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Saffron

Supplement botanical general nutritionbrain & mood
Aka: Crocus sativus, crocin, safranal
Brands seen in Singapore: California Gold Nutrition, Nutricost, Life Extension, NOW Foods, BrainMD
Third-party tested: BrainMD certifies other products with NSF Certified for Sport, but nothing for saffron.Certification is granted per product, so check the tub you actually own. Not being listed is not the same as failing.
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Self-reported mood scores — clinician scales did not move
Studied for
Trials ran at least four weeks; most around six
Pros & cons
Pros
  • 34-RCT meta-analysis: bdi fell, moderate certainty
  • 102 trials reviewed; side effects mostly minor, gut
  • Pms meta-analysis found a moderate effect size
Cons
  • No effect on clinician-rated hdrs, hars or poms
  • About 17.5% of users reported an adverse event
  • Higher intakes in pregnancy raise miscarriage risk
Sources
  1. Effect of saffron on depression, anxiety and mood disorder: a GRADE assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of 34 randomized controlled trials (Mahmoudi et al., Nutr Neurosci 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “A total of 34 RCTs comprising 1769 participants were included. Saffron supplementation significantly reduced scores on BDI … No significant effects were observed for the HDRS, HARS, or POMS. The certainty of evidence was rated as moderate”
  2. Adverse Events of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.): Systematic Review of Current Evidence (Hasheminasab et al., Health Sci Rep 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “A total of 102 clinical trials and a single case report were included … The estimated incidence of adverse events related to C. sativus consumption is around 17.5%. The most frequently reported side effects were gastrointestinal problems, which were minor and self-limiting in most cases.”
  3. The Role of Saffron in the Treatment of Depression: A Literature Review (Dimech, Cureus 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “saffron, most commonly administered at 30 mg per day for approximately six weeks, has been associated with clinically meaningful reductions in depressive symptom severity … Adjunctive studies … provide preliminary support for augmentation in partial responders”
  4. Effect of saffron on premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Mohammadi & Karimi, Korean J Fam Med 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Meta-analysis revealed that saffron had a significant positive effect on the symptoms of PMS in women (standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.84 to -0.44).”
  5. Saffron and Pregnancy: Cultural Practices, Beliefs, and Safety Evidence: An Integrative Review (Alshdefat et al., J Evid Based Integr Med 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Clinical evidence indicates low-dose saffron (approximately 250 milligrams daily) may facilitate cervical ripening … These effects are dose-dependent, with higher doses or occupational exposure linked to uterine stimulation and increased miscarriage risk.”
  6. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, Version 1 (Oct 2025), Annex A (72 rows) and Annex B (4 rows: caffeine, green tea extract, St John's wort, L-tryptophan) — read from the cached PDF text on disk · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  7. HSA — Health Supplements Guidelines, Rev. No. 020 (January 2026), Table 6: diseases/conditions not allowed for health supplements · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HS must not be labelled, advertised or promoted for any specific medicinal purpose, i.e. treatment or prevention, implied or otherwise, of any disease or disorder, including its related conditions.”
  8. iHerb Singapore — Saffron category (default order, 1 - 36 of 36 results) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “California Gold Nutrition, Saffron Extract with Affron, 28 mg … Nutricost, Saffron, 88.5 mg … Life Extension, Optimized Saffron (78 mg per Capsule) … NOW Foods, Saffron, 50 mg … BrainMD, Happy Saffron Plus”
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Updated 2026-08-30. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.