herb
Saffron
Saffron is the dried stigma of the crocus flower, and the spice most people know from cooking. As a supplement it is sold standardised for safranal or crocin, usually around 30 mg a day.
Marketing vs Evidence
What brands claim
Low mood, anxiety, appetite control
What the research shows
What it’s good for
Saffron for Low Mood
Not verified3 studies · 2 supporting · 1 against
Tested as: Mixed across 23 trials. Dried powder, and petal and stigma extracts. No single strength.
Why we could not verify it: We found 3 studies on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Hot Flashes
Not verified2 studies · 1 supporting · 1 against
Dose: 28 mg
Tested as: Affron, a standard saffron extract. 14 mg twice a day.
Why we could not verify it: We found 2 studies on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Anxiety
Not verified2 studies · 1 supporting · 1 against
Tested as: Mixed across trials. Stigma powder and several extracts. No single strength.
Why we could not verify it: We found 2 studies on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Joint Pain
Not verified2 studies · 1 supporting · 0 against
Dose: 15–100 mg
Tested as: Mixed and poorly standardised across the 5 trials — saffron powder and extracts at 15-100 mg/day
Why we could not verify it: We found 2 studies on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Poor Sleep Quality
Not verified2 studies · 1 supporting · 1 against
Tested as: A standard saffron extract, 30 mg a day. Doses of 100 mg worked best in one group.
Why we could not verify it: We found 2 studies on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Chronic Fatigue
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 1 against
Dose: 30 mg
Tested as: Saffron extract (Activ'Inside) standardised to >2.5% crocins and >1.5% safranal, 15 mg twice daily
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Weight & Body Composition
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 1 against
Tested as: Mixed across 25 trials. Powder and several extracts, some branded. No single strength.
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Age-Related Vision Loss
Not verified1 study · 1 supporting · 0 against
Dose: 20 mg
Why we could not verify it: We found the study behind this. We have not finished reading it yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Chronic Inflammation
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 1 against
Dose: 22–1000 mg
Tested as: Mixed across 21 trials — saffron stigma powder, aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts, and crocin; doses 22-1000 mg/day for 4-12 weeks
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for PMS Symptoms
Not verified1 study · 1 supporting · 0 against
Dose: 30 mg
Why we could not verify it: We found the study behind this. We have not finished reading it yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Low Libido
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 1 against
Dose: 30 mg
Tested as: Saffron capsule. 15 mg twice a day. The strength is not reported.
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for High Blood Pressure
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 0 against
Tested as: Mixed across 8 trials — saffron powder and extracts; no single standardisation
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for High Cholesterol
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 0 against
Tested as: Mixed across 6 trials — saffron powder and extracts; no single standardisation
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Stress
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 0 against
Dose: 30 mg
Tested as: A standard saffron extract, 30 mg a day. The strength is not reported.
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Muscle Soreness
Not verified1 study · 1 supporting · 0 against
Dose: 300 mg
Tested as: Dried saffron powder, 300 mg a day. The strength is not reported.
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.
Saffron for Insomnia
Not verified1 study · 1 supporting · 0 against
Dose: 20–30 mg
Tested as: Safr'Inside (Activ'Inside) saffron extract standardised to >3% crocins, >0.2% safranal, >1% picrocrocin derivatives, >0.1% kaempferol derivatives; tested at 20 mg and 30 mg per day
Why we could not verify it: We found 1 study on this. We have not finished reading them yet, so we are not ready to say either way.