Saffron: A Promising Natural Alternative for Anxiety and Depression

Feb 13, 2024 - 04:19

Updated: 2 years ago

Saffron: A Promising Natural Alternative for Anxiety and Depression

Considered incredibly valuable, saffron has been used for millennia, from the Ancient Egyptians to Alexander the Great.

Saffron is the world’s most precious spice, and by weight, it’s also the most expensive—with a price tag of a whopping $5,000 a pound.

Although saffron is not common in the average American diet, it is a staple in Iranian (Persian) cuisine and has a long history in cooking and medicine. Saffron is also widely used as a dye for its resulting brilliant golden color.

Saffron is the tiny, dried stigma of the crocus flower (Crocus sativus). Harvesting saffron is notoriously labor intensive and requires the time-consuming task of hand-separating the stigmas from the flowers. One pound of saffron requires approximately 170,000 flowers, explaining its cost, and value in cooking and medicine. Iran boasts more than 90 percent of the world’s saffron production, but it is also grown in Morocco, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, India, and the United States.

A bee is seen on saffron flowers in a field in the town of Krokos, Greece, on Oct. 27, 2018. (Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis)

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The three main bioactive compounds in saffron are safranal, crocin, and picrocrocin, which are responsible for saffron’s color, taste, and smell. Saffron also contains abundant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and antidepressant properties.

Dr. Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist, author, and brain and mental health expert, notes some of saffron’s health benefits.

“In 2000, I started hearing about saffron, and I thought how interesting it was that it can help your mood, help your memory, and decrease inflammation,” he said in an interview in First for Women.

“Saffron seems to increase dopamine, so you have more energy and you’re happier. It increases serotonin, so your mood is better. And it increases norepinephrine, so you have better energy,” Dr. Amen noted.

“There are 24 randomized controlled trials comparing saffron against placebo, comparing it against Prozac, comparing it against Lexapro and comparing it against Zoloft, all showing that it’s equally effective but has fewer side effects.”

Medications for Anxiety and Depression

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are a class of drugs most commonly used to treat depression and anxiety. Some examples of SSRIs are:

Celexa (Citalopram)
Lexapro (Escitalopram)
Prozac (Fluoxetine)
Zoloft (Sertraline)
Paxil, Pexeva (Paroxetine)

SSRIs increase levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (which also acts as a hormone) that helps to carry signals between the brain’s nerve cells, or neurons.

Interestingly, only about 10 percent of serotonin is produced in the brain, and the other 90 percent is found in cells lining the GI tract, where it is released into the bloodstream and absorbed.

Although low serotonin levels in the brain are thought to be the cause of depression, increasing evidence suggests that this is a flawed hypothesis and that other factors are involved, ranging from the influence of genetics to the microbiome.

Saffron Studies

An increasing number of studies support the use of saffron as a natural way to treat depression and anxiety without side effects.

A review of six placebo-controlled trials found that saffron was as effective as antidepressive drugs for depression. The study states that “saffron’s antidepressant effects potentially are due to its serotonergic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuro-endocrine and neuroprotective effects.” The researchers concluded that the evidence supported the use of saffron “for the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression.”

A review article published in the Journal of Affective Disorders evaluated saffron in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, saying that “a number of clinical trials demonstrated that saffron and its active constituents possess antidepressant properties similar to those of current antidepressant medications such as fluoxetine, imipramine, and citalopram, but with fewer reported side effects.” The review concluded that saffron is a safe and effective treatment due to its antidepressive effects.

In a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition in 2020, researchers tested the effects of saffron extract “on mood, wellbeing, and response to psychological stressors in healthy adults.” Those who took saffron reported lower depression scores and “improved social relationships.”

The saffron group also showed increased heart rate variability (HRV) when presented with a psychosocial stressor (which naturally decreases HRV)—which this study showed for the first time. This increase in heart rate variability is thought to increase resilience “against the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders.”

A systematic review looking at herbal medicines in the treatment of depression found that:

“Saffron stigma was significantly more effective than a placebo and equally effective as fluoxetine and imipramine.”
“Saffron petal was significantly more effective than placebo and equally effective compared to fluoxetine and saffron stigma.”

Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant, and like the SSRI Fluoxetine, or Prozac, is used to treat depression.

Lindsey Grych, a family nurse practitioner in Lakeland, Florida, with a holistic approach, also prescribes saffron to her patients, telling The Epoch Times, “I typically use from 30 mcg to 90 mcg based on the patient’s depression/anxiety scores (using the phq-9/gad-7), and use it as an option for those who don’t typically tolerate SSRI’s well, or are looking for a more natural option.”

The PHQ-9 is the Patient Health Questionnaire, consisting of nine questions used for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, and measuring the severity of depression.

The GAD-7 is the General Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, which is made up of seven questions and is used to assess general anxiety disorder.

When asked how her patients respond to saffron, she said, “Patients typically do see results—it provides results consistent to mild to moderate SSRI prescription.”

Saffron Beyond Anxiety and Depression

Saffron’s benefits to our health and well-being extend beyond treating depression and anxiety. Saffron has been used traditionally throughout Asia and the Middle East for centuries to strengthen digestion and treat menstrual disorders, skin conditions, inflammation, and symptoms of depression.

Ayurvedic medicine—the traditional medicine of India and one of the oldest medical systems on Earth—has used saffron for centuries as a treatment for skin conditions, to strengthen digestion, immunity, and the heart, to support the female reproductive system, and as an aphrodisiac. In fact, ancient Ayurvedic texts describe a ritual in which saffron is mixed with milk and given to a new couple on their wedding night.

A growing body of research is uncovering the extent of saffron’s healing abilities, and the demand for this delectable spice is increasing, with research suggesting that the global saffron industry will be worth $2 billion by 2025.

A Bit of Saffron History

Saffron has been used for thousands of years and many ancient civilizations prized saffron for its flavor, aroma, and medicinal properties. Because of its rarity, it was a highly prized commodity and was a symbol of wealth and refinement. As a result, it was used mainly by nobility.

Alexander the Great was said to have discovered saffron on his campaigns through Persia, now Iran—and where saffron likely originated—and used it to heal wounds acquired in battle.

The ancient Egyptians used saffron for its flavor and aroma, in medicine and cosmetics, and as an aphrodisiac—Cleopatra is known to have added it to her baths to enhance lovemaking.

Saffron has been found “woven into ancient royal Persian carpets and shrouds” dating back to the tenth century BC.

Saffron was introduced into India in around 500 B.C.—around the time of the Buddha’s death. According to one source, it was around this time that the robes worn by “the title class of Buddhist priests” started being dyed with saffron—making them a beautiful golden hue.

Final Thoughts

Thankfully, we now live in a time where we don’t have to be part of the royal class to enjoy the delights of saffron! Although many of us may not have tried saffron, it is worth exploring for its wonderfully unique aroma and flavor, as well as the health benefits it has to offer—especially for those who may be struggling with anxiety and depression.