Saffron: An Effective Natural Option for Managing Anxiety and Depression

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.

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.

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“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.

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.

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 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



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