saffron Archives - everywomanover29 blog

There are a number of pathways linking the gut microbiota and the CNS/central nervous system: the vagus nerve, the circulatory system and the immune system. The gut microbiota have a direct impact on anxiety and depression via these pathways.

The 2015 paper referenced in the above slide is: Control of brain development, function, and behavior by the microbiome

More recently, studies have suggested that gut bacteria can impact neurological outcomes–altering behavior and potentially affecting the onset and/or severity of nervous system disorders. In this review, we highlight emerging evidence that the microbiome extends its influence to the brain via various pathways connecting the gut to the central nervous system. While understanding and appreciation of a gut microbial impact on neurological function is nascent, unraveling gut-microbiome-brain connections holds the promise of transforming the neurosciences and revealing potentially novel etiologies for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

This slide and study was part of Professor Karsten Kristiansen’s keynote presentation at The Society for Mental Health Research conference in Sydney last month: “A gut feeling – the gut microbiome in health, diseases and behavior.” I had the pleasure of attending and meeting Professor Kristiansen. He gave me permission to share some of the highlights which you can watch in the video below.

Professor Felice Jacka, nutritional psychiatry researcher and founder of ISNPR introduced him and his presentation on the gut-brain connection.

Here I am with Professor Karsten Kristiansen and Professor Felice Jacka

It was really wonderful to finally Professor Felice Jacka in person. I have been following her research work since her first food mood study in 2010: Association of Western and traditional diets with depression and anxiety in women. You may recall our wonderful interview on The Anxiety Summit: The Research – Food to prevent and treat anxiety and depression?

Here are 2 position statements on nutritional psychiatry from ISNPR:

It was also wonderful to see Felice’s name on so many of the microbiome and mood-diet posters that were presented at the conference!

We appreciate Professor Kristiansen, Professor Felice Jacka and all the research work they and their teams of researchers do!

In a new study published in Pharmacopsychiatry, Crocus sativus L. versus citalopram in the treatment of major depressive disorder with anxious distress: a double-blind, controlled clinical trial, saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has been shown to have both antidepressant and antianxiety effects. It’s also anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant.

In this study patients received either saffron or an SSRI called citalopram/Celexa:

66 patients with major depressive disorder accompanied by anxious distress were randomly assigned to receive either saffron (30 mg/day) or citalopram (40 mg/day) for 6 weeks.

The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) were used to assess the effectiveness of the treatment during the study.

60 participants finished the study and they all showed significant improvement in depression and anxiety scores, with no significant difference in effectiveness or side effects from either the saffron or citalopram.

The authors make this conclusion:

The present study indicates saffron as a potential efficacious and tolerable treatment for major depressive disorder with anxious distress.

A 2014 systematic review of clinical studies and examination of underlying antidepressant mechanisms of action of saffron found that:

saffron’s antidepressant effects potentially are due to its serotonergic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuro-endocrine and neuroprotective effects

This means that saffron could potentially be used in place tryptophan or 5-HTP if you score high on the low serotonin section of the amino acid questionnaire (anxiety, worry-in-the head, obsessiveness, negativity and depression, irritability, PMS, afternoon and evening cravings and insomnia) and yet do not seem to benefit from either of these two amino acids.

And you’ll be getting the added antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuro-endocrine and neuroprotective effects.

If you do well with tryptophan and/or 5-HTP, I suspect that using a small amount of saffron together with these amino acids could enhance the effects.

Saffron: GABA is one of the mechanisms of action

Update: Dec 20, 2024

I’m adding this section about GABA as a result of saffron coming up in a question in the GABA Quickstart 2.0 program this week. One of the participants asked me this question: “I’m seeing a lot of new Saffron supplements stating that it helps with GABA. Your thoughts on this?”

According this this 2022 paper, Saffron (Crocus sativus L.): A Source of Nutrients for Health and for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric and Age-Related Diseases

Investigations have shown that aqueous saffron extracts and its constituent safranal exert anxiolytic effects similar to that of diazepam, probably through their interaction with the benzodiazepine binding site at the GABA_A receptor.

In addition, studies have demonstrated that crocins alleviated the obsessive compulsive behavior in rats through an antagonistic action at the 5-HT2C receptor site.

This is a subtype of the 5-HT2 serotonin receptor site and further supports the impacts saffron has on serotonin.

Another paper, also published in 2022, lists GABA as one of the mechanisms of action, in addition to its effects on monoamines (serotonin and dopamine) and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA).

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control (this is covered in an entire chapter too), sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I have yet to use saffron with my clients so I’d love to hear from you (so we all can benefit and learn from each other):

Have you used saffron and found it to be effective for your anxiety and/or depression?
If you’re a practitioner, have you used it with patients or clients?
Have you found 30 mg a day to be the most effective dose and how quickly have you noticed benefits? What symptoms have improved the most?
Have you combined saffron with tryptophan or 5-HTP?
Have you combined saffron with GABA?

Feel free to post your questions below too.