Potent, pure, and the only saffron supplement clinically proven to enhance mental wellbeing, affron® is in a league of its own. Harvested in the Castilla-La-Mancha region in, affron® undergoes a patented cold extraction method to preserve maximum amount of actives. The end result is a saffron supplement that is packed full of natural phytonutrients including apocarotenoids, crocetin esters, picrocrocin and safranal. Read on to explore the science and mental health benefits of this powerful saffron supplement.
Clinical studies
In recent years affron® has gained significant attention for its ability to support mood and emotional wellbeing. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, a group of 128 healthy adults who self-reported low mood but were not diagnosed with depression were given either 28mg of affron® per day, or a placebo. After 4 weeks, the affron® group significantly improved in mood versus the placebo group, reporting reduced tension, depression and fatigue, as well as decreased stress and slightly improved sleep1. These results have been echoed in multiple clinical studies using gold-standard rating scales, were saffron was found to effectively alleviate anxiety and depression 2,3,4. The efficacy of saffron in mild to moderate depression was even similar to that of clinically used anti-depressant drugs, such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and imipramine (Tofranil) in randomised clinical trials3,4.
Beyond its mood-enhancing and calming effects, affron® has been shown to strengthen resilience against stress. A recent randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study explored how saffron extract affects the way healthy adults respond to psychosocial stress. The results showed that those taking saffron experienced significantly lower feelings of stress and anxiety, along with noticeable improvements in stress-related biomarkers5. Their heart rate variability (HRV)—a key indicator of the body’s ability to recover from stress—also improved significantly compared to the placebo group. These findings suggest that saffron can help enhance resilience to stress and offer protection against the negative effects linked to chronic stress.
The published clinical evidence on the efficacy of affron® is significant and growing, with rigorous systematic reviews followed by meta-analysis6,7 (research best practice to combine data from various studies looking at the same research question) providing strong evidence for its ability to help boost mood, reduce anxiety and fortify against stress.
How does it work?
The active compounds in affron® support multiple biological mechanisms to achieve their beneficial effects on mental health.
1. Helps regulate cortisol
The mitigation of stress-induced elevation of cortisol is thought to be one of the main mechanisms whereby affron® exerts its stress reducing effects. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. High cortisol levels can contribute to anxiety, mood swings, and difficulty sleeping.
2. Increases BDNF
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a major component of neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections). BDNF is a protein that plays a role in the growth and maintenance of brain cells. Higher BDNF levels are associated with improved learning, memory, and mood. Known as the "natural anti-depressant of the brain", it is thought that part of the efficacy behind anti-depressant medication (such as Prozac or Sertraline) comes from their ability to increase BDNF.
3. Improves energy production by supporting the mitochondria
The mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells, responsible for energy production. Saffron’s ability to increase mitochondrial energy production is thought to contribute to its beneficial effects on cognitive function and brain health.
4. Lowers inflammation
Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury or infection. However, chronic, low-grade inflammation can contribute to various health issues, including adverse effects on mental health. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (substances that drive inflammation) have shown to influence the functioning of key brain areas central to mental and emotional resilience (the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala and the hippocampus). Inflammatory cytokines can also change neural activity and make nerve cells release more or less of certain neurotransmitters (such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine), affecting mood and emotional regulation. The anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in affron® help reduce systemic inflammation and support mental health-related cell signalling impacted by inflammation8.
5. Supports the microbiota-gut-brain axis
The gut microbiome is a diverse community of trillions of bacteria living in our intestines, playing a vital role in digestion, immune function and mental health. However, stress can disrupt this delicate balance, leading to gut dysbiosis. Saffron has been shown to promote gut health and normalise dysbiosis induced by stress9, contributing to improved mood and higher stress resilience through it's positive effects on key pathways along the microbiota-gut-brain axis 9,10.
Want to give saffron a go? Affron® is a key component in Ally's award-winning mental wellness supplement. Every daily dose contains 28mg of pure affron®, the same amount used in clinical studies which saw significant improvements across mood, stress resilience and anxiety.
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1Kell, 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. Complement Ther Med, 2017.
2Mazidi, M., et al., A double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in the treatment of anxiety and depression. J Complement Integr Med, 2016.
3Akhondzadeh, S., et al., Comparison of Crocus sativus L. and imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a pilot double-blind randomized trial [ISRCTN45683816]. BMC Complement Altern Med, 2004.
4Noorbala, A.A., et al., Hydro-alcoholic extract of Crocus sativus L. versus fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot trial. J Ethnopharmacol, 2005.
5Jackson, P.A. et al, Effects of Saffron Extract Supplementation on Mood, Well-Being, and Response to a Psychosocial Stressor in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Group, Clinical Trial. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2021.
6Tóth, B., et al., The Efficacy of Saffron in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Meta-analysis. Planta Med, 2019.
7Lopresti, A.L. and P.D. Drummond, Saffron (Crocus sativus) for depression: a systematic review of clinical studies and examination of underlying antidepressant mechanisms of action. Hum Psychopharmacol, 2014.
8Ghaderi, A., et al., The effects of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) on mental health parameters and C-reactive protein: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Complement Ther Med, 2020.
9Xie, X., et al., Crocin-I ameliorates the disruption of lipid metabolism and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota induced by chronic corticosterone. Food Funct, 2019.
10Lin, S., et al., Crocetin ameliorates chronic restraint stress-induced depression-like behaviors by regulating MEK/ERK pathways and gut microbiota. J Ethnopharmacol, 2021.