Saffron Dosing for Healthy Adults
For healthy adults with no medical conditions, the recommended dose of saffron extract is 28-30 mg daily, typically divided into two doses (14 mg twice daily), based on the most recent high-quality clinical trials demonstrating efficacy and safety. 1
Standard Dosing Recommendations
The evidence supports the following dosing regimen for healthy adults:
28 mg daily is the optimal dose, administered as 14 mg twice daily (b.i.d.), which has demonstrated significant improvements in mood and depressive symptoms in the largest randomized controlled trial to date 1
30 mg daily as a single dose has also shown efficacy for improving emotional well-being, reducing subclinical anxiety and stress, and enhancing resilience to psychosocial stressors 2
Both dosing strategies (28 mg and 30 mg daily) fall within the therapeutic range established across multiple clinical trials and represent the evidence-based standard for supplementation 3, 1, 2
Safety Profile and Tolerability
The safety data for saffron supplementation in healthy adults is reassuring:
Up to 400 mg daily has been evaluated in short-term safety studies (7 days) without clinically significant adverse effects, though some minor changes in hematological and biochemical parameters were observed within normal ranges 4
28-30 mg daily for 8-12 weeks has been extensively studied with no serious adverse reactions reported, establishing this as a safe long-term dosing range 1, 2
The median lethal dose (LD50) in animal studies is 20.7 g/kg, indicating a very wide safety margin at therapeutic doses 5
Duration of Treatment
Minimum 8 weeks of supplementation is recommended to achieve clinically meaningful effects on mood and well-being 3, 2
12 weeks of treatment has been studied in the largest trial and showed sustained benefits with 72.3% of participants achieving clinically significant improvements 1
Important Clinical Considerations
Do not exceed 400 mg daily without medical supervision, as higher doses may cause clinically relevant changes in blood pressure (decreased systolic BP and mean arterial pressure) and alterations in hematological parameters 4
Saffron should be taken consistently at the same time each day, either as a single 28-30 mg dose or divided into 14 mg twice daily 3, 1
Bioavailability is confirmed through urinary crocetin levels, which correlate with clinical improvements in mood symptoms 2
No specific timing with meals is required based on available evidence, though consistency in administration is recommended 1, 2