Thorne Rapid Relief Saffron Review

This product gives 30 milligrams of saffron extract a day, slightly above the 28 milligrams that worked in studies. A large pooled analysis of 192 trials with 17,437 people with depression found saffron improved depression scores ^[1]. A pooled analysis of 46 trials found saffron improved depression, anxiety and sleep more than placebo, about as well as standard drugs, with few side effects ^[2]. In a 12-week trial of 202 adults with low mood, 28 milligrams daily helped 72.3 percent meaningfully, compared with 54.3 percent on placebo, though other measures showed no difference ^[3]. A six-week trial of 180 adults found less depression and anxiety and better sleep ^[4]. A four-week trial of 128 adults with low mood found 28 milligrams daily improved mood and reduced stress, while 22 milligrams did not ^[5]. Some caution remains: a pooled analysis of 34 trials found people rated their own depression and anxiety as better, but scales scored by clinicians showed no clear effect ^[6], and another pooled analysis found no clear effect on anxiety alone. Animal and cell studies are never counted.

Most of the panel backs saffron: four recommend it, one uses it, and two stay neutral. The main reasons are better mood, less sadness and anxiety, and better sleep, with a few also mentioning libido and memory. One panelist takes 28 mg about an hour before bed for sleep and another cites 30 mg for anxiety, while others like a tincture or a tea made by steeping a pinch of threads in hot water for 10 minutes. One panelist who is neutral sees little value for otherwise healthy people and says the benefit for depression alongside a med rested on one study that needs repeating. Nobody reported stopping it, and several note that saffron is a pricey spice, though one says it costs less as a supplement.