Saffron
The spice taken as a standardized extract rather than a pinch in the pan
Saffron is the dried stigma of a crocus flower, absurdly expensive by weight, and a staple of Iranian, Lebanese and Spanish cooking. Supplement makers sell standardized extracts in capsules, often blended with curcumin or zinc. Trials have looked at its effect on mood, and a 2025 review of nutraceuticals rated it well against the others it examined, but the studies are small and nobody has tracked long-term use. Potency varies between products, and adulteration is a known problem in the spice trade. Cooking with saffron delivers far less of the active compounds than an extract does, which is the usual argument for capsules.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Daniel AmenRecommends
Psychiatrist · Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Saffron is the supplement he sounds happiest about, and he ties it to his Lebanese background and to a piece of Iranian folklore about people who seem too cheerful. He told Fox News that research he has read puts it on a par with antidepressants, and named zinc and curcumin as a pairing he likes.
Source: Fox News: Common spice may beat depression and boost sexual health, doctor says“I love saffron so much … I'm Lebanese, and Middle Eastern folks cook with a lot of saffron. And there's actually folklore in Iran: If you're too happy, you must have had saffron.”
Fox News: Common spice may beat depression and boost sexual health, doctor says (opens in a new tab) · 19 Nov 2025
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