Saffron has high quality evidence for depression, and unique benefits in women.
STUDY: Lopresti AL and Smith SJ, Frontiers in Nutrition 2026
STUDY TYPE: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
FUNDING: Pharmactive Biotech Products
Background
I just finished writing a Carlat Fact Book on Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, and saffron is among the most promising of the 75 therapies I reviewed. Many of its trials are new, and here’s how they stack up in depression:
- Major depressive disorder: 3 large and 17 small trials, 100% positive
- Mild depressive and anxiety symptoms: 2 large and 9 small trials, 82% positive
It has unique benefits for women, with trials in postpartum and postmenopausal depression, and in young women who have mood problems on contraceptives. Saffron is favorable for antidepressant side effects that women are more vulnerable to. This dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and melatonin-enhancing herb improves sexual function, deepens sleep quality, and causes a little weight loss.
This study tested it in women 50 to 70 with both low mood and poor sleep, a group where menopausal changes can compound both problems. It updates the score to:
- Mild depressive and anxiety symptoms: 2 large and 10 small trials, 83% positive
The Study
- 86 women with mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms and poor sleep.
- Randomized to 28 mg/day of a saffron extract (Affron) or placebo for 12 weeks.
- Self-rated depression, stress, and anxiety (DASS-D) was the primary outcome; self-esteem, sleep, appearance, and computer-estimated skin age were secondary.
Saffron beat placebo on the primary outcome, with a moderate effect size (0.48). Nearly half the saffron group (48.8%) hit a clinically meaningful improvement versus about a quarter on placebo (25.6%), for a number needed to treat of roughly 4.
Self-esteem also improved more with saffron (effect size 0.51), a novel finding for this supplement. Sleep-related impairment also improved (effect size 0.45), but objective (computerized) and subjective ratings of skin-age and “satisfaction with attractiveness” did not change.
Side Effects
No serious adverse events. Tolerability was rated good to excellent by everyone in the saffron group.
Limitations
The trial was powered only for depression, so other measures are exploratory. Industry-funded, and dependent on self-report, a limitation with most saffron research. However, the blind was intact in this study, despite the herb’s aroma, and other trials find intact blinding.
Practice Implications
- Consider saffron for patients with mild-to-moderate depression who want to avoid antidepressant side effects of sleep disruption and sexual dysfunction.
- It has strong support in older women, but the trials cover men and teens as well.
- Affron is a widely studied and quality-controlled extract, licensed to brands listed here.
—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report
