Ingredient Reference
Saffron Extract (Crocus sativus): Compounds, Standardization, Studied Amounts and Safety
Saffron chemistry, grading and standardized extracts, adulteration, the human studies and their amounts, and who should ask a clinician first.
See Saffron Mood and Calm CapsulesSaffron on the Label
The planned formula for our saffron product, per serving.
Planned formula. Pre-order, no payment taken now. Directions will be on the label at launch. Against the research: 28 mg a day is the daily total given in the affron trials by Kell (2017) and Lopresti and Smith (2021), listed below.
Saffron at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Source | Dried stigmas (the red threads) of the Crocus sativus flower. |
| Key compounds | Crocins (color), picrocrocin (bitterness), safranal (aroma); crocetin is the core of the crocins. |
| Quality grading | ISO 3632, Categories I to III, by color, flavor and aroma readings plus purity tests. |
| Daily amounts in extract trials | 15.5 to 30 mg; a 1 week safety study used 200 and 400 mg. |
| Main cautions | Gram level doses, pregnancy, and medicines for blood pressure, clotting or mood. |
| US status | Listed spice and food color; extracts in capsules are dietary supplements. |
Looking for mood, sleep or women's health results? Those are covered in Saffron Supplement Benefits: Mood, Women, Sleep and Dose. This page sticks to reference facts.
What Saffron Is: Chemistry and Names
Saffron is the spice made from the three red stigmas inside each Crocus sativus flower. The stigmas are picked and separated by hand, and one kilogram of dry saffron takes between 110,000 and 165,000 flowers. That labor puts the price at a reported 1,500 to 2,200 euros per kilogram, which invites fraud.
The four compounds that define saffron
- Crocins: water soluble apocarotenoids that give the deep yellow red color. Chemically they are sugar esters of crocetin, built with glucose or gentiobiose; the best known is the digentiobiose ester.
- Crocetin: the sugar free core of the crocins, a carotenoid with a carboxyl group at each end of its chain. It is fat soluble and forms when the crocin sugars are split off.
- Picrocrocin: a colorless glycoside that carries the bitter taste. It is the second most abundant compound in the dry stigma.
- Safranal: the volatile aroma compound. Fresh stigmas do not contain it; heat and the enzyme beta glucosidase convert picrocrocin to safranal during drying, and more forms in storage.
In storage, safranal tends to rise while crocin falls.
Grades, Extracts and How to Read a Label
ISO 3632 grading of the spice
The international standard reads a water extract of the stigmas at three wavelengths: 440 nm for crocins (coloring strength), 257 nm for picrocrocin (flavor) and 330 nm for safranal (aroma). Category I requires a coloring strength of at least 200 and Category III at least 120; the flavor minimums are 70, 55 and 40 for Categories I to III. Moisture, flower waste, foreign matter and ash also count. Labs often confirm with HPLC.
Standardized extracts
Supplement trials use concentrated extracts with a stated marker level rather than loose threads. Examples from the studies below:
| Extract | Stated standardization | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| affron | More than 3.5% Lepticrosalides, a marker covering safranal and crocin isomers | Kell 2017; Lopresti and Smith 2021 |
| Saffr'activ | Daily dose supplying 0.9 mg crocins and 0.7 mg safranal | Pachikian 2021 |
| Safr'Inside | Named in the trial title | Pouchieu 2023 |
What to look for on a supplement label
- Milligrams of extract per serving, not just "saffron".
- The standardization marker and its percentage, such as crocins, safranal or Lepticrosalides.
- Stigma as the plant part. Tepals and stamens are cheaper parts of the same flower.
- Ingredient testing for identity and purity.
Adulteration
Saffron has been called the most adulterated spice in history. Reported tricks include blending in calendula, safflower, turmeric, gardenia, beet or achiote; moistening threads with honey, sugar, oil or glycerin to add weight; dyes such as tartrazine, Sudan II and Allura red; and false origin claims. In one study the ISO method missed 10% adulteration, while HPLC with mass spectrometry caught safflower or calendula at 5% and turmeric at 2%.
Human Research, Study by Study
Randomized, placebo controlled trials of saffron extracts, plus one safety study.
| Study | Who | Amount a day | Length | Measured | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kell 2017, Complement Ther Med | 128 adults with self-reported low mood, no diagnosis | affron 22 or 28 mg | 4 weeks | POMS (primary), PANAS, DASS-21, PSQI | 28 mg lowered POMS total mood disturbance against placebo; 22 mg was similar to placebo |
| Pachikian 2021, Nutrients | 66 adults aged 25 to 70 with mild to moderate sleep complaints and anxiety | Saffr'activ 15.5 mg, evening | 6 weeks | Wrist actigraphy, LSEQ, PSQI, SF-36 | Easier getting to sleep (LSEQ) and lower PSQI score with saffron; placebo unchanged |
| Lopresti and Smith 2021, J Menopausal Med | 86 perimenopausal women aged 40 to 60 | affron 14 mg twice (28 mg) | 12 weeks | Greene Climacteric Scale (primary), PANAS, SF-36 | Psychological subscale and negative affect improved more than placebo; vasomotor scores similar |
| Pouchieu 2023, Nutrients | 19 healthy young men, crossover | Safr'Inside 30 mg, single dose | One test day per arm | Self-rated stress and cortisol in a lab stress test | Lower self-rated stress than placebo; cortisol peak delayed |
| Modaghegh 2008, Phytomedicine | 30 healthy volunteers | Saffron tablets 200 or 400 mg | 1 week | Exam, blood pressure, blood counts and chemistry | No major changes; 400 mg lowered standing blood pressure; small blood shifts stayed in normal ranges |
Amounts Used in Human Studies
Study amounts, not directions. Follow your product's label.
| Setting | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standardized extract trials above | 15.5 to 30 mg a day, single dose up to 12 weeks |
| affron trials | 28 mg a day, taken once or split into 14 mg twice |
| Short safety study of saffron tablets | 200 and 400 mg a day for 1 week |
| Single oral dose linked to bleeding problems in a case report | 5 g |
| Reported lethal dose of the stigma | 20 g |
Trial amounts are milligrams; the toxic reports involve grams, over 150 times more.
