In recent years, scientific research has fundamentally overturned the traditional perception of saffron, revealing its multidimensional health potential. A large-scale clinical study published in The Journal of Nutrition in 2025 confirmed that saffron extract can significantly improve low mood in adults, alleviate depressive symptoms, and reduce sleep disturbances. In the same year, research published in Bioresources and Bioprocessing demonstrated that saffron leaves and tepals—parts that are usually discarded—are rich in antioxidant compounds and can be scientifically formulated into a highly effective antioxidant blend. Furthermore, a systematic review published in Phytotherapy Research in 2024 showed that saffron effectively relieves menstrual discomfort, improves indicators associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and exhibits good safety at conventional dosages.
Saffron is undergoing a transformation—from its long-standing portrayal in films and television dramas as a “toxic abortifacient” to a “soft gold” with functions spanning mood regulation, antioxidant activity, and women’s health support. Recent scientific evidence provides a disruptive new answer: saffron not only “protects emotional wellbeing,” but can also “turn waste into value,” and shows broad potential in the field of women’s health.
Next, let us take a closer look at saffron’s scientific “rehabilitation.”
Remarkable Mood-Soothing Effects Beyond Expectations
If saffron in film and television is often associated with pain and tragedy, in reality it serves as a guardian of emotional health. In 2025, The Journal of Nutrition, one of the world’s leading journals in nutritional science, published a paper entitled “An Examination into the Effects of a Saffron Extract (Affron) on Mood and General Wellbeing in Adults Experiencing Low Mood: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial”. This study reported the largest clinical investigation to date on saffron and mood.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.05.024
The study adopted a rigorous randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design and enrolled 202 adults experiencing low mood. One group received 28 mg per day of a standardized saffron extract, while the control group received a placebo, over a 12-week period.
The results were encouraging. On primary outcome measures, the saffron group showed a 2.9-point greater reduction in depression scores compared with the placebo group. A total of 72.3% of participants receiving saffron achieved “clinically meaningful improvement.” Among individuals with more severe sleep problems, saffron supplementation reduced sleep disturbance scores by approximately 12%.
Affron® saffron extract shows sustained improvement in subclinical depressive symptoms
The study further elucidated possible mechanisms of action. Active constituents in saffron extract, such as safranal and crocin, were shown to modulate key neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin and dopamine—often referred to as “happiness messengers.” These compounds help regulate stress-response systems and suppress chronic inflammation, thereby alleviating neural burden at a physiological level.
Beyond its mood-regulating properties, previously overlooked parts of saffron also harbor significant value.
Scientifically Optimized Formulations Create a Powerful Antioxidant System
The value of saffron extends far beyond emotional health. Even more striking is the discovery that parts commonly discarded actually contain a hidden antioxidant treasure. A study published in Bioresources and Bioprocessing in September 2025 opened the door to this new perspective.
The research team focused on saffron leaves and tepals—by-products that account for approximately 90% of the fresh flower’s total biomass and are typically discarded. Using ethanol extraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the researchers made a breakthrough discovery. The leaves were found to be rich in the potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound ellagic acid, with a content as high as 62.47%. The tepals were dominated by rutin, a compound known for vascular protection, accounting for 22.32%. Meanwhile, the valuable stigma extract contained 11.04% crocin, a key compound associated with antidepressant activity.
Synergistic antioxidant effects of stigmas, leaves, and tepals
Through mixture design experiments testing different ratios, the team identified a “golden formulation”: 43% stigma extract + 35% leaf extract + 22% tepal extract. This formulation exhibited approximately 20% greater free-radical-scavenging capacity than the commonly used synthetic antioxidant BHT, demonstrating a synergistic effect in which “1 + 1 + 1 > 3.”
Additional Benefits in Relieving Menstrual Discomfort
Beyond mood and antioxidant effects, a systematic review published in Phytotherapy Research in 2024 provided an even more comprehensive picture of saffron’s health benefits and clarified long-standing concerns about its safety. This review analyzed 50 studies and presented evidence that saffron plays the role of a “cell-level all-round caretaker” in women’s health.
In terms of relieving menstrual discomfort, a double-blind trial involving 180 young women showed that daily supplementation with 30 mg of saffron powder over three consecutive menstrual cycles produced analgesic effects for primary dysmenorrhea that were comparable to, or even superior to, the conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug mefenamic acid.
The review also found that saffron shows potential in improving polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In animal models, crocin significantly reduced testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels, decreased the number of ovarian cysts, and increased follicle-stimulating hormone levels as well as the count of mature follicles.
Saffron and its active constituents improve folliculogenesis and ovulatory function
At the same time, scientific data have thoroughly clarified misunderstandings propagated by fictional portrayals. The so-called “abortifacient” effect appears only under extremely high doses. Animal studies indicate that mild effects were observed only when doses equivalent to more than 100 grams per day in humans were administered—far exceeding normal use. In contrast, typical supplemental doses do not exceed 30 mg per day, representing a difference of several thousand-fold. In the clinical trial on dysmenorrhea, 180 women of reproductive age took saffron continuously for three months, and no abortion-related events were reported.
Conclusion
Modern science now paints a completely new picture. Through its unique bioactive compounds, saffron can effectively regulate mood, improve sleep, and help more than 70% of adults experiencing emotional distress achieve clinically meaningful improvement. It also exemplifies the principles of sustainable health by transforming up to 90% of its biomass—previously considered waste—into valuable, highly effective antioxidant raw materials, highlighting the immense potential of circular economy practices. In the field of women’s health, saffron demonstrates multidimensional, cell-level protective effects ranging from relief of menstrual pain to endocrine regulation, while maintaining good safety at conventional doses. A growing body of rigorous research has thoroughly dispelled the stigma imposed by dramatized portrayals.
Saffron is no longer a legendary “toxic substance.” When applied scientifically and responsibly, it has proven itself to be a health-promoting “soft gold” that integrates traditional wisdom with modern technology, offering promising and innovative solutions for emotional health, antioxidant protection, and women-focused care.
References
-
Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Marx W, Díez-Municio M, Morán-Valero MI. An Examination into the Effects of a Saffron Extract (Affron®) on Mood and General Wellbeing in Adults Experiencing Low Mood: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Nutr. 2025;155(7):2300–2311.
-
Baraich A, Elbouzidi A, Jeddi M, et al. Optimized formulation of a three-component extract mixture from Moroccan Crocus sativus L. (Stigmas, leaves, and tepals) for enhanced antioxidant activity. Bioresour Bioprocess. 2025;12(1):94. Published September 1, 2025.
-
Hasheminasab FS, Azimi M, Raeiszadeh M. Therapeutic effects of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) on female reproductive system disorders: A systematic review. Phytother Res. 2024;38(6):2832–2846.