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Saffron

Crocus sativus

Also known as saffron, kesar, zafferano

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The dried stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, harvested by hand and the most expensive spice by weight. The USDA entry is per 100 g, which is an enormous quantity — a generous pinch for a paella is around a tenth of a gram.

Mental WellbeingEye HealthWeight Management

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Mood

Mental Wellbeing
Moderate evidence

Randomised trials report reductions in depressive symptom scores with standardised saffron extract, typically 30 mg a day, compared with placebo. Reviews consistently flag that the trials are small, short, and overwhelmingly from one region, and the dose is a concentrated extract rather than a culinary pinch, which is a difference of two orders of magnitude.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Visual function

Eye Health
Limited evidence

Small trials of saffron supplements in age-related macular degeneration report modest changes in retinal electrical function and visual acuity measures. The trials are few, small and short, and the same research groups produced most of them.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Body composition

Weight Management
Insufficient evidence

Saffron extracts are widely sold for appetite control and snacking behaviour. The supporting trials are few, small and largely commercially sponsored, which is not enough to draw a conclusion from.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Saffron

Ask about Saffron

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Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories310 kcal16%
Protein11.4 g23%
Total fat5.85 g8%
Carbohydrate65.4 g24%
Fibre3.9 g14%
Water11.9 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.59 g8%
Monounsaturated fat0.429 g—
Polyunsaturated fat2.07 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.0060 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.754 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A27 µg3%
Vitamin C80.8 mg90%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.115 mg10%
Riboflavin (B2)0.267 mg21%
Niacin (B3)1.46 mg9%
Vitamin B61.01 mg59%
Folate93 µg23%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium111 mg9%
Iron11.1 mg62%
Magnesium264 mg63%
Phosphorus252 mg20%
Potassium1724 mg37%
Sodium148 mg6%
Zinc1.09 mg10%
Copper0.328 mg36%
Manganese28.4 mg1235%
Selenium5.6 µg10%
Other measured compounds
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash5.45 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Spices, saffron (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170934).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • soakedIncreases crocin extraction

    Crocin is water-soluble, so steeping threads in warm liquid for ten to twenty minutes before adding them to a dish extracts far more colour and flavour than dropping threads in whole.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Avoid medicinal doses in pregnancy

    Saffron at gram-scale doses has uterine stimulant activity and is traditionally associated with miscarriage; case reports describe bleeding after large ingestions. Culinary pinches are not the concern, but saffron capsules should be avoided in pregnancy.

  • Too much

    Genuinely toxic in gram quantities

    Doses of roughly five grams and above have caused vomiting, bleeding, jaundice and, in older case literature, death. This is far beyond any culinary use, but it is a real ceiling and one reason supplement doses are capped at tens of milligrams.

  • Interaction

    Antidepressants and antiplatelet drugs

    Saffron extract has been studied alongside and against antidepressants, and combining them without supervision risks additive serotonergic effects. Saffron also shows antiplatelet activity at supplement doses.

  • Worth knowing

    One of the most adulterated foods sold

    Because of its price, saffron is frequently bulked with safflower, turmeric, dyed corn silk or coloured gelatin threads. Whole threads from a reputable source are harder to fake than powder.