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Saffron May Help Ease Gut Inflammation & Anxiety, Study Finds

Hannah Frye
Author:
November 02, 2024
Hannah Frye
Beauty & Health Editor
By Hannah Frye
Beauty & Health Editor
Hannah Frye is the Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including beauty, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously worked for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.
Image by Valentina Barreto / stocksy
November 02, 2024

Saffron has a rich cultural history in Ayurvedic wellness and is a popular ingredient in countries like Greece, Iran, India, and Morocco.

These days, researchers are putting the spice—derived from the flower of the Crocus sativus plant—to the test in clinical settings.

Here's the latest on how saffron may help ease inflammation throughout the body, according to the latest science.

Saffron may help ease gut inflammation

A study published in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases found that high-dose saffron supplements led to an improvement in multiple gut health measurements, including inflammatory markers

The study included 30 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause ulcers in the digestive tract. There's no known cure, but studies like this one aim to find interventions to help manage the symptoms. 

Participants split up into three groups receiving either a placebo, low dose (25 milligrams), or high dose (50 milligrams) of saffron (which has known antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties1) in supplement form, taking these twice a day for eight weeks.

In addition to gut health perks, participants in the high-dose group experienced significant improvements in their Hamilton Depression Anxiety Score and overall quality of life, suggesting saffron may be able to support mental health, specifically anxiety, as well. Emerging research suggests that anxiety disorders could be associated with inflammation in the brain2 (neuroinflammation), so this benefit could also have to do with the anti-inflammatory effect of the spice.

"These findings suggest that the use of saffron supplements alongside standard treatment protocols may yield beneficial effects for individuals with UC," researchers note.

It's important to remember that UC is a complex disease with many different influences, so you wouldn't want to use saffron as the only treatment. 

Other saffron benefits

Anxiety reduction and gut health improvements aren't the only benefits spotted in saffron research thus far. 

"Psychosocial interactions and heart rate variability improvements have even been demonstrated in research leveraging saffron extract supplementation3," adds former mindbodygreen's vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN

One previous test-tube study found that saffron selectively killed colon cancer cells without negative side effects4. Other research has found saffron helpful for easing PMS symptoms like headaches, cravings, and discomfort5.

The spice has even been shown to improve retinal function in the eyes, which is why you may spot this ingredient in eye health supplements

Safe to say, saffron is certainly a worthy addition to your diet if you don't use it already. The gut health study discussed above called for 50 milligrams of saffron twice daily, which is under 1 teaspoon, proving that a little goes a long way with this spice. 

Not sure where to start? Consider this saffron lemonade recipe from emergency and integrative medicine physician Eudene Harry, M.D.

The takeaway

A new study found that saffron could help reduce gut inflammation and ease anxiety in participants with ulcerative colitis. Other research points to this spice's ability to improve heart rate variability and eye health as well, making it a science-backed (and delicious) addition to your diet.

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