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.
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Sorted by strength of stance
- 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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