Crocin and safranal
Specific molecules
The two compounds of saffron: crocin, a water-soluble carotenoid — the only one of its family to color a broth —, and safranal, which carries the scent.
Clinical trials use 28 to 30 mg a day, that is a pinch: it is one of the few spices whose everyday dose matches the studied dose. Crocin withstands infusion, which is precisely how it is used.
Effects and benefits
Saffron colors and perfumes, and it has been tested on mood: in meta-analyses of trials, 30 mg a day, a pinch, improved the mood of people with depression.
Saffron is the stigma of a flower, picked by hand: it takes about 150,000 of them for a kilo, making it the most expensive spice in the world. Crocin colors water gold, safranal carries the scent.
Meta-analyses of trials, mostly run in Iran, found improved mood in people with mild to moderate depression, with 30 mg of extract a day (Hausenblas et al., 2013; Marx et al., 2019). The trials are often small, and it is not a reason to stop a treatment.
At cooking doses, saffron is safe; at several grams, it becomes toxic and can cause uterine contractions: concentrated supplements are not advised during pregnancy.
Sources: Hausenblas et al., J Integr Med, 2013 · Marx et al., Nutr Rev, 2019