Saffron

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Eye health and vision²

  In people with early AMD, saffron supplements improved retinal flicker sensitivity, suggesting a neuroprotective effect.

• Benefit

  Brain and mood health³

  In animal and human studies, saffron and its compounds may help mood, anxiety, learning and memory, the authors say.

• Open question

  Muscle strength and reaction time⁴

  In people, taking saffron for 10 days increased leg muscle force and sped up reaction times.

• Benefit

  Mood and sleep in adults⁵

  In adults with mild low mood, saffron improved depression scores over three months, though sleep benefits appeared only in some.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Age-related diseases⁶

  Saffron and its main compounds may help protect against depression, anxiety and age-related heart, eye and brain diseases.

• Open question

  Blood sugar and cholesterol⁷

  Saffron may help blood sugar and cholesterol, but scientists do not yet know whether it truly works.

How it’s made and used

• Spice authenticity and fraud⁸

  Many saffron products are mixed with other plants or dyes, so what you buy may not be pure saffron.

• Pasta taste and texture⁹

  Adding saffron to fresh pasta changed its texture and colour, and taste testers liked the saffron pasta more.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.