Saffron for Treatment of Anxiety

Saffron seems to have a reliable effect on reducing anxiety. When using the validated questionnaire to define anxiety alone, the effect is small yet significant, however when using other subjective questionnaires with patients in these trials, it appears to have quite a strong effect.

Research on Saffron and Anxiety

Some trials were conducted on certain patient populations, but saffron may be worth a try for some.

Trial 1: saffron appeared to improve anxiety and sleep disturbance (but not depression) in some diabetic patients. In this trial, 30 mg of saffron was given daily, for 8 weeks. All participants exercised and had diet change but the group with saffron had significant improvements over the placebo group [8].

Trial 2: saffron appears to have a significant impact in the treatment of anxiety and depression disorder. This trial looked at 60 adult patients, with anxiety and depression. They were given 50 mg of saffron (capsule) twice a day for 12 weeks. They were assessed with validated diagnostic questionnaires [9].

Clinical Utility

The overall clinical utility of saffron for managing anxiety is quite strong. The research was conducted in humans, found to be very safe and most importantly effective. Discuss with your naturopath today!