Safety, Side Effects and Interactions
A toxicology review concluded that therapeutic doses of saffron showed no significant toxicity in clinical or lab work. A 2026 review that pooled 102 clinical trials found side effects in about 17.5% of cases, most often mild, brief stomach upset, and advised clinical monitoring at high doses or with long use. In the perimenopause trial, digestive complaints such as flatulence and nausea were somewhat more frequent with saffron.
High doses
Gram amounts are a different matter. A Hong Kong Polytechnic University monograph lists a lethal dose of 20 g of the stigma, and smaller gram doses have been linked to vomiting, uterine bleeding, bloody diarrhea, blood in the urine and nosebleeds. One person who took a single 5 g dose developed skin bleeding, a very low platelet count and abnormal clotting.
Pregnancy
Saffron has uterine stimulating activity at high doses, and the same monograph advises avoiding more than 5 g a day in pregnancy. Supplements are a separate question from cooking: avoid saffron supplements while pregnant or breastfeeding unless your clinician approves.
| Medicine or situation | Why to ask first |
|---|---|
| Blood pressure medicines | 400 mg a day lowered standing blood pressure in the 1 week safety study. |
| Blood thinners and antiplatelet drugs | Gram doses have been linked to bleeding and abnormal clotting. |
| Medicines for mood | Saffron trials measured mood outcomes; do not change prescribed treatment on your own. |
| Under 18 | The trials above enrolled adults. |
Stop and contact a clinician if you notice unusual bleeding or bruising, blood in urine or stool, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
US Regulatory Status
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) appears in 21 CFR 182.10, the federal list of spices and natural seasonings generally recognized as safe for their intended use. Under 21 CFR 73.500 it is also a color additive, defined as the dried stigma of Crocus sativus, allowed for coloring foods generally at good manufacturing practice levels and exempt from batch certification. Those listings cover the spice and the food color. A saffron extract sold in capsules is a dietary supplement under DSHEA, which counts botanicals and their extracts as dietary ingredients. FDA does not approve supplements before they are sold; the maker is responsible for safety and labeling.
Saffron Extract FAQ
Which compounds give saffron its color, taste and smell?
Crocins give the color, picrocrocin gives the bitter taste, and safranal gives the aroma. Safranal forms from picrocrocin while the stigmas dry.
What is the difference between crocin and crocetin?
Crocins are water soluble sugar esters of crocetin. Crocetin is the fat soluble carotenoid core left when those sugars are removed.
What does standardized to 3.5% Lepticrosalides mean?
It is the marker used for the affron extract. Lepticrosalides cover safranal and crocin isomers, and affron is standardized to more than 3.5% of them.
How is saffron spice graded?
ISO 3632 sorts saffron into Categories I to III using light readings for crocins, picrocrocin and safranal, plus moisture, ash, flower waste and foreign matter.
How is saffron adulterated?
With cheaper plant material such as safflower, calendula or turmeric, with honey, sugar, oil or glycerin to add weight, with dyes, and with false origin claims.
What daily amounts of saffron extract have trials used?
The extract trials on this page used 15.5 to 30 mg a day for up to 12 weeks. A 1 week safety study used 200 and 400 mg a day. These are study amounts, not directions.
Is saffron safe in large amounts?
No. Gram doses have been linked to bleeding and other serious effects, a 20 g lethal dose is reported, and more than 5 g a day should be avoided in pregnancy.
More on Saffron
Sources
- Avila-Sosa R, et al. Detection of Saffron's Main Bioactive Compounds and Their Relationship with Commercial Quality. Foods, 2022. DOI 10.3390/foods11203245
- Kell G, et al. affron, a novel saffron extract (Crocus sativus L.) improves mood in healthy adults over 4 weeks in a double-blind, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2017. DOI 10.1016/j.ctim.2017.06.001
- Pachikian BD, et al. Effects of Saffron Extract on Sleep Quality: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients, 2021. DOI 10.3390/nu13051473
- Lopresti AL, Smith SJ. The Effects of a Saffron Extract (affron) on Menopausal Symptoms in Women during Perimenopause: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Journal of Menopausal Medicine, 2021. DOI 10.6118/jmm.21002
- Pouchieu C, et al. Acute Effect of a Saffron Extract (Safr'Inside) and Its Main Volatile Compound on the Stress Response in Healthy Young Men. Nutrients, 2023. PubMed 37447245
- Modaghegh MH, et al. Safety evaluation of saffron (Crocus sativus) tablets in healthy volunteers. Phytomedicine, 2008. PubMed 18693099
- Bostan HB, Mehri S, Hosseinzadeh H. Toxicology effects of saffron and its constituents: a review. Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, 2017. DOI 10.22038/ijbms.2017.8230
- Hasheminasab FS, et al. Adverse Events of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.): Systematic Review of Current Evidence. Health Science Reports, 2026. DOI 10.1002/hsr2.72212
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Saffron (Stigma Croci). Herbal medicine database. herbaltcm.sn.polyu.edu.hk
- Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 182.10, Spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings. ecfr.gov
- Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 73.500, Saffron. ecfr.gov
- US Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements. fda.gov
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a health condition, ask a qualified healthcare professional before using saffron supplements.