Saffron (Crocus sativa): An Ancient Herb for Everyday Health

Saffron (Crocus sativus), as many of you Flourish readers may already know, is one of the most expensive spices known worldwide—this is thanks to its colour, flavour, and wide array of medicinal properties.

These active components have shown several useful pharmacological effects such as anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anti‑inflammatory, antitumour, radical-scavenging effects, and learning- and memory-improving effects.

Saffron belongs to the Iridaceae family and is a perennial herb widely cultivated in Iran as well as India and Greece.[i] Saffron, the spice, is derived from the dried red stigma with a small portion of the yellowish stamen attached to the flower of Crocus sativus. In China, it is known as Fan-Hong-Hua, and it has been used there as a medicine for over 3,000 years.[ii]

Saffron stigmas contain over 150 compounds, four of which are responsible for the observed health effects of this herb. The four major bioactive compounds are crocin, crocetin (made through the hydrolysis of crocin), picrocrocin, and safranal. These active components exert several useful pharmacological effects such as anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antitumour, radical scavenging, as well as learning and memory improvement.[iii]^, [iv] Let’s explore some of the many ways saffron is used in medicine today.

Saffron and Menopause

A 12-week parallel-group, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted where 86 perimenopausal women experiencing menopausal complaints received either a placebo or 14 mg of a saffron extract. The PANAS scale (a scale measuring both positive and negative emotions) as well as the Greene Climacteric Scale were used to measure change in the trial subjects.

At the end of the 12-week trial, researchers observed a 33% reduction in anxiety as well as a 32% reduction in depression scores from baseline to week 12. There was also a significantly greater reduction in negative emotions (e.g., anger, contempt, fear) on the PANAS scale in the saffron group as compared to the placebo.[v]

At the end of the study, participants who received the saffron extract experienced a significant reduction in the number of hot flashes.

In another study, 60 postmenopausal subjects experiencing hot flashes were randomized to receive either 30 mg/d of saffron or a placebo during the 6‑week trial period. At the end of the study, participants who received the saffron extract experienced a significant reduction in the number of hot flashes as well as an additional reduction in depressive symptoms when compared to the placebo group.[vi]

Saffron and Sleep Regulation

In a study conducted over a 28‑day period, the effects of saffron on sleep quality as well as melatonin and cortisol levels were explored. In this parallel-group, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 120 adults experiencing unsatisfactory sleep received either a placebo, 14 mg, or 28 mg of a standardized saffron extract one hour before bed.

Most notably, when compared to the placebo, saffron supplementation was associated with increases in evening melatonin concentrations.

Compared to the placebo, saffron supplementation was associated with greater improvements in sleep-quality ratings. These improvements in sleep were observed at both the 14 mg and 28 mg saffron doses. Sleep improvements were similar for the two administered saffron doses. Most notably, when compared to the placebo, saffron supplementation was associated with increases in evening melatonin concentrations.[vii]

Saffron and Mood Regulation

In a double-blind and randomized trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive a capsule of 15 mg of saffron petal twice daily or fluoxetine (Prozac®), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor used in the treatment of depression as well as anxiety disorders (10 mg twice daily) for an 8‑week study. At the end of the trial, saffron petal was found to be as effective as fluoxetine in reducing symptoms of mild-to-moderate depression.[viii]

Based on youth self-reports, saffron extract was associated with greater improvements in overall internalizing symptoms, separation anxiety, social phobia, and depression.

In yet another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, youth aged 12–16 years with mild to moderate anxiety or depressive symptoms were given tablets containing placebo or a proprietary saffron extract (14 mg twice daily). Eighty (80) participants were enrolled, and 68 completed the study. Based on youth self-reports, saffron extract was associated with greater improvements in overall internalizing symptoms, separation anxiety, social phobia, and depression. Total internalizing scores decreased by an average of 33% compared to 17% in the placebo group.[ix]

Saffron has been widely used over the last 3,000 years as a medicinal plant to promote human health, especially in Asia as well as Europe. As we have explored, saffron has been shown to improve mood; reduce symptoms of depression; reduce hot flashes in menopausal women; and improve sleep quality, likely through enhancing melatonin production. While the evidence of saffron improving mood, sleep, and hormonal health is overwhelmingly positive, it is as always of paramount importance to determine with your health-care practitioner whether saffron is both safe and appropriate to address your mental-health needs. It is wise to stay within the recommended dose as this herb, when used at higher doses (typically above 200 mg/d) is also associated with reductions in blood pressure, reductions in hemoglobin, decreases in platelet count, abnormal bleeding, nausea, and sedation.[x]^{, [xi], [xii]}

Dr. Colleen Hartwick, ND

Dr. Colleen Hartwick is a licensed naturopathic physician practising on North Vancouver Island, BC, with a special interest in trauma as it plays a role in disease.

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