Saffron for Depression: What a New 34-Trial Meta-Analysis Says About the ‘Natural SSRI’ Claim
Key takeaways The newest and largest evidence base — a 34-trial, 1,769-person GRADE meta-analysis (Mahmoudi et al., 2026, Nutrition & Neuroscience) — found saffron improves self-reported depression (BDI) and anxiety (BAI) scores with moderate-certainty evidence, but found no significant effect on clinician-rated depression (HDRS), clinician-rated anxiety (HARS), or general mood (POMS). The “natural SSRI” framing … Read more