI −6.64 to −2.15; I² 92.3%), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; 6 studies, 339 participants) fell by 5.06 points (95% CI −8.44 to −1.68; I² 94.8%). No significant effect was observed on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), or POMS. The authors rated the certainty of the evidence as moderate according to GRADE, but stated that the absence of an effect on clinician-rated scales shows the need for high-quality studies. ^[3] In other words, a fall was seen on scales measured by self-report while no significant effect was found on scales rated by the clinician; between-study variation is very high.

How were these studies selected, and whom do they cover?

Tóth and colleagues included only randomized studies that were placebo- or active-controlled, covered patients with mild-to-moderate depression, and used oral saffron at pharmacological doses; Hedges g was used as the effect size, risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane tool, and heterogeneity was tested with Cochran Q and I². ^[1] Mahmoudi and colleagues included adult participants, interventions of at least four weeks, and comparisons in which saffron was the only difference. ^[3]

What was found when saffron was compared with antidepressants?

The meta-analysis by Shafiee and colleagues (search through April 31, 2023) included RCTs comparing saffron with SSRIs. For depression the difference was nonsignificant in 8 studies (SMD 0.10; 95% CI −0.09 to 0.29); for anxiety the difference was also nonsignificant in 4 studies (SMD 0.04; 95% CI −0.22 to 0.29). The risk of adverse events was lower in the saffron group (risk difference −0.06; 95% CI −0.09 to −0.04; I² 0%). ^[4] A nonsignificant difference does not prove that two treatments are equivalent; it is also noted that these studies were conducted in adults with depression or anxiety and contain no conclusion that saffron replaces antidepressant treatment. The PubMed record also links to a published commentary letter on this meta-analysis.

What do guidelines say about saffron?

The 2022 WFSBP and CANMAT task force guideline classified saffron as “provisionally recommended” (++) in unipolar depression on the basis of level A evidence (meta-analysis or two or more RCTs) and a positive direction; St John’s wort (+++), curcumin (++), and lavender (+) were under the same heading. The guideline also states that, where these agents are supported, they should primarily be recommended as adjuncts within a standard medical care model, particularly in more severe mental illness; it also notes that some of the meta-analyses reviewed included methodologically weak, heterogeneous studies. ^[5] Although the classification is positive in direction, the document states that quality and standardization of phytoceutical products is an issue limiting confidence.

Is saffron effective for anxiety and premenstrual syndrome?

For anxiety, in Mahmoudi and colleagues the BAI fell and there was no effect on HARS (above). ^[3] For premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the BJOG study by Agha-Hosseini and colleagues is a double-blind RCT (Iran) comparing saffron with placebo for two cycles in women aged 20–45 with PMS symptoms for at least 6 months and regular menstrual cycles; saffron showed a significant difference on the Daily Symptom Report and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. ^[6] The 2026 meta-analysis by Mohammadi and Karimi reported a significant favorable effect on PMS symptoms (SMD −0.64; 95% CI −0.84 to −0.44) and a borderline effect on dysmenorrhea (SMD −0.51; 95% CI −1.01 to −0.01); the upper bound of the dysmenorrhea confidence interval is very close to zero. ^[7]

How reliable are the saffron studies overall?

The shared limitation of the saffron meta-analyses is heterogeneity and study quality. In Mahmoudi and colleagues, between-study variation was at the 92–95% level. ^[3] Dai and colleagues state that larger, longer-term studies in different ethnic groups are needed. ^[2] Lu and colleagues emphasize that the reporting and methodological quality of 19 meta-analyses needs to be improved and that the clinical effects of saffron need to be confirmed in many countries with large-sample, high-quality RCTs. ^[9] The benefits on this page are therefore read as “small, of low-to-moderate certainty, and awaiting confirmation.”

Is saffron good for macular degeneration in the eye?

The RCT by Broadhead and colleagues is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study (3 months saffron, 3 months placebo and vice versa) in 100 adults over age 50 with mild-to-moderate age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved by a mean of 0.69 letters with saffron compared with placebo (p = 0.001), and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) latency shortened by 0.17 ms (p = 0.04); there was no significant difference in the frequency of adverse events. The authors describe the improvement as “modest” and suggest that longer-term use might provide greater benefit. ^[8] This is a single RCT, and the difference in visual acuity is at the level of 0.69 letters.

Is saffron safe, and is there a product quality problem?

According to the meta-research review by Lu and colleagues, common side effects of saffron consumption are nausea, dry mouth, decreased appetite, and headache; no serious adverse reactions have been reported. ^[9]

The systematic review by Mehdizadeh and colleagues (23 studies, 2015–2025) reports that 20–30% of commercial saffron globally is adulterated; regional variation is large (3.5% in regulated EU markets, 60% in India). Common practices include substitution with safflower, marigold, or turmeric, dilution with foreign plant materials, and the addition of hazardous synthetic dyes such as Sudan compounds and auramine-O; the authors cite exposure to carcinogenic dyes as a health risk. ^[10] The review treats adulteration as an issue of consumer safety and economic loss and states that harmonized ISO standards are needed.

What is saffron’s status in Türkiye?

In the July 16, 2026 update of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Plant List, Crocus sativus (Saffron / Stigma; Safran; stigma) is listed as positive (P); the row carries no additional warning condition. ^[11] In the September 21, 2026 version of the Dietary Supplements Restricted Substances List, there is no row for Crocus sativus, saffron, crocin, or safranal; that is, no daily upper limit is defined in the list. ^[12] Dietary supplements are also covered on the Supplement regulation in Türkiye page. This guide does not recommend products or suppliers and does not set personal doses.

Evidence table: claim, population, and limits