Saffron extract and mood in adults with mild low mood
What it found
In 51 adults with mild symptoms of low mood, anxiety or fatigue, taking saffron extract for 6 weeks did not change combined symptom scores.
It did improve self-rated mental health compared with placebo.
What they found
Studies in people
Combined symptom score
Saffron extract did not significantly change the combined score for depression, anxiety and fatigue, nor any of these symptoms on their own. Both groups improved over time.
Self-rated mental health
People taking saffron reported better mental health on a quality-of-life questionnaire after 6 weeks than those taking placebo. The average mental health score was 53.8 in the saffron group and 44.6 in the placebo group.
Inflammation and cortisol
Saffron extract did not significantly affect levels of inflammatory markers IL-6 or C-reactive protein, or the cortisol awakening response.
Blood metabolite
Blood levels of N-acetylphenylalanine were significantly reduced after 6 weeks of saffron supplementation. Higher levels of this metabolite were linked to more severe emotional symptoms.
Tolerance
Saffron extract was well tolerated. There was no difference between groups in mild or moderate side effects, and no serious reactions were reported.
What the authors conclude
“Saffron extract supplementation do not affect subclinical depressive symptoms, either as a composite score or individual symptom categories.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that saffron extract supplementation does not affect subclinical depressive symptoms, either as a composite score or individual symptom categories.
- They state that a potential effect on improved mental health outcomes cannot be excluded but requires further replication in future well-powered trials.
- They call for further larger-scale and adequately powered studies to confirm these observations in populations with subclinical symptoms of depression.
How it was done
Mild symptoms of low mood, fatigue and anxiety affect quality of life and can lead to more serious mental health problems. The authors wanted to see whether saffron extract could help, and to explore possible mechanisms.
They randomly assigned 51 healthy adults aged 18 to 50 with mild symptoms of low mood, anxiety or fatigue to take either 30 mg of saffron extract or a placebo each day for 6 weeks. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew who got which. Symptoms, quality of life, inflammatory markers, cortisol and blood metabolites were measured before and after.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was small and lasted only 6 weeks, so it may have missed small effects.
- The results apply to healthy adults with mild symptoms, not to people with diagnosed depression.
- The authors did not adjust for multiple comparisons, so some findings could be due to chance.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Bordeaux, France; Research and Innovation Centre, Italy
The paper
- Title
- Effect of saffron extract supplementation on mood in healthy adults with subclinical symptoms of depression: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Amadieu C, Leyrolle Q, Farneti M, et al (2025). Effect of saffron extract supplementation on mood in healthy adults with subclinical symptoms of depression: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study. The American journal of clinical nutrition. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.09.050Free full textPubMed 41047129DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error